I am the queen of not noticing how far I’ve come.
Because I’m listening to much more classical music now, hearing the way the cello can sound I get a bit upset I can’t do complicated runs, that I’m not any further than some extensions from first position, that my tone can be so brutally muffled sometimes, that I’m still so tense in my shoulders.
How long have I been playing now? Five months on the outside. My intonation is much better, I can put my first finger down almost every time without getting confused. So my fourth finger is a bit wayward, that’s alright, I will learn. My tone is infinitely better, I can play a couple quavers in a row changing strings in the middle even. I barely hit the other strings now. My bow hold is downright functional.
I need to stop getting down on myself, and look how far I’ve come already, and that I can go that far again.
Practise time is getting a bit different now – I don’t struggle to just get through these little two line songs anymore, so I get bored. I play through a bunch, do some scales, make some tea, play a few of the songs I like better a couple times. I need to focus on something – it’s feeling a bit scatter-brained and random. I should look at the etude books I bought, some of them might be playable now.
Geoff
25 August 2006 at 3:21 pm
I composed for you a wonderful, erudite, probably witty, certainly helpful, note about the use of etudes (my teacher referred to them as medicine, i.e to be taken under supervision to solve a particular problem), the problems of adult learners (expecting to hear those wonderful sounds that we’ve been listening too for years), my hesitations about saying anything that the ICS Thought Police might construe as Advice From An Amateur. And lost it somewhere. I suspect ICS bugging. So you’ll never know.
But it might be worth repeating that perhaps your teacher might advise on the use of particular etudes for particular problems and that you spend your practice time meanwhile playing some Nice Tunes (some Very Sound Advice Indeed about finding some Nice Tunes has appeared on the ICS forum recently.) And haven’t you got homework from the ELLSO to be getting on with?
One of the issues I wanted to raise with my ex-teacher before she fled was lack of follow up – we’d look at an etude, usually from Feuillard’s 60 etudes for the young(ha!)cellist, I’d work on it, but she didn’t check progress on it next lesson. And one of the most difficult things in this lessonless period (though I start with a new teacher next month – her main interest is baroque cello which I love so it should be good) has been working out what to prescribe myself just to try to stay in the same place. It’s a relief to know that help is at hand.
But it’s very early days on the cello for you and me both. Keep plugging on, keep the blog going (such a sane voice!) and don’t take advice from strangers.
(Ba)roque on
Geoff
erin
25 August 2006 at 4:41 pm
Yes, the ICS lot are a bit quick to jump on any amateur for giving advice, oh well. We won’t tell of our little discussions over here!
My teacher is lovely, but he’s in a transition period himself – between homes, trying to get established in London as a musician etc etc – so he’s taking a little while to find the right material for me.
ELLSO proper doesn’t start until mid-September, and for some reason I had to hand in the Haydn at the end of last rehearsal of the chamber group. We’re switching conductors, maybe she will bring in something else? I have no idea.
Who is your new teacher and where is she located? I love my teacher but I sense an upheaval coming soon and I hope he doesn’t have to give up teaching me, but he might. I’d like to have a back up. You’ll have to let me know how your lessons go.
Yes, it is very early days yet. We will make it work, definitely.
I have to admit I am itching for ELLSO to start, both for the cello bit and the flute bit. Whee can’t wait!
Geoff
25 August 2006 at 6:26 pm
Google Sally Woods. St Johns Wood area. Away in Croatia at present with an early orchestra and Purcell’s Fairy Queen. But bags I first pick! Have a look at http://www.myspace.com/cellofiend for my last teacher. She was super, decidedly unstuffy (these colonials), but was very hot on the basics of technique, posture, biomechanics etc. I always went away from lessons feeling better about everything than when I arrived and I was really peeved when she went to Leeds.
Teachers aren’t that easy to find are they. The ones that sound good on the phone are always so busy. I’m deducing your teacher is Nick in Putney. He was on my short list, but from what you said about his busyness I didn’t contact him. I had a lesson last month with a prep school head of music who’s idea of explanation was “because that’s what I say”. Just the one lesson.
I suppose it’s too early for you to say what the teaching side of ELLSO is like. It’s a possibility for me, but I don’t really want to commit to every Saturday. I’ll see how Sally works out.
All the best
G
erin
25 August 2006 at 6:41 pm
Yes, Nick is my teacher. He is lovely, but has had to move back up to Northampton for a bit – so he only teaches on Saturdays. I have no idea how many students he has at the moment, so he may very well be able to take on more. If Sally doesn’t work out, definitely look him up.
Yikes. Mr Prep School sounds like a jerk.
I checked into another teacher in Angel, but now I can’t find her details. They’re buried in my work email somewhere. Nick responded first!
I’ll keep you posted on how ELLSO goes, it is a lot of time to devote to it, but playing with a group is so so much fun. I’ve dragged my husband into it, and another friend of ours, so should be interesting!
Guanaco
26 August 2006 at 4:23 am
Yesterday, my teacher suggested that after playing a piece, I take a moment to figure out what went well and which parts sounded good, rather than worrying about what was wrong. If I must analyze my playing (it’s in my nature, I fear), then I should analyze what I did right to make those parts go well.
Good advice…