As a violinist, nothing is more beneficial than being able to play and teach viola when asked. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as you might think. Here is the process I recommend to assist you in getting better sound from your viola.

1. Plays several songs that you already know for memory on your violin on the viola. This will allow you to become accustomed to the larger spacing between the notes and hopefully assist you in pulling tone from the instrument. I find getting a clear and crisp sound especially hard on the viola. Once you have some good sounds coming out of the instrument, you can work on reading.

2. Resist using “tricks” to help you play the viola. It doesn’t work. You just have to know the clef and how to play the notes on the instrument. I would suggest working through a book such as Essential Elements or I Can Read Music, then go on to more advanced literature like the Suzuki Books 1 and 2. These present enough reading challenge for a violinist new to alto clef.

3. Work through an etude book that you don’t know as well. If you are playing Kayser or Kreutzer on the violin, don’t use those. Pick something simple like Foundation Studies by Wohlfahrt. It’s not going to hurt you to play through some etudes you are less familiar with. Eventually move on to something like “Introducing the Positions” by Whistler so you can read in position and get to know half position.

4. Pick a few repertoire pieces that you have always wanted to play but are usually played on viola. (Haven’t you always wanted to play that Bach Prelude?)

5. Play viola in a quartet or ensemble to really test your skills. Try not to sight read, you’ll probably find this difficult.

As I have been coming out of a terribly painful period where I had neck and shoulder pain, I have noticed that my setup is no longer correct for my body.I have been standing taller now that the pain in my neck and shoulder are gone. (This pain was caused by food allergies causing an arthritic condition.) I hope to continue to get better as I eliminate foods that cause this reaction.

I found an interesting video from Hilary Hahn discussing her ideas about shoulder rests and chin rest. I think she is wise not to recommend any one item. Each individual needs something completely different. And as your body changes and grows and ages, you need to take a look at what equipment you are using to make sure you stay comfortable and set up in a way that benefits you. Click here for Hahn’s video.

Recently, I have added extra height to my shoulder rest by attaching a hard sponge to the bottom of it. The chin rest I have also has longer legs available from the maker. I will try to order some of those to extend the rest without having to add padding.

Although I have tried many different chin rests, I find that the middle mount chin rest seems to work the best for me. I still get a mark on my neck. Hahn mentions a way of carving down the chin rest in the offensive spot on the rest, but I do not yet feel comfortable doing this. I plan on investigating this more if it continues to bother me. There are some things that you add to the top of your chin rest like the the Impressionist. Click here for a video showing what he product does. I am afraid that I would have to get a new case if I used this item. I might recommend it for a student who is experience pain from the chin rest, but I guess, for now, I will just put up with the mark.

With my viola, I have found that using no chin rest at all and adding height to the shoulder rest by adding a hard sponge has worked very nicely. Try several options with your setup to find the most comfortable position that allows you to shift and move on the instrument easily.

Today, I was asked by a person contacting me about performance at a wedding event if I knew the piece at the end of Master and Commander.

The piece has a very nice strummed pizzicato part that I prefer to do with the violin on the shoulder. There is a very nice recording on YouTube by the Carmina Quartet. The version from the movie, Master and Commander is actually performed by YoYo Ma on cello. The version from the movie is much more subdued that the Carmina Quartet version.

Here is a link to a very nice treble clef duet that can be played by two violins.This is a very approachable piece, especially if the pizzicato section is practiced with precise movement of the chords. And don’t let the ricochet chords scare you. They’re harmless once you get that arm moving!

Here is a link to the original Quintet by Bocherini available at IMSLP. You will need to have a pretty good quintet to perform this version, but it’s always nice to perform original music.

In an effort to keep learning something new about the violin, I worked on a triplet section of the first movement of Mendelssohn that will need lots more work. I like to take things slow with separate bowings until I can play them very cleanly. At that point, I will add in the written bowings.

On January 9, I worked on my course work for “String Methods and Etudes” this semester. I have really enjoyed organizing etude materials. I think I have begun to understand the project my teacher has selected for me. It is much different that my recent Suzuki training and I think it might be quite challenging to select etude materials to support repertoire for young players.

