erin_tonkin
Member
Hey If u r a violinist and playing it 4 ur HSC write tips or whateever here.
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Violinists (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter erin_tonkin
- Start date
bonnie04
Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2006
- Messages
- 53
- Gender
- Female
- HSC
- 2006
i think if you can learn your pieces from memory, that allows you to focus more on your performance. it depends also what course you are doing. for music 1 especially, to get in the top range, it is about personal interpretation, communication with other accompanists, and the way in which you 'perform' it.
if you use music, you are somewhat limited to reading the notes. whereas if you do it from memory, you are somewhat liberated, and are able to focus on the way in which you perform it, the way in which you present it.
but remember, you must be confident doing it by memory, and should know your repertoire incredibly well. if you are not confident with it, do not do it, or you may freeze and forget during your performance.
initially, i would always get 18.5's, or 19's in class for my pieces. and my comment was alwayyyss that i needed more communication with my accompanists, and loked too tense/focussed on the music. i learnt my pieces from memory, and my pieces improved drastically - i was able to focus more on the way in which i presented my pieces.
if you use music, you are somewhat limited to reading the notes. whereas if you do it from memory, you are somewhat liberated, and are able to focus on the way in which you perform it, the way in which you present it.
but remember, you must be confident doing it by memory, and should know your repertoire incredibly well. if you are not confident with it, do not do it, or you may freeze and forget during your performance.
initially, i would always get 18.5's, or 19's in class for my pieces. and my comment was alwayyyss that i needed more communication with my accompanists, and loked too tense/focussed on the music. i learnt my pieces from memory, and my pieces improved drastically - i was able to focus more on the way in which i presented my pieces.
RabbitRabbit
Member
^ Yes learning it off by heart will help, but keep sheet music nearby during the performance also, incase nerves gets the better of you.
If you suffer from nerves or sweaty fingers, this can really stuff up the performance. I find using talcum powder absorbs the excess moisture and makes hitting the right notes so much easier when under the pressure of a large audience.
With violin peices self expression will get you the marks. You can do this by:
- body language: feel free to sway to the music. In an ensemble, position yourself in the centre of the band but so that you can also see them. When you hit a climax in your peice, show it. Co-ordinate syncronized rests with the band.
- dynamics: over emphasise your softs and louds. A good peice that does this is Hungarian Dance no.5. Sustain endings where appropriate using a slow vibrato then gradually drown out.
- improvise: showing you can improvise will get you top marks. Don't stick to a rigid and boring song. Make it unique and dramatic! When starting a new part to the peice, raise the bottom end of your bow high above the string, then come down quickly for the down bow.
Good luck!
If you suffer from nerves or sweaty fingers, this can really stuff up the performance. I find using talcum powder absorbs the excess moisture and makes hitting the right notes so much easier when under the pressure of a large audience.
With violin peices self expression will get you the marks. You can do this by:
- body language: feel free to sway to the music. In an ensemble, position yourself in the centre of the band but so that you can also see them. When you hit a climax in your peice, show it. Co-ordinate syncronized rests with the band.
- dynamics: over emphasise your softs and louds. A good peice that does this is Hungarian Dance no.5. Sustain endings where appropriate using a slow vibrato then gradually drown out.
- improvise: showing you can improvise will get you top marks. Don't stick to a rigid and boring song. Make it unique and dramatic! When starting a new part to the peice, raise the bottom end of your bow high above the string, then come down quickly for the down bow.
Good luck!
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Hmmm violin is so sexy. I'm trying to pick it up, unfortunantely I'm a bit late.... Though I believe I can learn easily with it.
Any tips for stamina? Say if your playing a song like Winter Allegro non Molto (Four Seasons, Vivaldi..John Harrisons version FTW), how is it possible to build up stamina apart from constant playing. I'm a pretty beefed up guy, if I try playing like that I just end up getting cramps...
