OVERLOOKED SIBLINGS

Crescendo and decrescendo

Shifting up and shifting down

Leaning in and releasing out (tension and release)

Up bow and down bow

All of these musical sibling concepts involve the idea of ebb and flow. Physically, when we create ebb and flow in music, we move our hands either toward our bodies or away, toward the ground or away, or in the case of up bow and down bow toward the earth or away. As a rule, we engage the easier one as if it is more important and we overlook its equally vital sibling. Also as a rule, one of them is more controlled than the other, easier to control than the other, smoother than the other.

Surprisingly, it is not the one we focus on! It seems harder to play in a higher position, but shifting up (toward your body, bringing your hand toward yourself) is the gesture that is smoother, biologically more consistent with coming to a fetal position, which is more stable physically than any position that is open, arms out. We think of shifting as an exercise in getting to know the upper positions, overlook down shifts since first position is easy (not true!), and don’t master shifting completely and can’t figure out why. We spend time building to a climax and then don’t quite know how to decrescendo away from it in a steady release of sound. We start from a place of stability at the frog and think down bow is easier than up bow because it is easier to start, and we forget that we are leaving a place of stability to go to a place of less stability. The up bow starts out harder, but as you head toward the frog your control increases naturally. We spend energy creating an exciting vibrato, demanding that we go fast enough to line up with our metronome, and we forget that we need to build Release into our music in order for the phrase to make sense.

Pay attention to what is really happening when you play. Pay attention to when you are in control and when you are not. Leave your prejudices outside your practice room. Give attention to the forgotten siblings while you make choices in your playing. If you pay attention to all your ups and downs you have the possibility of long musical lines, slow bows that pull your audience into your tenderest musical places, as if you cast a fine silver thread to them that they catch and hold onto while you lead them on your musical odyssey.