The Huber Concertino in the Barbara Barber “Solos for Young Violinists” book 1 has a lot of challenges for the young player. It uses all three basic finger patterns in first position. Although there is no shifting necessary, some can be added if desired. The use of accidentals in the first section and the key signature of B-flat major in one section requires the student to have a master of lowered first finger. To support this, I selected Wolfahrt Foundation Studies No. 10 because of the key signature.  In the second section of the Huber, there are various string crossing weight issues and bow distribution that can be practiced using Wolfahrt Foundation Study No. 6. Finally, some of the crisp articulations needed for the sixteenth note sections of the Huber can be practiced using Wolfahrt Foundation Study No. 30. Because none of the Wolfahrt studies include double stops, I thought I could supplement from Josephine Trott Melodious Double Stops #2 for the student to practice double stopping for this piece.

Right around Christmas 2009, I received a copy of the Mendelssohn violin concerto with my teacher’s bowings and fingers marked. What a wonderful Christmas present it was! It has always been a dream of mine that I get to perform a piece of that scope. Due to the fact that I may have to give up the violin at some point if I continue to have issues with pain, I wanted to get a jump start on that piece. My teacher agreed that the time was right. I have been working on the first three pages extensively, but made an effort to learn later pages at this point. I hope to be able to perform, at least for a masterclass, at some point in the summer when I attend the International Music Academy in Pilsen.

On a side note, I am glad I have finally memorized how to spell Mendelssohn.

I have already taken the Suzuki Teacher Training for Books 1 through 4 on violin. In order to pass the basic audition for the Suzuki Association, you must submit a video of you performing the third movement of the Vivaldi concerto in A minor and one of the Seitz concertos from Book 4. I have posted a portion of my audition tape to YouTube.

The intermediate level audition for training through book 8 requires you to play the entire Bach A minor concerto for violin. The comprehensive audition that allows you to take any can be your choice of the Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 or 5. I plan on learning the Bach A minor and also the Mozart Concerto No. 5 at some point in the future. It is difficult to say which I will prepare for the audition. I think it is beneficial to take your time with the Suzuki auditions and prepare the piece to the highest level you can.

On January 6, 2011, I conquered one of my biggest fears as a Suzuki teacher. I had a parent training session. To my chagrin, only one parent attended, however, it taught me a lot about teaching and how to communicate. I plan on having many more of these short and informative training sessions. As a first year Suzuki teacher in a new location, I was not able to establish this kind of training from the very beginning. Out of desperation and a need to communicate, I decided to schedule small session in my own home. The sessions that followed the first were attended by more parents, and I was able to get to know parents on a level I had not been able to before. To any Suzuki teacher is is timid about parent training, have to schedule meetings and plan what you say. Is it going to hurt your studio to have parents who are better informed about Dr. Suzuki, your philosophies of education, or your methods of teaching? The answer is no. The more you work with your families, the easier time you will have as a teacher.

In an effort to be a better violinist, I have recently turned my attention to playing and reading into the stratosphere. Although I have played many three octave scales in my time, I had never attempted four octave scales. The idea seemed scary and foreign to me. It sounded like some kind of torture. On January 5, 2011, I tackled the basics of a scale in four octaves. I decided to go for good old G major. The ironic thing was, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it should be. Tuning and tone in the upper octave are a challenge. Having to bow near the bridge and keep the fingers in just the right spots will take some practice, but I would like to recommend a four octave scale to anyone who has played the three octave for some time. It’s not going to hurt you just to try it.

Rachel Barton Pine is a name I have heard in recent years, but I had never really been taken by her playing until I heard tracks from her album entitled, “American Virtuosa: A Tribute to Maud Powell.” The pieces I have heard from this album are quite meticulously performed. Further research into the pieces and made me very curious about not only Powell, but also Pine as an admirer. Both of these women are great role models for young female violinists. The very interesting thing about Rachel Barton Pine is that she performs both classical and metal music. I find this juxtaposition charming. I prefer listening to her classical works, but I have a lot of respect for performers who play various styles of music. Great work, Rachel Barton Pine! For more information, visit http://classical.rachelbartonpine.com/index.php.