December 4th, 2012 by Gabriel Taubman
Recommended Technique Curriculum by Heidi Castleman
The following post is by Heidi Castleman.
This is a more detailed version of the curriculum given in the earlier post, “Job Description for a Viola Student“.
(K = Kreutzer, T = Tartini, Art of Bowing)
Left Hand Faculty
- Sevcik, Op 1, Pt 1
- Ondricek,Emanuel:Superior Finger Exercises for Violin
- Mazas I, 13-15, 19
- Mazas II, 54-56
- K#9, #23
- K#15-22 (trills)
- LH Pizz (Sevcik, Op 1/4,#19)
Shifting
- Shifting warm-ups:
- Same finger, 1st-7th
- Substitution shifting
- One string 2 8va arpeggios
- Basic Shifting see Catherine Consiglio Scale and Shifting Book (Wichita State University)
- Sevcik, Opus 8
- Flesch one string
- Dounis (Artist’s Technique of Violin Playing, published for viola): double shifts and long shifts
- Mazas I, 20
- K#1,#11
- Rode #11
Scales
- One position scales and One position broken 3rds
- Castleman / Koob – The Tonal Application of Finger Patterns to Viola Scale Technique (Amazon)
- Melissa Matson – One position finger pattern scales (mmmviola@rochester.rr.com)
- 3 8va Major, 3 8va Melodic minor and 3 8va Harmonic minor
- Catherine Consiglio Scale and Shifting Book (Wichita State University) and
- Ellen Rose, Extreme Viola (SMU)
- Chromatic
Arpeggios
- One position arpeggios Ellen Rose, Extreme Viola (SMU)
- 3 8va arpeggios Catherine Consiglio Scale and Shifting Book (Wichita State University
- K#12
Scale Routines
- Slurred @50
- Slurred @60
- Slurred and separate
- detache
- spiccato
- sautille
Double Stops
- double stops Ellen Rose, Extreme Viola (SMU)
- Sevcik, Opus 9
- Double stops in Basic Shifting format
- Kourgov Vamos “Exercises for the Violin in Various Combinations of Double-Stops Carl Fischer Music
- K #24/25/32-42
- Rode #19, #20, #23
- Flesch
Sevcik, Opus 1, part 4:
- 8vas #3, #2, #1
- 3rds #7
- 6ths #11
- arpeggios #13-16
- LH pizz +ds #20
- harmonics #21
Long Tones
- Sevcik, Op 2, bk 1, #4 16bts@60
Chords
- Sevcik, Opus 3, #39, #40
- Sevcik, op 1, pt 4, #17, #18
Detache (middle, frog, tip)
- Sevcik, Op 2, bk 1: #6, Var1 (mm.78,92,116) and #6 also half note = 60-140
- Dounis Artist’s Technique of Violin Playing, (published for viola)
- Mazas I, 4-6,
- K#2,#5,#8,#10,#26
- Rode [2 4 6 8 9 10 18 22 24]
- Ries Perpetual motion
- Paganini Perpetual motion
- Novacek Perpetual motion
Mixed Bowings
- on scales: 3+1, 1+3
- Mazas I, 16-17
- Mazas II, 43-44,48-53
Sevcik. Opus 2, bk 1 (use mm and bow distribution)
- #3,var 7,8,9
- #4, var 40, 41
- #6, var 22,23
- #7 var 3, 4, 28, 29, 37 (mm.52, 60,68)
- #15 var 21, 22, 23 (mm52, 64)
Staccato Class Strokes
colle, martele
- Sevcik, Op2, bk1, #5
- T#7 29 39 45 49 50
- Mazas I, 2, 3, 10-12
- Mazas II, 33-34, 37
- K#6, #7
- Rode #5, #7, #17, 21
staccato
- Mazas II, 47
- K#4
- T#45, #46
Off-the-string Strokes
- Sevcik Opus 3 (selected)
- Mazas I, 28-29
- Mazas II, 45-46
- T#11
String Crossings
- Ysaye Exercises and Scales (for violin: Schott)
- Casorti The Techniques of Bowing. Op.50 (for violin)
- Mazas I, 21-22
- Mazas I, 32, 39, 42,
- K#13,#14,#27-30
- Rode #3, #12
- 1 position broken 3rds
Bow Expression
Suggested methods for practicing the elements that vary sound (weight, speed and contact point) are:
@60 = a beat/ use 4 beats per bow/ use whole bows
- Isolate the specified element and vary only it,
- Produce musically useful sound
- Switches to the opposite should be immediate
- Weight: Heavy/Light (change weights from shoulder blade) arrange beats in different patterns of heavy and light, always 4 beats/bow
- Contact Point: Away/Close (change using upper arm and fingers) first do one set of away from bridge and near bridge/bow, then 2, 3, 4, 6, 12
- Bow Speed: Speed/No Speed – one set of speed/no speed/bow; then 2 sets, 3, 4, etc.
- T#16, #21, #23
- K#5, T#3
- Rode introductions #1, #4 #6 , #9, #14, #19
Bel canto Playing
- Mazas I,#1,7,8,18,27
- Mazas II, #31, 35
Sight Singing
- Intervals
- Arpeggios
- Chromatic scales
- Whole tone scale
- Lars Edlund, Modus Novus (atonal sight-singing)
Sight-Reading
- David Hickman Music Speed Reading (http://www.hickmanmusiceditions.com)
Rhythm: Accuracy
- scales in rhythms
- Ely Accuracy in Rhythm (http://www.steveweissmusic.com) (60/80) 2 hands
- 2/3 3/4
Rhythm Practice Methods: Interpretation
- Counting Aloud
- Conducting
- Walking the Large Beats
- Playing Freely
Vibrato
- Fingertip
- Wrist
- Arm
- Ability to vary
Difficult Keys
- Rode [11 12 13 14 15 16]
Fingerboard Knowledge
- Gavinies [not 1 3 15 24]
High Positions
- 1 position scales & 3rds, arp, 5th through 9th positions
- reading in Op 8 staying within 5th through 9th positions
- Sevcik, Op 1, bk2
Body Balance
- Alignment
- Breathing
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