To help celebrate the launch of our new site, and the re-launch of Maxim Vengerov's new website, maximvengerov.com, over the past weeks the superstar violinist, teacher, and conductor, has been guest presenting a series of exclusive teaching advice classes for our readers, teachers, and students everywhere.

Accompanied by helpful teaching videos that demonstrate key concepts, Maxim covers a wide range of topics including sound, left and right-hand technique, bowing, breathing, harmony and structure, and interpretation.

In today’s eighth and last lesson, Maxim discusses harmonic thinking to discover your own interpretation.

Discover the whole series, and be sure to share the classes with your own students and friends, and let us know how Maxim’s advice has helped you on your journey to learn more.

Introduction

Like architecture, music has structure and form. When you see a cathedral, for example, you approach from a distance and this overall structure is your first impression - the size, shape, key features like a spire, and so on. You only see the details as you come closer - the entrance, ornamental elements, etc. - and begin to appreciate how these fit together to form the structure of the whole. 

However, in music, this big-picture view is not the listener’s first impression, it is the final impression. Why? Because it is revealed over time. There is a narrative: we cannot know at the beginning how the story finishes, or appreciate how masterfully a plot twist is woven in, until the end has finally been revealed to us. 

It is part of our job as the performer to understand the narrative of a musical work, and to convey this convincingly to the audience. A compelling interpretation will reflect not only an intellectual understanding of how a work is constructed, but also artistic decisions about how to bring this across in the moment of performance. (This is like how an actor reading a story might use different voices to help the listener understand the different characters, or modulate the tone of their voice when something important is happening.) 

Of course, interpretation is multifaceted and is also informed by many additional diverse factors. In this post I will focus on how thinking about structure and harmony in music can help shape interpretation, and share with you some recommendations for how to uncover these aspects of a work for yourself and communicate them clearly to the listener.

Musical building blocks and how they connect

“Constructing in your mind the bigger picture of a musical work requires understanding its different components and their relative priority.”

In a building, the most important components are the foundation and load-bearing structural elements, because without these, it would collapse. In music, the harmony, rhythm, and structure (i.e. musical form) serve the same purpose - these are the vertical elements. In baroque music, for instance, the bass line is the foundation upon which chords are built. Each chord, each individual harmony, is like a different pillar supporting the overall building, but still with its own weight and identity. 

However, these vertical harmonic pillars do not exist in isolation; they are connected to each other as part of a bigger musical structure. The musical phrase bridges between them, like a cat weaving its way from one pillar to the next, or an electrical cable arcing across transmission towers - this is the horizontal element. Harmonies are also related to one another within the broader context of the tonality of the work. The home key, for example, has a different sense and importance compared to a more foreign harmony.

Thinking in this way, you can start to connect the harmonic pillars together in your mind into bigger building blocks of harmonic progressions and phrases. Then, these in turn also connect together within the context of the musical form of a work (e.g. sonata form). The main theme, for example, has a different importance to an introduction, motif or bridging passage between themes. Then, the different movements of a larger work also complement one another to form the whole. 

So, there are many different levels on which to analyse a work, from a single chord to the overall structure, and within each level there are different priorities.

Forming your conception of a work 

“Working with the full score and also away from your instrument will help you put your part in perspective.”

To discover for yourself the structure and building blocks of a musical composition, I recommend to first study the score, without your instrument. 

Work with the full score, not only your part. As the violin is primarily a melodic instrument, we usually play with other musical partners. If you work with only the violin part and form your musical ideas based on this, you will miss most of the magic hidden in the harmonies and the interplay of the parts. It would be like learning lines for Hamlet without knowing what the other characters are saying. Furthermore, you may find many of your ideas might not make sense when it comes to the first rehearsal together with your musical partners - making a lot of your practice simply not valid!

Working with the score, analyze the harmonies and form of the composition, and identify the different building blocks of the work and how the composer has fitted them together. Ask yourself: Which elements are important, and which are secondary? Where are the irregularities? For example: an unexpected dissonance, a rhythmic irregularity (e.g. syncopation or a hemiola), or a structural anomaly (e.g. a 9-bar phrase when an 8-bar phrase would have been expected). As performers, we are like treasure hunters, always looking for the magic in the music and seeking the most effective way to share this with our audience. 

Once you have sketched the main outline of the work in your mind, you can start to work on bringing this to life. Exploring at the piano, playing the different parts separately and together, can help train your ear to how your part fits in.

I also recommend trying to sing the other parts whilst playing your part on the violin. This is a very challenging exercise (and you may prefer to do it when nobody is listening!). Practising in this way is particularly useful for sections where other parts have the main theme and you are accompanying. Singing the theme whilst playing your accompaniment forces you to hold both in your mind at the same time, and to listen well while you play. The accompaniment should not be passive; it should closely complement and support the theme, and sometimes even lead the way. 

Playing chamber music will help you hone these skills even further, and will refine the way you play and interpret solo repertoire. Students sometimes forget about chamber music in the quest to become a soloist, but it is a very important part of developing your sensitivities as a good musician.

