Upbow staccato notes

Beginning Upbow Staccato

I'm using Minuet on G to start this, and have some questions.

From Albert Justice

I've put off working on this as long as possible because of the bubble gum factor. Now that I'm on Minuet in G., I'm going to have to improve my upbow staccato, and think the piece is a good place to start.

Concerning finger pressure bow hand f1, and given that UBS is like a series of short marteles, what is happening with the pinky? And, how does one approach the martele's fluidly considering f1 pressures required--are there exercises to get this going beyond my rote sounding efforts? Finally, I got around the tendency for the bow to 'glide' backwards on each martele, but is there anything I can do to make this more instinctive?

Happy Holidays!
al

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From Marc Villeneuve
Posted on December 6, 2006 at 9:59 AM (MST)

Albert,

If you are refering to Heifetz's transcription of Mozart Menuet in G, I would suggest to use pianissimo flying staccato instead...(or even spiccato )for the style, because it is more delicate and more convenient...and you respect more the ideal of the composer...staccato and Mozart is a strange conception which in the time of Heifetz was maybe accepted by a few,to enhance virtuosity...try Wieniavsky Valse-sherzo, it is rarely played and well suited for up and down bow staccato.Some will tell you to get your arm stiff while doing the motion...I totally disgree with that...It comes from the wrist (martelé) while your arm is totally relax...you can do it first on open strings and alternate with slow and fast motion...than, try the same thing with a simple scale on one string ( you must try it on each string)...after, scales on 2, 3, and 4 strings...that it will improve after a while...never forget that your neck and shoulders must be relaxed all the time

Marc

From Albert Justice
Posted on December 6, 2006 at 12:26 PM (MST)

Thanks Marc, the delicate treatement is what I'm also hearing on recordings--and the object of my efforts. Further, thanks for educating me on the arm's role, and other aspects of martele and totally relaxed. It's a long story, but I have tried to apply 'relaxed' in nearly every aspect of my playing after journeyman type watching the perform Oistrackh repeatedly.

al

From Sue Bechler
Posted on December 7, 2006 at 6:53 AM (MST)

Hi,Al, I'm guessing you are talking about the trio of the Minuet in G in Suzuki 2, not the Mozart piece referred to? Here are a couple of ideas. Imagine the four ups as VERY shallow U shapes so your bow doesn't fly away or whomp the string. The distance you travel for each in the series can get a tiny bit shorter and lighter as you go towards the frog, to keep an even sound. I lead the four segments with my wrist. What's also challenging is how to play the two-note downbow slurs. You need to travel back to aproximately where you started the up bows, which is basically double the distance per 8th, without getting a harsh or skidding sound, and keeping the two downbow 8ths more or less even in tone and volume. Use the middle half of your bow as a rough guide for where to play all. I'd rather extend towards the frog than the tip if you feel a need for more bow length. Also practice doing just the string changes on open strings. Try saying "change" aloud before you make the motion to integrate better. Finally, find your best tempo for doing the whole trio where it will all flow well. I think this varies from player to player, but within a Minuet-ish framework, of course. Sue

From Albert Justice
Posted on December 7, 2006 at 7:19 AM (MST)

Thanks Sue--I threw that in my practice blog 4 tonight. alsprogress.blogspot.com

The region ranges will be particularly helpful, as will the 'U' image... Thanks again al

From Albert Justice
Posted on December 7, 2006 at 7:22 AM (MST)

Sue p.s. the slurs are ok, and the string crossings are going ok--it's mainly the tonality of the actual staccatos that are questionable.... I practice in front of a poor value lessened mirror to keep the shoulder neutral. ;). al

From Albert Justice
Posted on December 8, 2006 at 9:33 PM (MST)

Sue, I finally started getting the u-motions a little tongight--thanks. I had just been doing a lightened staccato w/o any martele, but the u-motion is what I was looking before because it makes the notes ring--How'd ya know. ;) al

From Gennady Filimonov
Posted on December 8, 2006 at 11:39 PM (MST)

Albert,
For fast up-bow staccatto say like in Wieniawski, the best is the old fashioned way taught by Auer and all of his students like Bronstein and others. Try a very fast tremolo, and then just go (and move your arm while trying to tremolo). After a while your arm gets it.
For slower staccatto, it works with a gradual stop and go attitude.
One needs to develop good springs in the right hand fingers.

From Albert Justice
Posted on December 8, 2006 at 11:56 PM (MST)

Many thanks Gennady--processing!. al

A lot of David Nadien (sp) recordings of Suzuki, when doing just plain stacatto, have that springy ringing quality. I've been in pursuit of that forever.

Sorry, didn't mean to change the subject. I can do that with the tremolo (figuratively at this point) because I play around with tremolo a bunch.

I think the connection if there is one, is that I started putting a little bounce in my stacatto (plain) awhile back (had to stop it--getting too wild with it), and heard some qualities I've been looking for; and, Sue's U-image on the plain stacattos in Mozt. MinuG.... I hear it more if I can just master it now. But it's the quality and resonance of the 'attacks' I guess, that is where I want to be--both with plain, and upbow series.....

I hope that makes sense... Thanks. al

From Albert Justice
Posted on December 9, 2006 at 12:03 AM (MST)

incidently I'm in the stop and go, rote mode currently. These skills take awhile with me. I started double-stops months ago and am just now getting the smallest amount of fluidity going. al