Ask Augustin 49: How to keep your left hand relaxed during fast passages
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- Опубліковано 6 сер 2024
- It's been forever since I uploaded an Ask Augustin episode!
I'm very happy to announce that I've collaborated with Tonebase to produce a number of new episodes. There will be more in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!
Also, be sure to check out everything else they have to offer at www.tonebase.co/violin
In this episode, I talk about reducing tension while playing very fast passages. When you practice a fast piece (in this example, Paganini caprice 5, but it applies to any very fast piece really, particularly an extended one) it's important to keep your hand relaxed enough, to prevent fatigue in the hand and injury. Over the past 10 years, I've gradually optimized my left hand technique, decreasing tension considerably.
While it's inevitable that your hand will tense up sometimes, here are the things I like to focus on to decrease tension:
__ moving the first and second fingers as little as possible (often leaving them on the string if I will return to them, and only lifting them when necessary -- and not lifting them too high); -- you often don't need to press down on the string very much, when you are just tapping the note and then lifting again -- this applies particularly to the third and fourth finger.
Basically, the faster you are playing, the less you need to press on the string. And, the higher you are playing, the less you need to press on the string. Pressing less = less tension.
This will not only prevent injury, it can also help with playing more accurately- not least because it enables you to practice more before the hand gets tired.
Don't forget that, in any case, it takes time to build stamina-- remember to take enough breaks during your practice!
Been struggling with this problem for years. None of my past teachers has ever mentioned that fast notes will still speak with less finger pressure. I’m always trying to stop the string with full pressure. Will have to try this today! Thanks
this happens to me specially when I have to play double stops. I barely can play a couple of chords and already my left hand is dying of pain :"(
Even long notes may speak with much less pressure than you might expect.
@@piliomar31 if it feels like a cramp in the ball of your thumb it's a typical injury
Hooray! SO glad you’re back with more “Ask Augustin”!
I can't believe they're back 😭😭😭😭😭 thank you
HE HAS RETURNED
So wonderful of you Augustine to help us. I think it's wonderful how you allow your fans access to your tips. Just bought tickets to your upcoming performance in Portland oregon!!! It is my daughter's treat she is 15 and this is her second orchestral performance! She plays violin and I got her seats right in front so she could see you up close! See you in a couple months!
I had thought about minimizing motion before, but hadn't realized that I may not need to press the string all the way to the fingerboard to sound the note. Thanks as always for the great tips!! :)
What a pleasant surprise! I honestly didn't expect more episodes since the musician seems to have returned to his normal busy performing schedule. Now I can't wait to see the next😃
This is tremendously helpful my great maestro. I've employed many of your tips to my playing the Caprice 5 through your teaching series. I find your advice today, super helpful In preventing injuries. Thank you so much as always.🙏🙏🙏
Thank you, Sir. I know since the lift of COVID, you are busy with concerts. Thank you for still posting and giving us expert advice.
It's so amazin to have this kind of videos for free! Thanks again!
So glad to see this series is back!!!
I’m really pleased that you are continuing this great series Augustin. Particularly because I find that playing the presto in the G Minor Bach Sonata is absolutely exhausting.
Thank you! So glad to see you back here!!
oh yeah, soo happy to see you again and ask augustin
Hooray! I‘m so glad this series is returning. Thanks for the tip!
Thank YOu for being so generous in sharing your knowledge and techniques with us! Very thoughtful explanation and demonstration!
can't believe this is back !!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Stunning playing, Augustin! Thank you for the valuable insights! G Ire
Welcome back Augustin❤
Wow, this was so helpful! I really needed this, especially helpful during the summer break without a teacher
Welcome back! Thanks for the tutorial. This is also helpful for quick guitar fingerings for the left hand.
Thank you! Thanks for taking the time to make these videos and share. Your playing always blows me away. And then your personality is straight forward, and not cocky. You are truly amazing.
Just wow! Thankyou some very helpful points. My teacher stresses light touch but normal bowing pressure and you've shown me exactly this.
Amazing.Thank you for this video and the helpful tips Mr hadelich.
Thank you so much for the great tips Augustin. I appreciate it. You are very clear and concise.
You are an excellent violinist.
Qué maravilla poder escuchar tus buenísimos consejos! Estoy feliz de que hayas vuelto con Ask Augustin! Mil gracias por tu generosidad! 👏👏👏👏👏👏💜🎶💜🎻
I haven't played for years and years but was just curious. Glad I watched - love your playing!! Such skill. Now I have to find this piece again on UA-cam. 🙂
Thank you so much for your helpful video, Mr. Hadelich! I am studying Schumann's scherzo excerpt for an orchestra audition and this is helping me a lot.
So glad this series is back! I don't play the violin, but I'm going to try to apply some of these ideas to the mandolin--the two have a lot of similarities. Thanks for sharing!
