lesson 13

grade 1 to concert

Lesson always starts with this question..
of practice?
Stating clearly it was disappointing, a week where i did not practice much.

So as the instrument and books were unpacked from the case, the lesson begins..
Maestro takes the Technical Workbook from me, places it onto the music stand and asks to hear the Position Shift exercise in G Major.

I embarrassedly confess the non practice as this Grade 2 exercise was just too overwhelming, and after the ‘ee-aw’ incident last week, was simply put off! There was no practice from the Technical Workbook this week!
So i begged for Maestro to demonstrate this for me again – he laughs and says he doesn’t want to perform for me.

It’s an exciting week however, as it will be the first time we look pieces in the Grade 1 book.

Maestro takes this book and starts to flick through its pages.
I assume he does this because he has come to know that the pieces i try usually have notes in pencil denoting bow direction to facilitate string crossings and other reminders to myself scrawled on the page, this time i purposefully did not mark any of the pieces i tried.. and this week i tried them all!

He asks if i had looked at any of the pieces..
My reply to him was, “What do you think?”
He replies with a punctuated Yes as he continues to flick through the pages.
Then he asks, “Have you tried many?”
I delight in the repartee, “What do you think?”
He secretly knows the answer to this also and concludes saying, “You have tried all of them and you said you didn’t practice?” (insert big grin)

I did try most of the pieces and have an idea how they go.
So i played the beginning bars of a few (to spare him the agony) just to make sure i had the right idea and had him help with bowing in some. There was much demonstrating- he calls it performing, and even joined in with me while i played List A No 3 The Bee by Stephen Chin, which was cool!

I had a terrible week on some fronts, but today made up for it, by the end of class I was feeling ok.

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Maestro was also holding a Dinner/Concert beginning at 7.30pm the evening of the same day as lessons. The young lady with the purple violin happened to have a spare ticket, so asked if i would like to come along.

I delighted in joining her and we both had a wonderful night last night, providing a great opportunity to watch Maestro really performing and the ladies with the coloured violins getting to know each other a little more.

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Thank you Lisa!
I had a wonderful night, delighting in your stories. In particular hearing about your own class antics with Maestro! I laughed like crazy on hearing that you bash him with your music book and pat his purple velvet jacket!
Your kindness and generosity will always be remembered.
donna con il violino blu

donna con il violino blu © 2010 patricia vannucci

G D A E

notes on a violin

watercolour on arches

300gsm cp fine

38 x 29 cm

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original artwork

perugina art © 2009 patricia vannucci

lesson 12

Practice and a watercolour violin..

I was really stuck for a title for this work however as i began painting in the strings i thought..

G D A E - notes on a violin.

Of course.. what better title, as lessons always begin with what maestro calls 'the daggy G!'

Playing open strings beginning with the D followed by A then G down to E and finally G, hence DAG - E - G = daggy - G

Cute!

I've a quiet respect for the DAG - E - G, and see the merit in playing this sequence of open notes on the violin, however maestro would like me to play this without looking at the instrument, therefore the lesson always starts with me whinging about wanting to look, this and playing with the practice mute!

Perhaps one day i will be able to without the whine - this will indeed be an achievement!

This lesson was encouraging.. i am moving on from the Preliminary Grade Book, so on to the First Grade pieces i go - very exciting.. new music to facilitate cracking the sound barrier!

Today also sees me sliding from first position to third position in some of the technical exercises.. it is a challenge, and there was much laughing, only because of the well chosen words the maestro used to describe this a few weeks ago!

In his words.. "try not to let it sound like a donkey!"

So in trying this exercise from the so called Technical Work Book, all i could think about was this comment! Which incited riotous laughing from us both when i reminded him - i told maestro that he should be very careful with these word/sound/ picture/associations.. very distracting albeit the truth!

That D note on the A string followed by the open D in this 'matching octaves with smooth slurs' exercise.. played by a beginner such as myself.. well.. ahem..

is very ee-aw!

hope you have enjoyed 'notes on a violin'

a presto!

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donna con il violino blu

donna con il violino blu © 2010 patricia vannucci

relax.. relax.. relax..

caffe` corretto, a chat, & coloured violins!

macchiato

pencil sketch

lesson 11

Most times i get to class early..

i go into a spare room and get in some practice before seeing Maestro and sometimes i will simply sit outside The Room trying to relax as i get very anxious having to play in front of anyone!

I can hear the faint sounds the student before me makes on her violin. Funnily enough she is playing the same songs as i am.. so my curiosity peaks.

Each week the same Young Lady before me smiles as she leaves The Room i enter.

A couple of weeks ago, as we passed each other, she commented on the vintage brooch i was wearing, which held my fur stole together, as i thanked her i promptly introduced myself. Subsequent short conversations which have transpired since then, as we pass each other, have revealed she is also a beginning student and started almost the same time i did, thus explaining the same musical repertoire!

I’ve experienced many synchronicities of late and this one is no exception and is quite incredible.
It seems we have many things in common..
A desire to play the violin.. a love of vintage.. and our professional backgrounds also.. and other things!

This week had us both waiting for Maestro, who at times runs late, so this gave us more of an opportunity to chat before lesson.

stop!....

Perhaps now i should describe the place were we have lessons..

