Stuck in a scale rut? Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales. New posts go up every day in January 2023. Start from Day 1 here.
As the end of this month of scales nears its end, the scales are getting more and more into musical and expressive territory. Although I wouldn’t undo any of the technique-based scales that came before this one, I’m very glad to have reached the part where all this technique finds its purpose. Because technique is just a vehicle to express what’s in your heart. Without heart, there’s no meaning; it’s just sound. But heart without the technique to bring it to life risks becoming noise. So the more specifically you understand your technique, the more reliably you can share what’s in your heart.
Today’s scale is all about using bow technique to achieve subtle differences in color: shades. In my practice, I focused on subtle differences of dynamics – p vs pp and f vs ff – and achieving them by varying just one bow factor at a time. For example, I kept my bow speed the same but shifted the sounding point farther from the bridge, and this allowed me to get similar, but distinct, p and pp sounds.
I worked to maintain a specific dynamic color through one complete scale, then repeated it with its neighboring dynamic color. It was only by knowing exactly what factor I was varying between the two that I was able to keep a consistent sound within one dynamic.
If you’ve tried today’s scales, I’d love to know what your experience was like! Just post a comment below.
Do this in any key, with your usual fingerings.
tomorrow:
I’m a violinist and private teacher in the Chicago area, and in a previous musical life I was in a professional string quartet. Teaching violin and chamber music are dear to my heart. Send me a note or leave a comment on a post — I’d love to hear from you.
If you’ve tried today’s scales, I’d love to know what your experience was like! Just post a comment below.