Communicating your conception of a work to the audience

“Plan well during your preparation, but remember that performance is the true moment of creation.”

To fully absorb the complexities of a work and make it our own, we need to understand it on many different levels, from the small details to the overall bird’s-eye view. The key structural elements of a work are fixed, like landmarks on a map, and you should analyse and know them well. But this deeper understanding of the work is only the starting point for spontaneous creation in the moment of performance. 

It can be easy to get lost in the details, focusing too much on individual moments and losing sight of how these fit together. This can translate to a performance which is hard for a listener to follow. The simplicity of a clear vision and overarching narrative can sometimes be more compelling than a series of seemingly random or rhapsodic ideas one after the other, no matter how interesting or beautiful each may be. Decide on your priorities during the process of working with the score, and try not to get too lost in the moment when you play.  

When you play alone (e.g. works for violin solo), the interpretation belongs to you, and you are your own boss. But when you play with others, the interpretation does not belong to you any more, it belongs to everyone. You and your partners interact and integrate your individual parts together into a shared interpretation, according to the composer’s wishes. 

This means you must always keep one ear listening carefully to the other parts as you play, and react to what you hear. Listen from the bass, the foundation, and try to feel the whole harmony, and where your part fits in. (This is where practising well will serve as very good preparation, because you will already have trained yourself to listen well while you play.) 

Savour the irregularities, and use the many resources at your disposal to highlight these moments for the audience - for example, changing the vibrato, speed of the bow, and so on. Even if it is the hundredth time you play a piece, try not to take anything for granted. Think from the perspective of a listener who has never heard the work before, like it is the world premiere. 

However, despite careful and meticulous planning, always leave room for new possibilities during the performance itself. Our interpretation should not be rigid, or fixed - we must leave room for spontaneity, and react to our partners and the environment in which we play. Sometimes we plan one thing, but are inspired to make a different decision in the moment, or we discover something new. Performance is the moment of creation. Planning is not creation, it is just a sketch.

To conclude

As performers, it is our task to bring the audience on a journey with us, and share with them the message and story behind the music. Musical works, especially larger-scale ones, generally have an underlying structure binding the different elements together into a single cohesive unit. This added level of abstraction adds complexity and new dimensions to the musical message, and is the scaffolding necessary to support the beauty and grandeur of a bigger vision. It is this connection of vertical and horizontal which forms the fabric of the musical landscape.

I hope these recommendations give some useful practical advice on how to think about and prioritize the structural and harmonic building blocks of a musical score. In this way, you start to think like a composer must think. By making informed choices about the relative significance of the different elements as you feel it, you form your own interpretation of the composer’s intentions. Your conviction and understanding of a work is what will come across to your audience, and what will ultimately deepen their experience and appreciation of the music.

Watch the full teaching video below, where Maxim explains in further detail and demonstrates the concepts he introduces in this article:

This series was curated and co-written by Anna Gould.

The post VENGEROV'S VIEWS | Maxim Vengerov on Harmonic Thinking to Discover Your Own Interpretation appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

To help celebrate the launch of our new site, and the re-launch of Maxim Vengerov's new website, maximvengerov.com, over the coming weeks the superstar violinist, teacher, and conductor, will be guest presenting a series of exclusive teaching advice classes for our readers, teachers, and students everywhere.

Accompanied by helpful teaching videos that demonstrate key concepts, Maxim will cover a wide range of topics including sound, left and right-hand technique, bowing, breathing, harmony and structure, and interpretation.

In today’s seventh lesson, Maxim discusses breathing in order to make music and stay relaxed.

Join us over the coming weeks, and be sure to share the classes with your own students and friends, and let us know how Maxim’s advice has helped you on your journey to learn more.

Introduction

Playing violin is like aerating a glass of wine — everything must breathe. As wine is exposed to oxygen, aromas and flavors are released, adding to the depth and complexity of flavor. On the violin, allowing the instrument to breathe means letting it vibrate naturally, so the overtones add depth, volume and complexity to your sound.

Breathing well when playing also adds meaning to the musical message, and helps the body stay relaxed. It is something which is easy to forget about, in amongst the myriad of technical and musical challenges we deal with when we play, but is very important for any player to understand. In this post, I will share with you some recommendations for how to help the music, your instrument and your body breathe naturally.

Breathing during pauses

“During pauses, you should also make music.”

Pauses in music are to breathe, not to stop. Just as when we speak, or sing, we take a breath when we need to. Taking a breath adds to the sense of what we are saying (or singing) - it gives the listener the chance to absorb what was just said, and the speaker (or singer) the chance to prepare for what comes next. So, even though there is no sound during a breath, there is still something happening during this break which adds meaning to the overall message.

It is just the same when we play. When the composer writes a pause or rest, or even just a subtle indication via phrasing, this does not mean you should stop, and then restart - it is a sign for you to take a breath. (Of course, there may be exceptions to this, for example a general pause for dramatic effect; by analysing the structure of the music you will be able to judge whether or not this is the case.)