It's no boring school like institution with porridge coloured walls and dark hallways, instead Maestro holds class in one of the many rooms which are a part of an historic building of early colonial heritage now housing a restaurant, open everyday for lunch & dinner as well as a reception lounge very popular for weddings.
Here people can sit and enjoy a meal on the open veranda which overlooks a sunny courtyard all beautifully framed by an old grape vine.. The Room runs off this veranda! I am horrified to think these people who are having a relaxing lunch have to endure the sounds of beginning students - i am somewhat comforted and have confidence however in traditional building methods.. the walls of this old colonial circa 1799 are thick!

So my new found friend and i, sat patiently and happily on a bench in this sunny courtyard waiting for time with Maestro.

The Waiter, always greets us with a friendly smile, knowing full well we are here for the violin lessons and not for the restaurant. On this occasion he offered us a coffee while we waited ‘on the Maestro’, we naturally accepted albeit a little stupefied!

so over a macchiato and flat white.. we discussed violins..

Practice is always an issue as adults.. we have so much more to contend with than children, and therefore find it hard to dedicate adequate amounts of time to learning something new.

Then there is the noise factor with learning to play a musical instrument, and the vile sounds a violin can make when beginning can be especially grating - nails on a chalk board is nothing compared to this!

Now here is where chatting is of great benefit, as sharing information can be enlightening!

i asked if she had bought herself a ‘practice mute’ - a small device made of rubber which quiets the violin, so as not to disturb the neighbours and anyone who is unfortunate enough to find themselves within a 100m radius, however still loud enough for you to hear what you are playing.
i then added that i practice in my walk-in-wardrobe for added insulation ( i knew all those clothes would come in handy for something). We both laughed loudly and the young lady thought it a brilliant idea as she lives in a unit complex.

i then tell her maestro does not want me to look at the violin while i play… and has even taken on occasion to holding a book up between my face and the instrument! i know this is a good thing.. as playing the violin is much about making it sing as one would when using your voice. Maestro says that you can’t see your vocal chords and this is the same thing – so you don’t need to look! So in trying to solve this dilema of desperately wanting to look..

i practice with the mute.. in the closet.. with the lights off!!

This caused her to laugh hysterically as she could see the method in my madness!

anyway back to the chat… sipping on our coffee and enjoying the winter sun we continue to discuss violins..

i open my case to show the young lady the practice mute and how it is fitted to the bridge of the instrument. She remarks on my beautiful violin and how it looks like ‘an adult violin’ unlike hers where she states looks like ‘a child’s violin’! At this point i am bemused and ask why she feels this way about her violin.. from the size of her case, it looks to me to be a full size violin..

as she opens her case i am astonished.. open mouthed i am looking at a purple coloured violin!
i just had to tell her!

a few weeks after buying my beautiful violin whilst on the hunt for the books i needed to start lessons.. i walked into this music shop i happened to drive by. Way in the back of this dark shop crammed with musical instruments and equipment was a blue violin!

i just had to have it!

it was a sign!

this is my blue violin... it is meant to be mine!

i have a beautiful violin.. but was compelled to buy this one!

so i did!

it turned out to be a very good thing.

My beautiful violin needed to have some adjustments made namely the 'E' string lowered as it was sitting too high off the fingerboard and the pegs shaved so that their ends sat flush in the peg box and also because they were too stiff and would not turn easily. This meant i would be without the instrument for a few weeks while the work was completed and would make practice impossible – i’m not very good at air violin!

a spare violin would be great!.. a spare blue violin!
so again.. back to the chat..

here now..
were two ladies,
relaxing.. sipping coffee now..
discussing coloured violins..
one purple..
one blue!

at this point maestro walks over, dressed in his three piece suit looking dapper but worried.. and so he should be.. he finds himself teaching the ladies with the coloured violins and they are sitting together collaborating and exchanging tales over a macchiato and latte - so funny!
caffe` probably isn't a good thing becasue it is a stimulant.. and we really should be having something which will help us relax before the lesson!
maestro glances at his watch and collects the young lady and just before they disappear into the room i suggest that we need to make it a caffe` corretto next time, adding a good measure of grappa so as to help us with our bowing arm and in particular my up bow staccato!
that or a botox injection into my hand!
relax.. relax.. relax..
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donna con il violino blu

donna con il violino blu © 2010 patricia vannucci

getting to know you

quick pencil sketch

29 x 40 com

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lesson 10

This week sees my return to art as well as practicing my new piece..

Minuet

Johann Sebastian Bach

(1685 - 1750)

List B No3 AMEB Preliminary Grade Series 8

This is my third piece i've learnt and am currently practicing from this book.

My wonderful teacher, who i will refer to as Maestro (a brilliant violinist) has made this one a little more challenging for me.. as if it isn't challenging enough (!!!) adding up bow staccato to the piece making it more expressive and also to expose me to more bowing techniques - eek!

After having practiced for a solid two hours on this today, i then sat down with my violin on the lounge, took out my sketch pad and relaxed making a quick loose pencil sketch of it.

I feel the title for this art work is apt, as it is very much the case at the moment.

I am hoping that my return to music will help me with my art and vice versa.

So with this said and written, it is off to practice and to be inspired.

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donna con il violino blu

'getting to know you'

perugina art © 2009 patricia vannucci

donna con il violino blu © 2010 patricia vannucci