I've talked about how lilting or singing the tune prior to playing it can be a really good idea before, but sometimes it takes demonstrating or saying it in a new way to spark that "aha moment"!
So for this particular student, trying to think about phrasing and getting "lilt bowing" by thinking in up and down bows was just too overwhelming. The notes go by really quickly, and you've got to be fast to catch all the bow patterns.
Rather than think in up's and down's, this student was able to place a few slurred bows throughout the tune by "singing the slurs".
What I mean by that is we assigned a specific syllable (dee-YA) to lilt a slur. Then we sang through the whole A part, adding the "dee-YAs" in where they made sense.
Not only were we getting the tune more internalized from learning by ear, but we were also naturally putting in the phrases. Our bows knew what to do to create that sound once we put the tune on the fiddle!
I love these breakthroughs for two main reasons:
- It means the student is getting a win and playing with a style they love.
- It's better for the collective -- because if I know how to explain something several different ways, it's going to help more people than if I were set in saying one specific thing!
That's really what these weekly letters are all about, Reader. I talk about a lot of the same things (listening, phrasing, session etiquette, performance anxiety) -- but each time, the goal is to talk about it in a different way and unlock something new.
I think we can all benefit from being in a world where we embrace multiple perspectives and get curious about what is new and unfamiliar.
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead, and happy practicing!
~Hannah
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