Understanding the role of a pause or rest is essential to be able to create longer phrases and build more complex musical ideas. If you do not breathe during a pause, the music will stop. This could result in breaking a longer musical line into disjointed single elements which are hard for the listener to connect - not a satisfying musical experience. It would be like inviting a friend to join you on a nice long walk in the park, but instead you compel them to sit down on every single bench along the way - not a very satisfying walk!

By breathing during pauses, you will be able to build more interesting and complex ideas, and it will be easier for the listener to follow the message you are trying to convey.

What does breathing mean in practical terms, as a violinist?

“When we play violin, we breathe with our right hand.”

As an instrumentalist, we work with the instrument we play, not only our body. So it is not as straightforward as literally taking a breath, like a singer would. We need to understand how to translate this into the body language of our instrument. As violinists, we draw sound from the violin with the bow, and so the right hand is like our lungs.

There is a golden rule to keep in mind: if the music should continue, even during a pause, then the movement of your right hand and arm should continue too. If your bow hangs still in the air, or on the string, then the music will stop - this would be like a paraglider trying to stay aloft with no wind.

Let go of any tension in your right hand, continue the movement of the bow in the air even if it leaves the string, and keep your right hand and arm moving naturally. You can imagine your elbow breathes, and that your arm is like the wing of a bird taking flight.

As well as your right hand, you should also let the instrument breathe to get a vibrant sound. This means not pushing inside the string too much with pressure of the bow, using bow speed instead to create more sound. Pressing into the string can choke the sound and kill the overtones. Let the string vibrate naturally, and the sound and the instrument will ring freely.

Breathing to stay relaxed and keep a good sound

“Before you start to play, breathe in, breathe out - and only then, begin.”

For a good sound, and to keep your body relaxed, it is also important to know how to breathe properly (with your actual lungs!). Sometimes students can forget to breathe when they play, because they are nervous, or simply because they are too busy thinking about everything going on - the next note, a hard passage coming up, a mistake that just happened, and so on. The solution to this problem is partly experience - becoming accustomed to performing, knowing how you react in different situations and how to overcome this, and being comfortable in a concert environment.

This aside, you can give yourself a good start before you begin to play. First, take a breath in, and then exhale - shoulders down, body relaxed. And only then, begin to play. Often students breathe in, and then start to play, without exhaling first. But if you do this, your diaphragm is up, your shoulders are up, and you are already tense before you even start.

Try this experiment! You can observe the same phenomenon when speaking. Breathe in, and now try to speak. What happens? Now exhale and try speaking. Did you notice the difference? After inhaling, your diaphragm is locked holding the air in, and it is like riding a bicycle from a standing start. After exhaling, the air is already flowing over your vocal cords and you simply start to vocalise it - like the wheels of the bicycle are already in motion rolling down a hill.

Exhaling before you start to play will ensure your body is relaxed, and give you a fuller and freer sound.

To conclude

Breathing is something which seems obvious, or is overlooked. However, it is a topic of fundamental importance for any musician, especially for string players, due to the vocal nature of our instruments.

I hope these recommendations give some useful advice on why breathing is important, and provide some practical tips for how to translate this to the violin and the music you play. Most importantly, I hope these will help you keep your body relaxed, adding complexity and depth to your sound and your musical message.

Watch the full teaching video below, where Maxim explains in further detail and demonstrates the concepts he introduces in this article:

This series was curated and co-written by Anna Gould.

The post VENGEROV'S VIEWS | Maxim Vengerov on Breathing to Make Music and Staying Relaxed appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

Accompanied by helpful teaching videos that demonstrate key concepts, Maxim will cover a wide range of topics including sound, left and right-hand technique, bowing, breathing, harmony and structure, and interpretation.

In today’s sixth lesson, Maxim discusses the connection between the bow and the right hand.

Join us over the coming weeks, and be sure to share the classes with your own students and friends, and let us know how Maxim’s advice has helped you on your journey to learn more.

Introduction

The bow is an extension of the right hand, with which we breathe life into the violin. The connection of the bow with your hand should be as natural as possible - the bow should feel a part of your body, not like a separate object. 

To achieve this feeling, we must master two seemingly opposing goals: remaining as relaxed and flexible as possible, whilst simultaneously maintaining very precise control. The key to this balancing act is in how you use your hand and fingers, with support from the joints and muscles in the right arm. Everything must work together in harmony. Just like an athlete, behind the illusion of easy and natural movement lie many years of hard work to train your body. 

At all stages of your development as a player, there are some core principles to keep in mind which can help you. In this post I will share some recommendations for how to achieve flexibility and natural movement in your bow arm. 

Flexibility in the right hand

“Freedom of movement in the right hand and fingers is essential for fine control of the bow.”

The finest motor control comes from the smallest joints in the fingers, and so these must remain free to move. This means that your right hand and fingers need to stay flexible and relaxed. Without this, you will not have full control over the bow or the sound you make. 

Flexibility of the fingers is particularly important for a smooth bow change, especially at the frog, where the bow is heaviest. At the frog, the weight of the bow is counterbalanced by the pinky finger. Without the work of the pinky finger, either you will risk a nasty crunch in the sound, or you will have to compensate with the larger muscles in your hand and arm to maintain control of the bow. At the tip and in the upper half, the bow is much lighter, and the balance is transferred to the index finger to keep the sound and the connection with the string. 

