The mystery of sevcik op1 pt1 no. 1.

i can't get the third finger down without lifting the 2nd finger or creating tention.

found a solution by temporarily letting the first finger off and see ing the hand falls into place. then tucking the 1st back in watsn't difficult.

wfh op 45 no 9: realised the left elbow can be too far to the right and so difficult to reach on the e string with the 4th fingewr.

wfh op 45 no 8: don't worry about a technique that is not relevant to the etude. don't worry about all techniques. worry about the techniques that are required to create the desired sound. no more. a etude is not to serve any other purpose than itself. an etude is not preparation for another etude.

wfh op 45 no 6: practining fingering without bothimg with finger 1 frees everything up!

I'm starting to realise 2 things.
- Reading about playing the violin, like reading about drawing, is a waste of time. Like Michealangelo says "Quick, draw! Don't waste time!"
- Just like yoga is a exploration of the body with set goal or achievement, so too should violin study be. A exploration of the body with the purpose of expression. The music is created by the body, nothing else. The music is for the body, nothing else, no one else.


kayser op 20. no 2: as the bow moves across the 4 strings the left elbow rotates in perpendicular fashion (not literally). it seems as though it easier to move the elbow in accordance with the bow rather than the movement of the music. it's possible that the music goes 'downwards' whilst the fingers go onto a higher string?!?!?

It's great to find a new window into a world in which i can finger each note without using any tension. It's great to be using my left elbow and freeing up my shoulders.

On another topic. I like the sound of the bow bouncing on the string.

Enjoyed learning about Mikhail Lobko's ideas about 'picking up the violin' for the first time. Really helps the start of each practice session to play around on all strings with both hands empty (no bow).

Starting to see more about what Joachim was on about.

Definately gotta get back to enjoying my body rather than 'trying' or 'achieving'. It's not easy. It's take a concerted effort.

Today involve a run through of Sevcik, Schradieck, Wohlfahrt and Kayser. No scales (working on simpler stuff).

Kayser is a lot harder than Wohlfahrt!?

Surprisingly. This Sevcik 1,1,1 is easier in the G string because the elbow isn't in the way. Trying these exercises on different strings gives an insight in the role of the elbow!

TO play Sevcik op1 no1 without any tension in the left hand is an extra ordinary thing!