You’ve worked up a passage to the point where you can get through it. Maybe it takes a bit of luck and the wind blowing the right way ... But the basic pieces are there. So how do you turn it into a rock-solid passage that you can’t miss?
Take the difficulty up to 11.
I know. It’s hard enough already. Why make it harder? Well, keep reading.
The Benefits
If it takes everything you have to get through a passage successfully, then just one little glitch is enough to derail things. But if you’ve already practiced a version that’s just 10% harder, then you have a 10% margin of error to work with before things fall apart. That’s huge!
Think of it this way: You’re driving on a mountain road with a steep drop-off on one side. Would you rather be on a road that’s exactly as wide as your wheel span? Or on a road that’s substantially wider?
The good news is that on the violin, nobody falls to a gruesome death if things fall apart. But still … it’s nicer when things don’t fall apart.
Tips to complicate in helpful ways
The goal here is to change the original passage so it’s harder than called for in context. Your performance technique is then forced to develop beyond the demands of the passage, so you have technique to spare when performing it as written. Afterward, the original challenge will seem easy by comparison.
Exaggerate the tempo
Speed up fast tempos
Slow down slow passages, or ones with very long slursPractice with different rhythms
This is an especially helpful one, so it gets an entire post to itself (coming next week)Practice with different bowings
Add long slurs, uneven patterns, or different bow strokes.
Sometimes a very simple change to the bowing will increase the challenge significantly.Change the notes so they exaggerate any awkward aspects of the left hand (stretches, contractions, hand shapes, etc.)
Instead of octaves, play ninths
If you regularly land too low on a note, aim a half-step higherStop just before crucial moments, then continue as written
Immediately before each shift
Immediately before each string crossing
Have you tried any of these? Do you have your own favorite ways of making a passage harder than written? Let me know about it in the comments below!
I’m a violinist and private teacher in the Chicago area, and in a previous musical life I was in a professional string quartet. Teaching violin and chamber music are dear to my heart. Send me a note or leave a comment on a post — I’d love to hear from you.
