Kennedy

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• Keep violin, bow and case clean.  Change strings as often as necessary to keep ring.  I recommend Pi strings by Peter Infeld. Have bow repaired as often as necessary for clarity. I use David Orlin (734-663-6631) and Han Zheng (248-345-9142, 248-374-8431), as they are closest to me and I trust their quality of hair. Make sure the source of the hair is of the highest quality to avoid extra noise on the string.  Have violin looked at every season as needed for best set up, eliminating open seams and bridge and adjustment issues. (I use Sharon Que , Mark Norfleet, Jeff Holmes and Peter Psarianos) Rosin every time you play, wipe strings frequently.  Clean rosin off wood after each use using a clean cloth, not one full of rosin already.

• Keep music organized.  Make photocopies for lessons of everything you are working on except Carl Flesch book.  Make more photocopies for recording purposes.

• Set goals, short term and long term. For short term, use the daily/weekly goal sheets I suggest or even use the lesson book.

• Fill out Practice Chart (Appendix 1), set goals, be accountable for practice time.

• Fill out long term goal sheet (Appendix 1.1)

• Fill out Repertoire and time frame goal sheet (Appendix 1.2)

• Use drones (Appendix 2), a lot, with everything at least 75% of the time.  Change drones to match key you are in as often as possible.

• Warm up slowly with scales using drones.  Let it begin as a time of meditation, not just warming up.  Be reflective, aware, calm, anticipating beauty. Observe all habits and make appropriate choices. Feel the vibrations and sensations.  Really hear and feel everything during this initial time.

• Do scale patterns. (Appendix 3)

• Only go as fast as there is beauty, clarity, sweet tone, great intonation, heart connection and ease.  As soon as anything appears that is not desirable, stop immediately and assess why and how.  Try again using your toolbox (Appendix 4). Slowly at first with a magnifying glass.

• Come to the violin with the right mindset and heart set.  Do not touch the violin when upset, afraid or apathetic.

• Practice does not make perfect.  It makes permanent.  Perfect practice makes perfect.

• “Perfect” changes

• Believe in yourself.

• Find ways to stay motivated.  Listen to recordings. Watch violinists live.  Read about things that inspire you and challenge you to be your best self.  Do the inner work if you expect results in the outer work.  It’s all a mirror.

• Master the techniques of many different etudes and studies, but never sever your heart and mind from anything you do, otherwise you are practicing severing your heart and mind.  Stay conscious and stay connected.  Stay inspired and be inspiring no matter what you are doing.

• If you find you are not in the moment while playing, gather yourself and re-set up for success. 

• The set up is of most importance.  Set up includes: (Appendix 5)

          ☐proper posture

          ☐proper alignment of bow and placement on string

          ☐left hand correctly placed

          ☐hearing the sound first

          ☐feeling the mood first

          ☐imagining how you want your audience to feel when they hear it

          ☐imagining and dreaming and believing you could be one to make this    as beautiful as it ever could be.  What would that sound like?  Feel like?

 

• Practice 3rds, octaves and 6ths steps (Appendix 5.1)

• Sound “must have’s (Appendix 5.2)

          ☐overtones

          ☐overtone to overtone connection

          ☐clarity

          ☐ ring

          ☐ beauty in between notes

 

• Don’t ignore when things are not measuring up to what you are dreaming of

• Don’t ever get discouraged

• When using drones, really harmonizing with the tonality and emotion those vibrations make together, searching for just the right frequency, in everything, not just scales

• Be intentional with what you want to hear.  You can change your mind, but you have to begin with some intention.  Dream big!

• Vibrato technique practice (Appendix 6)

 

• Use Your Toolbox: (Appendix 4)

          ☐arm weight?

          ☐height of elbow: low, medium or high?

          ☐how much tug or grab at beginning of bow stroke?

          ☐contact point?

          ☐bow speed?

          ☐keep bow straight

          ☐adjust bow placement based on left hand and color you wish for

          ☐legato bow changes?

          ☐what articulation? Do they match?

          ☐Do not avoid the ends of the bow

          ☐vibrato, all kinds, intentional vibrato, never blank

          ☐is it ringing?

          ☐is there extra noise?

          ☐pitch high or low, can it be even better?

          ☐record yourself (Appendix 7)

          ☐synchronize between left and right hand (Appendix 8)

          ☐is it steady? use metronome

          ☐notch by notch (Appendix 9)

          ☐Practicing without the bow (Appendix 10)

          ☐Colors and dynamics?

          ☐tempo, steady or changing?

          ☐hand in a frame, moving as a unit?

          ☐keep fingers down, avoid fingers going up and down at same time?

          ☐where is your thumb? is it in it’s natural position or are you adding strain?  

          ☐find balance between neck, left arm and right arm?

          ☐Are you relaxed?

 

 

• ask: to grit or not to grit, tone quality and mood of piece?  Sizzle or not?

• Where is the emphasis?  It’s not just on down bows or down beats.  Create your line.

• Map out your mountain range.  Show in your music where you want more intensity and less intensity.

• finding your zero point, finding places in the music to let go and relax. Do you know what relaxed really feels like? (Appendix 11)

 

Other things to think about: (Each of these has a link to a blog page that I will create one by one.  Refer to the website to read these topics, and more coming)

Website address: http://kkennedyviolin.wixsite.com/kennedyviolinmethod

• stretching and posture

• tense vs. trust

• how much to practice?

• setting goals

• lifestyle

• spirituality

• actual performance

• choice of repertoire

• common problems: (sub list)

  • over beautification hazard

  • connecting with audience

  • beauty isn’t always just simply pretty

  • cultivating feelings

  • finding pitches

  • relaxing

• Approaching a new piece

• Caring too much that it produces fear

• Caring too little that you are disconnected

• Ego

• Massaging the heart

• loving your audience

• Believing in what you are doing and trying to say

• Just following directions

• Playing your truth

• Being your own best teacher

• Trust your instincts, assuming you have cultivated them with listening and preparing and studying and experimenting.  Random guessing is not what  I consider instincts.  But still being open to new ideas.  Incorporating new ideas into your own.  Being flexible yet intentional.  Being in the flow. Inspired and inspiring.