Gaining control over and using the small muscles in your fingers will help you be as efficient as possible in your movements. Efficiency is the guiding principle of good technique. 

How can the bow-hold aid flexibility and control?

“To keep your right hand as flexible as possible, use a bow-hold which does not limit the ability of your fingers to move.” 

There is no single “correct” bow hold. Firstly, there are different conventions when it comes to bow-hold, in particular the Franco-Belgian and Russian schools, and wonderful violinists who have used various approaches. Secondly, it is ultimately a question of your own individual physique, and finding the best approach for you by learning to listen to what both your body and your ears tell you. What feels natural for you, may not feel natural for somebody else, and that is because we are all different! 

Nevertheless, there are some ideas to keep in mind. The underlying and foundational principle is to use a bow-hold which gives you as much flexibility and control as possible. 

To help with this, I recommend avoiding big gaps between your fingers in your bow-hold, because this introduces tension and reduces the range of motion of the small joints in the fingers and the hand overall. Similarly, the thumb should generally be curved, not straight. Try shaking your hand with everything relaxed, and then with your fingers extended or straightened, and you will feel how much harder it becomes to move. 

Without freedom of movement in the small joints of the fingers, in order to maintain control you instead have to compensate by using your whole hand or arm, instead of only the fingers. This is possible, of course, but it would be like walking by moving your whole legs without bending your knees or ankles - so much more work than it needs to be, and such an inefficient way to use your body! 

A bow-hold which allows you the maximum flexibility and natural freedom of movement will also help you avoid tension, and get more sound from your instrument. 

What about the rest of the arm, besides the hand and fingers?

“Your right arm should move naturally and freely, following from your hand.” 

Try to avoid any awkward angles in your elbow and wrist - these should not be too high or low, and there should be a smooth line from your shoulder to your hand. Practising in front of a mirror will help you observe yourself - often what looks natural, feels natural too. 

Besides your hand and arm, do not forget about the rest of your body - this is also an important part of the equation. Your shoulder, your neck and the rest of your body should all remain free to move, with everything connected and in harmony. You should feel in touch with your body, and feel good about it. To help with this, I try to keep physically fit. 

To conclude

Through the bow, our body connects with our instrument. But the bow should not feel like an object in the way - you should be able to feel the connection right from the point of contact with the string, all the way through your fingers, hand and arm. The different joints and muscles are all interdependent, and they must work together. Understanding the different roles each play will help you to be more efficient in your movements, expending minimal effort whilst maintaining maximum results. 

I hope these recommendations will help to truly make the bow feel like a natural extension of your body, and give you the precise control you need to bring out the nuances in the music. Your body is your instrument, and how you use it is ultimately the source of your own sound, unique to you.

Watch the full teaching video below, where Maxim explains in further detail and demonstrates the concepts he introduces in this article:

This series was curated and co-written by Anna Gould.

The post VENGEROV'S VIEWS | The Bow as an Extension of the Right Hand appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

Accompanied by helpful teaching videos that demonstrate key concepts, Maxim will cover a wide range of topics including sound, left and right-hand technique, bowing, breathing, harmony and structure, and interpretation.

In today’s fifth lesson, Maxim discusses different bowing essentials.

Join us over the coming weeks, and be sure to share the classes with your own students and friends, and let us know how Maxim’s advice has helped you on your journey to learn more.

INTRODUCTION

If we compare string playing to singing, then our bow is like a singer’s lungs. However, the bow is a manmade object, with certain characteristics we need to work around. By understanding these, we can avoid being restricted by them, and even use them to our advantage. To help build a musical phrase, careful consideration of how to use the bow, and why, is essential - just as a singer decides how to control their breath and where to breathe.

Capturing all the subtleties of this art would need an entire book, and it requires many years of study to fully master. However, there are some fundamental principles to keep in mind. In this post, I will share with you a few ideas on how to approach using the characteristics of the bow to help you play a musical phrase as naturally as a vocalist can sing it.

How can the musical phrase influence the choice of bowing?

“The choice of bowing is mainly a question of musical priorities, and how you can use the bow to serve these.”

The bow is heavier at the frog and lighter at the tip. This means it is most natural to make a decrescendo on a down-bow, and a crescendo on an up-bow. Unless you compensate for the uneven weight distribution across the bow, by using bow speed or pressure, this crescendo/decrescendo is what will happen.

However, the most important guide is the musical phrase, not what the bow wants to do. So it is a compromise between what you would like to express in the music, and how you can use the bow characteristics to help you achieve this. This is why the choice of bowings is very important.

As an example: starting down-bow at the frog, the weight of the bow will provoke you to suggest an emphasis (e.g. an accent, downbeat, or a new beginning). You can use this to your advantage by choosing bowings so you arrive on a down-bow at the climax of a phrase, or when there is an accent. The weight will help you create the emphasis with minimal additional effort.

