Learn with Nicky: Salut d’amour - Lesson 3
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Main points to address as follows:
1. Bowings and Fingerings - persevere with a good sophisticated suggestion, but if after practice it doesn’t improve, get creative and try something new
2. These lessons are designed for you to absorb the larger points. Do not worry about getting to the end of the piece. Doing less but well, is better than doing lots but not very well
3. Practice with me
RIGHT HAND
controlled sound
breath whilst you’re playing
airy sound
no gripping or squeezing
LEFT HAND
build up from the base finger
get comfy within the position
play notes in random order to get confident
now add the little semi-tone down
drop fingers
keep hand relaxed and sensitive
Intonation allows the note to speak and ring. It is important for things to resonate in order to create emotion
VIBRATO
the expression comes from the right hand
the purity of the note comes from inside. Vibrato just brings it to life
have vibrato comes from inside the note. Build it subtly and relate it to meaning
4. Create shape - listen to the new notes and allow them to guide you
5. Build quality in your sound. Focus on right hand leading and utilise bar 13 as a moment to open out
6. Create circles with your bow. Do not bow simply UP AND DOWN. Fight against the temptation to do this and try to think of your bow moving in circles instead
7. We cannot play music in a monotone. It must be brought to life through diversity and expression
8. Be organised with your time. Be organised with HOW you practice each issue. But also be organised with how much you do at any given time. Do not try to do too much at once. Focus just on a small number of bars, and try to make huge improvements on something graspable. FOCUS ON QUALITY
9. Legato requires freedom and flexibility. Watch our Back to Basics video ( • "With Nicky" - Back to Basics ) or David Munn’s class on our BF Instagram/Facebook - / 564912130897307
10. Are you lifting the bow or is it sinking? Both are true. Be willing to not sound good, in order to improve
11. Risk something and relinquish immediate control. Allow things to get worse before they get better
12. Intonation - SING IT
13. Rhythm - CLAP IT, but do it musically
14. To avoid crashing in at the beginning, tilt the bow, keep it light and creep in gently. But KEEP BREATHING
15. Float with the right arm. No grabbing. Imagine balloons under your arm
16. Shifting practice - be unbelievably light, be organised, shift early, lightly and slowly
Full details of the Elgar Salut d’amour Project can be found here: www.benedettifoundation.org/learn-with-nicky
To download the music, click on these links:
E major violin part - Nicky’s annotations: https://e8659fe1-1f7a-4513-b292-0b096...
E major violin part - https://e8659fe1-1f7a-4513-b292-0b096...
D major violin part - https://e8659fe1-1f7a-4513-b292-0b096...
D major violin part - Nicky’s annotations: https://e8659fe1-1f7a-4513-b292-0b096...
To download the piano parts, click on these links:
E major piano part: https://e8659fe1-1f7a-4513-b292-0b096...
D major piano part: https://e8659fe1-1f7a-4513-b292-0b096...
To play along with Nicky:
D major: • 'Learn with Nicky' - Elgar - Salut D'Amour...
E major: • 'Learn with Nicky'- Elgar Salut d'Amour ...
To play along with pianist, Petr Limonov, please go to: www.benedettifoundation.org/learn-with-nicky
#salutnicky