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Classical foundation as base for jazz
From rastewart on 5/6/2013 3:04:59 PM
I've been fooling around with the fiddle/violin for a long time now--"fool" being the operative syllable--and have little to show for it. < scritch out > Mostly < / scritch out > Almost entirely that has been my own lack of discipline. I am the laziest, most disorganized, most undisciplined owlhoot that has ever scrabbled across the face of the earth or ever will, and for some mysterious reason that seems to show up in my (lack of) progress in playing the most fiendishly difficult instrument ever devised in the Western world. Who would have thought it?
But a tiny part of my struggle has been deciding what, exactly, I wanted to play. Although I have loved music all my life, used to sing, learned to play the piano and trombone as a kid, and (before encountering the devil's box) used to think I even had a small amount of talent, taking up the fiddle was a different sort of proposition: the instrument found me, I mean the actual physical instrument made its way to me by way of inheritance. I've actually had it for most of my life. The question has been deciding what I am going to do with it. As my membership here indicates, I've decided (what ought to have occurred to me a long time ago) that I want to play one of the two types of music I find infinitely intriguing, challenging, and rewarding, and whose repertoire I already know to some extent. (The other is classical.)
But I have a feeling that I need to go back and do, or redo, some foundational work. I have a feeling that I will want the flexibility and versatility that come from at least some rudiments of classical technique. That technique isn't arbitrary, after all; it has been developed over generations by violinists and teachers looking for ways to produce the best tone, the supplest and nimblest ways of getting from note to note, the widest range of musical effects, without shortening one's playing career by damaging muscles, joints, and nerves.
Add yet another reason to wish I'd had my present tiny smidgen of sense when I was fourteen or sixteen, or even eighteen, and had the time, energy, and access to affordable instruction that I have so much less of now (to say nothing of the length of future).
I am thinking of getting Carl Flesch's first violin method book and working with it. I learn pretty well from books. Possibly supplement that with some viewings of Todd Ehle's videos on holding the bow. Lessons? That would be ideal. But practically speaking, I don't think I can afford or manage the time for ongoing lessons. If there are any good classical teachers in Chicago or the northern burbs who are fine with a few introductory sessions to get an old geezer on the right path, that would be good.
Such are my thoughts right now. If you have waded through them and gotten this far, congratulations. If you have waded through them and gotten this far and think I am a complete idiot and ought to be doing something else entirely, this would be a fine time to let me know.
~Rich
12 Comments |
 | rastewart says:
6/5/2013 9:53:57 AM
u r a comp;et idiot nd ought to b doin smthing els entirely like feeding yr ca
--Sorry! I should know better than to leave the comment window open when the cat's around. So far no luck finding a teacher. Not that there aren't good teachers around here, but understandably many will prefer a longer commitment than just a few lessons. I'm taking a look at Ivan Galamian's Principles of Violin Playing & Teaching as well now, and got a ton of good suggestions for video links from a discussion of bowhold techniques in the Playing Advice forum.
Now to make time to practice!! Anybody got a 36-hour clock they want to part with?
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 | Joel Glassman says:
1/23/2014 8:21:20 PM
Studying violin technique is always a good idea, but don't let lack of technique stop you from learning Jazz. Get the Aebersold "Blues in All Keys" recording of rhythm tracks. Learn some simple solid jazz/blues solos by ear, and develop endless variations. Play along with the rhythm tracks. Sing along with recorded solos.Try to analyze what the soloist is doing in terms of scale tones, approach notes and guide tone lines. Learn to insert 2-5 progressions and turnarounds into jazz blues. Read as much as you can on playing jazz...
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| Joel Glassman says:
1/23/2014 8:21:26 PM
Studying violin technique is always a good idea, but don't let lack of technique stop you from learning Jazz. Get the Aebersold "Blues in All Keys" recording of rhythm tracks. Learn some simple solid jazz/blues solos by ear, and develop endless variations. Play along with the rhythm tracks. Sing along with recorded solos.Try to analyze what the soloist is doing in terms of scale tones, approach notes and guide tone lines. Learn to insert 2-5 progressions and turnarounds into jazz blues. Read as much as you can on playing jazz...
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| Joel Glassman says:
1/23/2014 8:21:33 PM
Studying violin technique is always a good idea, but don't let lack of technique stop you from learning Jazz. Get the Aebersold "Blues in All Keys" recording of rhythm tracks. Learn some simple solid jazz/blues solos by ear, and develop endless variations. Play along with the rhythm tracks. Sing along with recorded solos.Try to analyze what the soloist is doing in terms of scale tones, approach notes and guide tone lines. Learn to insert 2-5 progressions and turnarounds into jazz blues. Read as much as you can on playing jazz...
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| Joel Glassman says:
1/23/2014 8:24:48 PM
Sorry. Its weird that posts on this page can't be edited...
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| rastewart says:
1/24/2014 2:59:44 PM
No problem, I have had that happen with posts myself. Thanks for the suggestions, Joel, they are good ones. I have a couple of the Aebersold books and CDs but not that one, so I will pick it up; in fact a local music store has a pretty complete selection, so I'll check there. Very good point about not letting my lack of technique keep me stuck.
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| rastewart says:
1/24/2014 3:00:12 PM
P.S. Great avatar!
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| rastewart says:
1/24/2014 3:40:50 PM
P.S. Great avatar!
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| rastewart says:
1/24/2014 3:41:54 PM
Arrgh, now it's repeating *my* posts--I'm going to get out while the getting's good--safe, warm, and musical weekend to all!
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 | mackeagan says:
11/18/2014 6:54:23 PM
Hi ra,
Yes, what Joel said. As far as bowing, I recommend using either the standard classical grip, or something similar that feels comfortable. Use the upper third of the bow, mostly. I started out learning Irish fiddle, and I use the same ideas which work for me: most tunes have a "pick-up", an incomplete measure that starts the phrase of the song. For this, I try to bow so that the last not of the pickup bar is on an up-bow, thus giving the first note in the first complete bar a down-bow, which helps "drive" the tune. For more on bowing to get that sound, I recommend Mel Bay's Stephane Grappelli book by Tim Kliphuis. Don't worry about not knowing many keys, as most jazz violin uses the easier ones: C, F, G, and sometimes Bb, Eb, A, and D. And their relative minor keys C=am, F=dm, etc. Hope this helps!
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| mackeagan says:
11/18/2014 7:02:14 PM
One more thing. I wouldn't recommend Galamian or Sevcik, or any of those, until you're feeling comfortable with basic stuff. I use Essential Elements series books 1, 2, 3 on my school children and it works well for older adults who are often complete newbs. Gives you basics a few bites at a time, then you can try one of the "biggies". A lot of Grappelli's solos seem to be mostly in first, second, and third position, with occasional jumps to fifth pos to spice things up, so if you learn first and third, you're doing good, plus a lot of easy classical stuff (and not so easy) is in first position.
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| rastewart says:
12/23/2014 7:52:56 PM
Belated thanks, mac! I should take a look at Essential Elements. I know at least one of my daughters had that series for trombone. Still need the 36-hour clock.
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