Is incredible how helpfull can be something like this even for profesional violinist. Right now just im gonna play again paganini 5, and all the bach fast movements to try this. Thanks a lot.
Our Favorite solo violinist at the Grant Park Symphony!!!!!!
Bravo!!!
Thank you very much -Great video!
Amazing, Thanks for the free lesson
Thank you Augustin 😊 that was great
These tips are also helpfull for playing electric guitar ☺️👌🏻 Thank you, mr. Hadelich 🙏
still being a tutorial, it is a real pleasure to see him play 🙌🙌🙌
You are a incredible human being❤
Thank you
Oh, I've missed those! Very happy to see this new episode, and I really appreciate that you're still sharing it on here.
A couple of weeks ago, two friends and I were at your recital with Charles Owen in Frankfurt, and one of the things we talked about was exactly this, "How does he keep his left hand so relaxed?!", so it's really neat to hear you address some of this.
(On the off-chance you're ever looking for topics for more episodes - another thing we were wondering about was your bowing, which looked very effortless and economic, even or especially with fast long bowstrokes, so I can confirm there is also a target group for bow hand/arm topics... 🙃)
Great to have you back! I'd also add keeping the fingers close to the string, maintaining the correct hand "frame" for the passage and preparing the fingers ahead of time if possible. Also, practising using rhythms like long short and inserting breaks for relaxation until you can be relaxed also without the breaks.
Looking forward to more!
This it’s really helpful thanks!
Thanks for great advices!
Obrigado professor, suas dicas são sempre muito boas, você é muito generoso, um gentleman, vida longa!!!
This was soooo helpful thank you so much!!
Would you ever consider making a video about left hand frame? Setting up your left hand in the most efficient way possible? That would be super cool! Thank you!
incredible. no other words
제일 사랑하는 바이올리니스트 어거스틴🥰 바이올린의 신 !
Me watching know full well this piece is way above my level....
Un violin con musica de maestros para geniales interpretes...UD. SEÑOR
Thank you for the very specific, and novel, advice. My grip is so tight, you'd think my violin was going to run away from me, if I relaxed.
Thank you! 🙂
Can you talk about "string crossings", please?? Or is there a video about that? Whether its slurred or detache or spiccato, how does your arm anticipate and what do you do to relax your wrist, etc?
Fantastic
I play the guitar and when I try to learn compositions for violin I face some challenges because many times the melody I'm trying to play is not idiomatic for the guitar and I have to think how I'm going to play the passage. For instance, I'm trying to learn the first movement of the Spring Concerto from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi and when I get to the fast sequences I have a hard time. But even if I can't play at normal speed I at least play slowly just to learn the sequences. God, I dread the idea of trying to play Paganini on the guitar, it must be so difficult! But Paganini is so cool, his phrasing is so awesome!
Oh maestro, you are great!!!!!
Augustin 👏👏👏👍,muito obrigado
Thanks! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Sir u r great
Sheesh……..!
I guess after reaching that level of perfection, one can start thinking about relaxing 😉
Still, thanks for the inspiration, Augustin 🙏
Thank you so much for your advice! Will the next Ask Augustins be on your channel or on tonebase?
Thanks for another really informative video! I noticed that your thumb is also always in a low position. Does this help to relax the hand frame, and have you ever really worked on changing your hand frame, or has it always been pretty relaxed?
you saviour... 💖
bagus sekali ! matur suksma
thanks very much, I tried your tips immediately after watching this, only to find out that my first and second fingers had to move up on the string when using my third and fourth fingers - my hand extremely tiny, fingers super short, doomed? full-grown adult so not getting taller
Can you do a video on consecutive triple stops (I am struggling with the ones in the forth movement of vieuxtemps 4) I know its a variant of the video on chords, I would love to hear your advice!
Leaving the left-hand fingers down as much as possible is a technique I call the Law of Finger Inertia (LOFI). Just as the Law of Inertia states that a body at rest tends to stay at rest, a finger at rest must also tend to stay at rest.
Thank you for your analysis! On an unrelated point, is that a new violin you are playing?
Great
Thanks for sharing of your great expertise and amazing playing. My question with that Caprice has to do with the bowings I have on it from the music that I purchased 50 years ago! After the arpeggios, for each measure with 4 sets of 4-16th notes, the bowing is 3 down and 1 up for the first two sets of 4 sixteenth notes, followed by 4 down, and then 4 up. As your bow moves really quickly on this one (and I had seen a previous video of yours performing this caprice), I was wondering if you do everything 3 down and 1 up, or what type of bowing you use.
Thank you Augustin, as aside from being one of the great violinists in the world, it is pretty evident that you are a truly wonderful person. I wish you the best, and appreciate any insights into the bowing for Caprice #5 that you might have.
