violin

[paperclippy]

So, this weekend I was feeling good enough to dig my violin out of the closet and give it a shot. It was woefully out of tune, and my bow needs to be rehaired (about half the hairs had fallen out), but still functional and no damage. I played for about 5-10 minutes, not long enough to do any more damage to my wrists.

Those 5-10 minutes were enough to show me that not playing in three years has really left me out of violin shape. :( I could feel the weak muscles in my wrist any time I used my third and fourth fingers, and shifting felt really awkward. On top of that I found that I was really out of tune (at least to my ears I was, I don't know how it would sound to someone with untrained ears). My high school violin teacher's voice was echoing in my head saying, "Use your fingertip ears, Jessica!!" I made it through a couple scales and an etude before putting it down.

Anyway, I waited two days after that session to make sure that my tendons and muscles didn't freak out, and they still feel okay. My new plan is to slowly work up. I'll work on scales for about 5-10 minutes every other day until it starts feeling comfortable again, then gradually up my time about 5 min/week or less and start etudes. Every day is probably pushing it for my wrists right now. Now the trick is to sort through my scale and etude books and figure out which ones I should be using. Any violinists out there want to make a recommendation? Here's what I have in my library:

• Sitt - Scale Studies (appendix to Schriadek's Scales)
  
• photocopies of some Dont stuff, I think 4-octave scales and arpeggios
  
• Trott - Melodious Double-Stops
  
• Mazas etudes
  
• Kreutzer - 42 Studies
  

I might also have Sevcik lying around here somewhere. I seem to remember that I started with Sitt and moved on to my photocopies, and that I started with Mazas and Trott and moved on to Kreutzer, but my memory isn't great. I think Sitt is all three-octave scales and arpeggios. I definitely think I should start with three octaves to avoid stressing my wrist, but maybe I should only start with two?

Anyway, I hope I can get back into good shape with my violin. This is the longest I've gone without playing since I started when I was six years old. Previous to this I'd only reduced my practicing during summer vacations.

Comments

[pamela.mosiejczuk.net (from livejournal.com)]

For what it's worth, I was told to avoid excessive stop work after I started having trouble with finger pain and numbness, so I don't do double-stop studies until my left hand and wrist are arching easily after a long warmup (hour or more). I have a heavily-rotated Russian-style hold, so I don't know how much good my bow-practice recommendations would do you (beyond "Paganini is evil," but I imagine you're already avoiding those right now).

I still drag out Hrimaly and Wohlfahrt every practice. (also doflein shifting studies... even the beginner ones... shh, don't tell!)

Have you tried Fiorelli? Even a very short session can be very productive for finger reach and wrist strength on the left hand, with plenty of interesting fingering. Little more bang for your buck with short practices because they're less obviously focused on one technique at a time and more lyrical, nice and smooth at times. I like to go light on the more-tiring Kreutzer, but _technically_ I alternate the two for technique building.

[paperclippy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I figure that it will be quite a while before I'm comfortable practicing double-stops again. Right now it would be great just to do a good G Major three-octave scale. The way I was originally taught to hold my violin was really not a good one, and I don't think I had really gotten over it until senior year at Mudd. When I picked up the violin the other day I found myself going back to the old, not-good-for-my-wrist way though. So it will probably be a while for me to convince myself to do it the right way again.

I've never done Hrimaly, Wohlfahrt, or Fiorelli. I remember Mazas being lyrical though, and it's a more beginner level than Kreutzer. I need to look for a local music shop so I can peruse the selections. Tonight I think my plan is to just work on the Sitt basic scales. I need to find my metronome!

[zwilichkl.livejournal.com]

I also think I started with Mazas and went on to murdering Kreutzer.

[paperclippy.livejournal.com]

I didn't even know you ever played violin!

[zwilichkl.livejournal.com]

Yep it's true. I started in 7th grade (after I had played clarinet for a few years, so I could already read music) and only played for a few years (stopped before figuring out vibrato). Needless to say, I was really bad, but I thought it was pretty fun.

[pamela.mosiejczuk.net (from livejournal.com)]

The Hrimaly is really nice if you ever want another cheap scale book. Probably roughly interchangeable with the Sitt, but a really nice presentation and fairly comprehensive. I've never tried the Mazas, but I'm starting to think I might like it.