Conversely, this weight can work against you, for example, if you start a crescendo on a down-bow - this will provoke you to make a decrescendo as you go towards the lighter tip of the bow, or you must work twice as hard to compensate and make the crescendo.

By carefully considering the musical priorities, and choosing bowings to help you achieve these, you can work with the characteristics of the bow instead of against them, and save yourself a lot of additional effort.

How can bow distribution also help?

“Bow distribution is key to successful phrasing.”

Besides choosing where to play up- or down-bow, bow distribution is also very important: how much bow you use and which part of the bow. Thinking about this carefully and making wise choices can help you bring out many subtleties in the music.

Following on from the same example above: if you would like to avoid the emphasis which can happen starting down-bow at the frog, but it is not possible to choose bowings to play up-bow instead, you could instead start in the middle of the bow, and use less bow.

As another example: you can also use bow distribution to help you build a crescendo. Rather than giving everything away at the beginning by using too much bow, you can instead gradually increase the amount and speed of the bow, to build the intensity.

To help keep the music as your most important guide, I recommend putting the violin aside when you first learn a piece and studying the score - decide how you feel about it, where the phrasing leads, where the climaxes are, and so on. Then, based on this, you can choose bowings that will help you achieve these musical ideas. This approach will ensure you think beyond any limitations of the bow, and develop your technique.

What about bow changes?

“Smooth bow changes are essential to build a longer phrase.”

When you change bow from up to down or vice versa, there is a risk of losing the sound during the change. If we think about how we speak, we do not speak word by word - Otherwise It Would Sound A Bit Like This With An Accent On Every Word, and it would be hard to follow. The equivalent when we play is the break in the sound or small accent which can happen during a bow change. This presents the same danger of playing note by note, losing the connection between them, which makes it hard to build a musical phrase or convey the sense behind it.

Generally speaking, you should connect the bow as legato as possible, so you do not hear the change from one note to the next. The key to this is to maintain the same speed of the bow. Avoid “flicking” or an accelerated bow speed just before a bow change - everything must stay under your control. Use the fingers in your right hand, especially the pinky finger for bow changes at the frog. I will address this topic in further detail in Part 6 of this series.

To conclude

When you play violin, or any instrument, always try to connect all notes, from one to the next - think ahead, and think in the direction of the phrase. The music lies in between the notes, and the connection between them. It is this continuous connection thatx sustains a longer phrase or musical idea.

I hope these recommendations for how to approach using the characteristics of the bow to your advantage will help you create phrasing as naturally and expressively as a singer can. Understanding and controlling these nuances will add to your playing many more musical possibilities. Always think about where in the bow you play, and why.

Watch the full teaching video below, where Maxim explains in further detail and demonstrates the concepts he introduces in this article:

This series was curated and co-written by Anna Gould.

The post VENGEROV'S VIEWS | Violinist Maxim Vengerov on Bowing Basics appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

Accompanied by helpful teaching videos that demonstrate key concepts, Maxim will cover a wide range of topics including sound, left and right-hand technique, bowing, breathing, harmony and structure, and interpretation.

In today’s fourth lesson, Maxim discusses how to shift in the most efficient way.

Join us over the coming weeks, and be sure to share the classes with your own students and friends, and let us know how Maxim’s advice has helped you on your journey to learn more.

INTRODUCTION

Shifting positions in the left hand is a logistical obstacle string players must learn to deal with to navigate smoothly around the fingerboard. Beyond the technical aspect, a shift can also be an important expressive tool, especially in more romantic repertoire where portamento is part of the stylistic vocabulary. The way you shift should reflect your understanding of the deeper musical sense - the style, and the context of the interval within the harmony and phrase. 

In order to make a successful shift, you need a few ingredients. In this post, I will share with you some key principles to keep in mind, to help you shift smoothly and with confidence.

Before a shift

"The secret of a good shift is a loose left hand, and not to rush."

Keep your left hand and finger very relaxed during the note before a shift. This helps you really control the shift - if your left hand is tense, then you cannot move freely. 

You must always have a reference when you shift, to keep your bearings and not lose your orientation on the fingerboard. To help with this, your thumb should move before the rest of your hand, rather than moving your whole hand in one jump. The thumb then acts like a scout, moving ahead to find the right position, and then inviting the rest of the hand to join.

Hold the first note long enough to imagine the next note before you start the shift. This is like a singer first engaging and controlling their diaphragm before singing an interval. Having your destination clear in your mind before you start your journey will help ensure you arrive at the right place (i.e. with good intonation!)

During a shift

"During a shift, do not press your finger into the string: this is a golden rule."

Your left hand and finger should always stay relaxed. During a shift you should not press too much into the string. Your finger should only press halfway, not fully touching the fingerboard, but never losing the connection. This reduces the friction, so you can move more easily to get to your destination.

Generally speaking, you should shift on the outgoing finger, and then place the next finger cleanly once you reach the new position. The movement should not be too fast - avoid jumping, to keep a good connection and stay in control. Start the shift very slowly, and then move like a magnet to the other note.

