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Lesson 29

Back to: Lesson 28

Go on to: Lesson 30

60 Kalinka - Student's Track
00:00
60 Kalinka - Duet
00:00
61 The Old Bazaar - Student's Track
00:00
61 The Old Bazaar - Duet
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Key Points: Pieces 60 & 61

 

  • Piece 60 would be relatively simple were it not for the staccato bowing. Learn it first without the staccato bowing so that you are able to then think about applying the new style of bowing once you've learned how to play it without.

  • Piece 61 has staccato notes but also a few non-staccato notes (the minims) so your task is to find a way of switching between the two bow styles.

  • Piece 60, you will realise, is actually a very quick piece of music so use it to get used to the action of staccato and then gradually get faster and faster so that the staccato can become a reflex action.

  • The dynamics in Pieces 60 & 61 have similarities in that they both contain crescendos so gradually add in this extra dimension to both pieces once they each start to come together.

 

Remember:

  • As always start by doing a bowhold check, do a whole bow warm up, playing the scale of D major and G major. This is so easy to do and really helps you check your tuning.

  • To get going pluck through each piece once or twice.

  • Then try with the bow the Student's Track until you feel confident to move on to the duets.

  • Go from plucking to bowing and back to plucking until you are confidently bowing each piece.

  • Don't be in any rush to 'get it right straight away' - being patient will pay off in the long run.

  • Go over previous videos if you think something's not right.

  • Most 'horrible' sounds occur because of a tense right hand causing the bow to 'tremble,' 'bounce' or be 'scratchy'.

TIP:

Starting to learn staccato. The important thing is to get used to 'stopping' the bow at the end of each note be it an up or a down. Don't be tempted to rush this. Take just a few staccato notes and play them each almost as if you were playing them one note - a gap - then another note - a gap - then another and so on. As it becomes more comfortable begin to increase the speed so that soon it feels like a simple reflex action.

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