Advanced Violinist Lessons

The advanced violinist is typically one who: 

  • may want to become a professional musician in the future
  • is preparing for a competition
  • is preparing for an audition to a music school / conservatory
  • is currently in a music school / conservatory or intends to join one in the future
  • has appeared or will appear as a soloist
  • is seriously considering any of the above

Advanced Violinist Lesson Topics

Topics covered in lessons include:

  • sound projection as a soloist
  • solo bach
    • a look at various contrapuntal (multiple voice) techniques in an instrument that largely plays one note at a time
    • bringing out multiple voices even in passages of running 1/16th notes
    • how much interpretive freedom do I really have in something so seemingly austere and unwaveringly exact (hint: quite a bit)
  • how to interpret the score (what is musical interpretation?)
  • reconciling dry theory and harmony lessons in music school with living music that you will perform
  • soloistic approach to spiccato and ricochet — audible above orchestra
  • intonation and how to tune double stops
    • the harmonic series, partials, and playing in tune with other instruments
  • harmonic analysis and taking your interpretation to the next level
  • developing a unique voice
  • composing your own cadenza
  • relationship between vibrato and tone production
  • portamento vs shifts
  • relationship between vibrato and hand position
  • "meta-rhythm"
  • compositional structure (how to have more coherent interpretations)
  • inhabiting various characters and musical "acting"
  • individuality vs convention
  • what is the main task of the classical performer?
  • creative uses of the metronome to improve phrasing
  • polyphonic melody
  • relationship between tone and register
  • advanced sight reading technique
  • HOW to learn harmony from actual musical examples
  • movement and phrasing
  • historically-informed performance vs newer readings
  • competition
  • posture and how to deal with body aches and pain
  • HOW and what to practice
  • mentality (performing mentality, practice mentality etc.)
  • approaches to learning
  • abstract conceptualizing and practical application
  • devising practice exercises for yourself
  • thinking from first principles

You might like to contact Shao-wen for clarification or if you have other questions at the link below.