Shifting with your finger slightly flattened will help you stay relaxed. If you shift with your finger in a more vertical position, perpendicular to the fingerboard, it is much harder to move smoothly, and to keep a good connection and sound.

The speed of the shift depends on whether or not you would like it to be heard, and this depends on the style of the music and what you would like to express. If you do not want the shift to be audible, consider the right hand as well as the left hand - i.e. do not use too much bow during the shift. Specifically, you can slow down the speed of the bow after you leave the first note, and then increase it again after you reach the second note. 

On the other hand, if you would like to emphasize a shift, you can do the opposite - as well as slowing down the movement of the left hand, you can increase the speed or pressure of the bow. It all depends on what you would like to express in the music.

After a shift

"First left hand, then right hand - for a clean shift, you need a good connection with the fingerboard before you start to play the note."

Finally, when you get to the top (or bottom) of the shift: first press your finger down fully from halfway, to make no gap between the string and the fingerboard. Then comes the speed of the bow, to voice the second note of the shift. First the left hand, then the right hand, and not the other way around - they are like a married couple, and they must cooperate with one another! 

Without this good connection between your finger and the fingerboard, the sound will not be clear. You will hear what sounds like “sand” or graininess in the sound, like in an old recording. Listen carefully and always use your ears to guide you.

To conclude

Shifting smoothly and accurately is an important part of developing good technique. I hope these recommendations will give you some ideas about the key things to think about, so shifting is no longer a technical obstacle, but an additional resource in your violinistic toolbox to help you add expression to the music.

Watch the full teaching video below, where Maxim explains in further detail and demonstrates the concepts he introduces in this article:

This series was curated and co-written by Anna Gould.

The post VENGEROV'S VIEWS | Shifts & Connection with the Fingerboard appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

To help celebrate the launch of our new site, and the re-launch of Maxim Vengerov's new website, maximvengerov.com, over the coming weeks the superstar violinist, teacher, and conductor, will be guest presenting a series of exclusive teaching advice classes for our readers, teachers, and students everywhere.

Accompanied by helpful teaching videos that demonstrate key concepts, Maxim will cover a wide range of topics including sound, left and right-hand technique, bowing, breathing, harmony and structure, and interpretation.

In today’s third lesson, Maxim discusses how to best use vibrato to enhance colors and expression in your playing.

Join us over the coming weeks, and be sure to share the classes with your own students and friends, and let us know how Maxim’s advice has helped you on your journey to learn more.

INTRODUCTION

Vibrato is one of the most important expressive tools available to string players. With our instrument, we imitate the human voice and what the voice can do, especially the natural vibrato of a singer. On the violin, we have the ability to control our vibrato very precisely, and to enrich the color palette we can draw from we must develop the technique of both left and right hand. 

It is very difficult to explain in only a few words all the nuances of vibrato - this is a topic that requires a lot of analysis to fully understand, and one could easily write a whole essay! Nevertheless, in this post, I will try to give a few words to start with, and share with you some of the main things to think about when developing your vibrato to help you fully express the message of the music. 

How much vibrato is the right amount?

"Use vibrato to help the violin sing naturally, like the human voice."

A room already has its own vibrations - it has an acoustic. Then your instrument vibrates too, your bow, even your body and your soul. Everything must work together. If you use a lot of vibrato, for a resonant room it might be too much, but for a dry acoustic, it could be the right amount. You must use your ears, and adjust your approach to suit each different performance space. 

However, it is not only a question of physics and the physical resources you work with. Different composers are like different planets, and each demands a different coloring and style - the right vibrato for Mozart is different from Tchaikovsky, or Shostakovich. And then in earlier music, in Bach, for example, it is also a question of the instrument and bow you use - you could choose to play a period instrument with a baroque bow, or use a modern setup of violin and bow. 

Choose a vibrato according to how you feel about the music, the style you choose to perform in, and colors you would like to produce. So, first, you must imagine the vibrato you would like, and then both your hands must be sufficiently under your control to follow what your brain tells them.

Should vibrato stay constant, or change?

"Vibrato can be fast, slow, wide, narrow - the possibilities are limitless, and which vibrato you choose depends on what you want to say in music."

When the harmony changes, something must change, this is the rule. Changing vibrato is one possible way to show the change in color, in coordination with the right hand. 

Conversely, when the harmony does not change, the color usually should not change too much - this can be a shock to the listener’s ear and prevents you from building a longer phrase. 

How and when you use vibrato should be a deliberate choice, a tool to help you express the colors in music. Sometimes students use vibrato without paying much attention - vibrating constantly, or randomly according to when it feels comfortable. This adds no meaning or expression to the music, and can even detract from what you are trying to convey. How and when you use vibrato must always be in your control, just like you modulate your voice expressively when you speak. 

What about non-vibrato?

"Non-vibrato is also an important color, like the white in the palette of a painter."

Non-vibrato is a great resource, a very powerful one, and we often underestimate its importance.

An example of when it can be very useful is a sustained longer note, while the harmony changes in the other parts. In this case, one possibility is to begin the note non-vibrato, and then start to vibrate when the color changes. After non-vibrato, the warmth of the vibrato comes like a savior.

