Let me guess something about you:
You do want to be a great musician, but you don’t really like practising or “hard-work”.
Bingo! 🎯 How do I know that? 🙂
Because nobody does (at least until (s)he realizes the hard truth).
Vladimir Horowitz never liked it either regardless of how much he practised in his life.
Humans are simply too irrational to conquer something as complicated and sophisticated as music.
So just understand that it’s OK. You’re certainly not alone. Just admit that you don’t like it if you’re at all embarrassed about it. I feel the same pain and exhaution as yours, and I’m 100% sympathizing with you. (Let’s move on.)
But here’s what drives me up the wall:
“Techniques are not as important as music.”
I used to believe that.
And if you think this way too right now, I’ve got news for you;
This is a myth.
Created by some do-gooders who blind the mass with false hypotheses and selfish beliefs.
It’s illogical and unpractical.
While I agree with the idea that everything revolves around musical intentions, the way they phrase it is just misleading and sends out a wrong message.
There are many violin textbooks or studies out there nowadays such as Ševĉík, Schradieck, Carl Fresch, Kreutzer, and Dont which they all seem to regard as a joke.
Answer this question: What is a “technique” ??
It is anything which helps you enable a certain musical outcome that you can learn, acquire and refine through “practice”.
This, of course, includes basic stuff as well.
Such as shifting, intonation, bow change, bow strokes, arm positions, string crossing etc.
All of these are “techniques” that are designed to create a specific quality of sound.
What does this exactly mean??
Once the basics and techniques are mastered, musical expression just becomes effortless and they open so many doors for you.
In other words, nearly all problems in musical performance come from these basics and techniques (or a lack thereof).
Techniques = Music
One doesn’t exist without the other.
Trying to achieve any musical aim without the technique is a lot like trying to dribble in a soccer game knowing how to even kick a ball.
Which brings us to the reason why, although our musical idealization is prioritized higher than anything, we should spend no less than 90% of the time on developing our techniques (and checking the basics too).
And by the way, this bears the biggest difference between a GREAT musician and a “good” musician.
“Good” because they sort of know this secret but don’t act on it because it takes hard work.
“GREAT” because they understand that it’s such boring things that’re mandatory to musical success therefore they reinforce it even though it takes hard work.
You might be wondering, “I don’t know how to practice.” “What exercise should I do and when should I do it?” “How much should I do it?”
This is the whole point of personal coaching I provide to my private students because everyone has a unique combination of physical and mental qualities and my instrcutions will be different respectively. So I (the doctor) diagnose them (patients) first before giving them presriptions of doses.
Personal coaching is upon request – simply send me the form in the CONTACT page and I’ll let you know if you qualify (very limited).
P.S. If you don’t take control of your techniques, they’ll take control of you.
HIKARU MATSUKAWA 