Anyways, for anyone who can play violin I have an immediate respect for you XD
Any tips for stamina? Say if your playing a song like Winter Allegro non Molto (Four Seasons, Vivaldi..John Harrisons version FTW
), how is it possible to build up stamina apart from constant playing. I'm a pretty beefed up guy, if I try playing like that I just end up getting cramps... Anyways, for anyone who can play violin I have an immediate respect for you XD
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Phanatical
Happy Lala
Practice is the only real way to overcome the physical difficulties in any music instrument. Of course, over time you'll also develop better posture and playing technique which will lessen the physical impact of the playing - but people who play musical instruments will inevitably develop the appropriate strengths for their instrument. (Pianists are the fastest typers around)
Phanatical
Happy Lala
That's stupid advice. A HSC Performance examination is all about concert technique. If you would exaggerate in a concert hall, then you exaggerate in the exam room - but not if exaggeration is inappropriate to the performance. There is little worse than a student trying to over-dramatise their gestures and such in an exam ESPECIALLY at the cost of technique.
VIOLINIST HERE!!
hmm, i think that, true you must have great foundation with your technique, but you must be expressive, i remember observing the girl i accompanied for her violin piece last year for her HSC, she stood like a block of wood, with good intonation and technique, but it was much too boring (she played a tango), body language and the emphasis of your knowledge of the piece is important!
When trying to communicate the music through body language, dont move too much or awkward, try to do it in an expressive way...maybe get your teacher to teach you that if possible, and nice bow gestures when starting and finishing the piece will make the performance look that much more better.
Know your music! for instance, dont crescendo and decrescendo randomly in a baroque piece as they tend to have a unity of mood/rhythm/dynamics, though if the dynamics were to change, its usually sudden (terraced dynamics = soft (p) to loud (f))
so know what you play, research the piece and its composer, see if there's a story behind it and try to express it how the composer wanted it to be expressed.
and good intonation always helps :>
hmm, i think that, true you must have great foundation with your technique, but you must be expressive, i remember observing the girl i accompanied for her violin piece last year for her HSC, she stood like a block of wood, with good intonation and technique, but it was much too boring (she played a tango), body language and the emphasis of your knowledge of the piece is important!
When trying to communicate the music through body language, dont move too much or awkward, try to do it in an expressive way...maybe get your teacher to teach you that if possible, and nice bow gestures when starting and finishing the piece will make the performance look that much more better.
Know your music! for instance, dont crescendo and decrescendo randomly in a baroque piece as they tend to have a unity of mood/rhythm/dynamics, though if the dynamics were to change, its usually sudden (terraced dynamics = soft (p) to loud (f))
so know what you play, research the piece and its composer, see if there's a story behind it and try to express it how the composer wanted it to be expressed.
and good intonation always helps :>
~untitled~
Member
Yea, i play violin, although am playing piano for the HSC performance, because i prefer it. Although i am doing a viva on violin. With all performances it's how you can best express the piece of music in relation to the concepts. Most of the time over exaggetation helps, especially in dynamics because what i have found sometime is what i consider to be sudden change eg p to f, the marker may not exactly think is a big enough change.
In relation to body language and movement, dont overdo it, your essentially being marked on technique, not stage presence, although, if you look like you are enjoying yourself, the markers will enjoy the piece more.
In relation to body language and movement, dont overdo it, your essentially being marked on technique, not stage presence, although, if you look like you are enjoying yourself, the markers will enjoy the piece more.
Actually flair is everything for the HSC. HSC markers are technical in terms of intonation and rhythm, but interms of technicallity with a specific instrument, they're not gonna be technical there, unless they play ur instrument. Stage presence is everything. Its best to go out and showoff what u can do, if u make a mistake, pretend like nothing happened or it was just part of the piece. This is easy to do with the Australian piece, providing ur playing one that not 2 many ppl have heard. Anyway, when u perform on the day, just be confident and know that u'll do ur best.