Technical considerations for vibrato

"Both the left and right hand are important for vibrato, and always have to work together."

Vibrato starts from the right hand, with the speed and pressure of the bow causing the string to vibrate. And then, whatever you cannot do with the right hand, the left hand comes to help. 

In the left hand, vibrato starts from the phalangeal joint, the tip of the finger, with your whole left hand very relaxed and free.

However, it is a free right hand which makes the sound very vibrant and rich in overtones, not only the left hand vibrato. Use the speed of the bow and avoid pushing too much into the string - this can choke the sound.

To help develop the right hand, I recommend working first of all without vibrato, and then only adding vibrato in the left hand when you really need it. 

The left and right hand always have to be interconnected and work together. You must always be in control of your body, and the most important thing is to use your ears to guide you.

To conclude

Choosing vibrato is like a painter choosing colors. There are many more things to think about than only what the left hand is doing. You must listen and train your ear - this is the most important organ for all musicians, even above our hands. 

I hope these recommendations are helpful for those who would like to develop or teach vibrato, or are interested to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes in the “chef’s kitchen” of a violinist. With vibrato, we can harness the natural vibrations of our body, instrument, and acoustic, and breathe life into our sound.

Watch the full teaching video below, where Maxim explains in further detail and demonstrates the concepts he introduces in this article:

This series was curated and co-written by Anna Gould.

The post VENGEROV'S VIEWS | Vibrato as a Source of Color and Expression appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

To help celebrate the launch of our new site, and the re-launch of Maxim Vengerov's new website, maximvengerov.com, over the coming weeks the superstar violinist, teacher, and conductor, will be guest presenting a series of exclusive teaching advice classes for our readers, teachers, and students everywhere.

Accompanied by helpful teaching videos that demonstrate key concepts, Maxim will cover a wide range of topics including sound, left and right-hand technique, bowing, breathing, harmony and structure, and interpretation.

In today’s second lesson, Maxim discusses how to develop your own sound.

Join us over the coming weeks, and be sure to share the classes with your own students and friends, and let us know how Maxim’s advice has helped you on your journey to learn more.

The post VENGEROV'S VIEWS | Violinist Maxim Vengerov on Developing your Own Sound appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

To help celebrate the launch of our new site, and the re-launch of Maxim Vengerov's new website, maximvengerov.com, over the coming weeks the superstar violinist, teacher, and conductor, will be guest presenting a series of exclusive teaching advice classes for our readers, teachers and students everywhere.

Accompanied by helpful teaching videos explaining and demonstrating key concepts, Maxim will cover a wide range of topics including sound, left and right hand technique, bowing, breathing, harmony and structure, and interpretation.

In today’s first lesson, Maxim talks us through the importance of ‘Storytelling in Music’.

Join us over the coming weeks, and be sure to share the classes with your own students and friends, and let us know how Maxim’s advice has helped you on your journey to learn more.

Watch the full teaching video below, where Maxim explains in further detail and demonstrates the concepts he introduces in this article:

To find out more about Maxim, including his recordings and upcoming performances, visit www.maximvengerov.com.

You can also subscribe to his YouTube channel and follow his official social media sites:

The post VENGEROV'S VIEWS | Violinist Maxim Vengerov on Storytelling in Music appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

Accompanied by helpful teaching videos demonstrating all his concepts, Maxim will cover a wide range of topics including sound, left and right hand technique, bowing, breathing, harmony and structure.

In today’s first lesson, Maxim talks us through the importance of ‘Storytelling in Music’.

Join us over the next eight weeks, and be sure to share the classes with your own students and friends, and let us know how Maxim’s advice has helped you on your journey to learn more.

Introduction

Storytelling is as old as humankind. It is how we share our experiences with one another and understand the world around us. Through stories, we can transcend time and physical limitations, broadening our imagination beyond the scope of our own individual experience, and bringing shared understanding and meaning to human existence. 

Alongside other art forms, music is a language for communication and storytelling. Through music, we can say things for which there may be no words. The greatest music, and performances, are not only aesthetic creations to be experienced from afar - there is an immediacy of human connection reaching out to grab us, and change us. 

In this post I will share with you some thoughts about how I approach storytelling as a performer, as well as some recommendations for how to discover your own stories in music and transmit these effectively to an audience.

Storytelling in Music

“When you play, use your imagination to tell a story and bring the music to life.”

Instrumental music is without words, and usually there is not a specific image or association suggested by the composer. However, this does not mean the music is abstract or remote; it is up to us as performers to discover and communicate the story behind it. 

The beauty is that there can be different stories, different interpretations. This is what keeps the music alive. Just as light passing through different lenses may refract slightly differently, showing the painting of an old master in a new light, so it is with performers of music.

When I teach, I try to help students form an interpretation which they created. We explore the music together, and imagine what the story could be. Images can be a powerful way to bring the music to life and visualise the story behind it. I find images are often also a helpful tool to inspire my students: I try to spark their imagination and encourage them to think about the music for themselves. An image can prompt them to think beyond the technical considerations and reconnect with the essence of the music, making their playing much more vivid and alive. 