Paganini's bowing indication is actually just 3 down and one up (not with the four downs and four ups). I have one video on YT where I perform it with that original bowing (which is very challenging), and one where I play it all separate (which I prefer actually! I think it just sounds better). The original bowing is more of a challenge, but for a lot of non-violinists, it's not actually more impressive with the original bowing! I'm also not convinced that Paganini really played that bowing for the entire middle section, or whether he moved in and out of it, adjusting the ricochet pattern as is convenient. It doesn't really specify- Paganini's instructions in the manuscript are very sparse, and just about everything else you see printed in other editions was added by others.
@@AugustinHadelichViolin ....Thank you so much!! Literally for 50 years, I have wondered of Paganini's bowing, for which I had seen your amazing video of performing with the original bowing. I agree that playing separately sounds better and for most, likely cleaner. I so appreciate your great insight with this, and I am going to work with trying to accomplish the 3 and 1, and no more 4 down and 4 up, and will also play separate bow strokes.
I actually have performed jazz and blues in Las Vegas where I live, and have an upcoming jazz/60's/70's violin cd that should be out next year. If your travels ever take you to Las Vegas, please do let me know as it would be wonderful to see you.
I don't know if you ever knew of my late uncle, Berl Senofsky? He had won the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels and was involved with that for quite some time, while he put out a well received recording of the Brahm's concerto. It's kind of funny, as despite that I had a music scholarship to Duke, and performed with symphonies, and later throughout Las Vegas, I am nowhere remotely close to being the best violinist in my family!
Thank you Augustin, and I am going to watch your video before I practice tonight. Your words are greatly appreciated and as I purchased Paganini's 24 Caprices when I was 13 (unable to play just about all of them!), you have given me the knowledge that I sought for literally half a century!
Augustin, you have my great wishes and gratitude, and I would so enjoy seeing you and hearing your amazing music in person.
LEZZGO
May I know what kind of bowing is that? Is it detache or sautille?
Is it possible to go as fast going index to pinky as going pinky to index on very fast playing?
🌟 Virtuoso ! 👏👏👏🌹
what do you do with the thumb
Is it only me or this video could as well be a demonstration about how to have an exceptional RIGHT hand technique in fast passages 😀 ?
I think you should talk about the right instead of the left hand, because in general, people have more problems playing Paganini No 5 in their right hand. You should tell them how to play this piece without getting cramps with the right hand
There are far more players out there holding tension in their left hand than right hand. Including myself and 5 of my colleagues. Right hand is important but unless you know how to play with a smooth relaxed left there is no point in improving your right.
Wow 😳
Hello... Could i ask you a question? I wondering how to practice with carl flesh... 'cause i feel confused about it.
When I saw ‘fast passage’, I wasn’t expecting Paganini. 🤣
what about right hand espessialy my right hand getting tired when i am playing fast pieces, please someone give me advise. How can I fix it?
Make sure you have a proper bow hold. And do some hand strengthening exercises every day. It really works.
"Let me teach you how to keep your hand relaxed. But first, allow me to show off brilliantly." :3
👍
Thanks God for hadelich ❤❤
I was watching a Yehudi Menuhin left hand technique video. It appears he only contacts the violin with his thumb and has a space on the other side of the neck. It appears you play this way. I find it near impossible to support the violin doing it Menuhin's way. I can see how if you could you would gain incredible freedom in the left hand but it seems impossible for me. I think many violinists do not play this way so I would say it's not necessary but I wondered if you could comment on this.
You should be able to allow your head to hold up the fiddle. But don’t strain your neck, you don’t need to. This is something I practice every day.
so I learned how incredible violinists sound so good, by not actually playing the notes.. this is why violin is one of the hardest instruments 🤧
I love the American flag as a distraction lol
🥰🥰🥰👍👍👍
No problem. I will never play that piece.
When you play fast, left hand is already relaxed. How to keep your left hand relaxed during SLOW passages?
What a bizarre question
Augustine - Seems like you are giving some peanuts information. The school of practicing that you have been tought is of a very different one known to anyone!!Nothing looks like is going for you just by looking at your hands "specially the left" - until you start playing and those notes start to sing. Give the new players a bit more from your secret bagpack!!!
Augustine is an instructor, why should he give away every secret?
Why the need for such a flag waving behind him?
I think he is an American citizen for a while now. Why not?
R u drunk? I think you might be drunk buddy 😵💫😵💫
Stop being a political harrasser!!!!!
Why is your mouth so big
“So i can better eat you my dear”, said the wolf
@@AugustinHadelichViolin
That's really getting scary bro 😢😢
What a great sense of humor. Augustine!
Thank YOu for being so generous in sharing your knowledge and techniques with us! Very thoughtful explanation and demonstration!