Sometimes a particular painting or image can fit well with a work. For example, in Ysaÿe’s Sonata no. 3 for solo violin, there is a specific moment where I can imagine the image of the expressionist painting “The Scream” by Edvard Munch. However, there is not only one image or association; this depends on the performer and what resonates with them, and can also change. Indeed, I often find myself explaining using different images for the same works when I teach.

Of course, not all music lends itself well to a story or visual association. Some music is more absolute, more structural and architectural in nature, for example German or Viennese classics. Here, you must think more about the structure, musical form, harmonies, character, and so on to discover the message in the music. 

What we think about, and what we feel when we play, is what comes across to the audience. This is something my mentor, Mstislav Rostropovich, once told me, which has always stuck in my mind. If we think of nothing, then the music is empty and radiates nothing. If our imaginations are alive, then even the most repetitive or difficult virtuoso passages become vivid music with a story to tell. 

Discovering your own Interpretation

“Study the score closely, until you have absorbed the music and it becomes your own.”

To find your own vision of the story behind a musical work, I suggest you let your imagination run free without any limitations, and experiment! In the privacy of your own room, you can push the boundaries - nobody will hear or judge your playing. Try not to get too hung up on technical difficulties - you can take care of these later. Just try things out, let yourself be a bit crazy, and see what happens!

Exercising your imagination when you practise is just as important as exercising your hands and body. 

However, at the same time, always stay connected to the source, which is the score. It is easy to get too carried away and deviate from the composer’s wishes, so keep in mind the boundaries, for example the style and epoch of a work.  

When you study a new work, try to absorb it and let it become yours, as if you have written it. This comes through the process of learning the score in depth and analysing down to the details. I generally recommend to students to start by listening to a few interpretations whilst following the score - but then, once they have some auditory experience of the work, not to listen to recordings any more, and to work directly from the score. In this way, they can find their own vision for a piece, which is informed by, but independent of, performance tradition.

Sometimes students listen to recordings and try to copy them; whilst this is well-intentioned, it is a pointless exercise, because you cannot successfully copy anyone, and it means absolutely nothing to try and do so. Equally, it is a misguided exercise to study other interpretations and then try to be different, just for the sake of it - this approach is again derivative of the ideas of others and does not stem from a genuine understanding and honest representation of the original source, i.e. the score. 

By working directly from the score, you will discover the irregularities, the structure, harmonies and special characteristics of the work for yourself, and begin to inhabit the work and make it your own. Through this, you will discover how you feel about the work and how you want to present it to the audience. Ultimately as performers we are like ambassadors for the music, and if we do not absorb the music then we cannot present it and let it speak through us.   

Sometimes you make the biggest discoveries in the moment of performance itself. When you are in front of an audience, your whole nervous system is raised, your senses are heightened, and another part of your brain opens up. This adds another dimension, and is why live performances can be so exciting. If you are inspired by the music, if you have goosebumps, then you can be sure the audience are getting some too!

Bringing your Musical Ideas across Effectively to an Audience

“For a listener sitting in the last row to understand your message clearly, you may need to exaggerate a little to bridge the distance.”

Playing to an audience is very different from playing to yourself. There is a distance between the performer and the listener, both visually and acoustically, and we must compensate for this when we play. Otherwise, like a game of Chinese whispers, we may find that our intended message is not the one which reaches the audience - something may get lost or distorted across this gap. The larger the distance, the more we need to compensate: playing in an intimate setting is very different from performing in a big hall. 

In order for your message to arrive intact, listen carefully to the acoustics of the room, and play to the person in the last row - if you can reach this person, you can be sure the people in the first row will get the message. 

Just like an actor performing in a theatre, we may need to exaggerate and articulate more than usual. (This is a very different craft from acting in a movie, where the camera is up close - this is more akin to making a recording.) You should clarify everything, and be very clear with the message you want to convey. Emphasize the contrasts, and be wary that finer details can get totally lost, especially with an orchestra behind you. 

Drawing on an image can also help you bring your message across to the audience. By bringing to your mind an image you feel is particularly evocative and suited to the music, your physical expression will be much stronger, and therefore so will the impact on the audience. 

This does not mean the exact image will translate to the audience — even if I imagine “The Scream” when I play Ysaÿe’s Sonata no. 3, probably 99 percent of the audience will not have this association, but they will feel the energy. In this way, you help the audience to make their own associations and connect directly with the music, and your performance becomes much more compelling.

To Conclude

When we play music, we should always remember why we play. Musicians are not acrobats performing tricks, there is more than this — there is a message behind the music and a spark of connection from one human to another. It is not enough to have a good recipe and be a good cook - we need to know how to serve a meal and create an ambience, just like in a great restaurant. 

I hope these reflections give some food for thought, and some practical advice on how to discover your own images and vision of the music you play. We must be storytellers: this is our art as performers.

This article was co-written by Anna Gould, Community Leader of Maxim Vengerov's
team.

The post Violinist Maxim Vengerov on Storytelling in Music appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.