"Concentration --- Focus" - My FingeringBoard Journey (6/12)
Channel: Bill Fitzpatrick's Videos
Date: 2023-05-16

So during a lesson with Miss Delay, it was after a jury at Juilliard, she remarked that we needed to work on my concentration. I nodded okay, but in my mind I thought that I was surely, I really was concentrating already.

So what Miss Delay said to me was very confusing until the day that I realized that what she called concentration was for me focus. So I was having a lack of focus in my mind.

You see focus is one of the three elements involved in concentration. The other two elements are awareness, which is the recognition of where our body is in space, and attention, which is where we tune the rest out. So this idea of focusing with the aid of attention and awareness made what Miss Delay said much easier for me to deal with.

But now, now that this is all clear, what exactly did I need to focus on? To explore this, why don't we look at the beginning of the Allemande from Bach's Partita No. 2. You know, it's the one. It goes like this...

So let's start by placing the fourth finger and the first finger at the same time. You can do this with the third, but personally I prefer the fourth. Here, let me show you.

Next, keep the second finger A down when playing the third finger B flat, and then the C sharp, first finger. You'll see it's all about half steps. Let me start it.

While playing the second finger A, you know, place the first finger a whole step back from that second finger for the G natural.

And as soon as you've played that G natural, place your second finger E on the A string.

Don't lift the first finger. And while you're playing that first finger, bring your elbow over for the fourth finger.

Now, let the second finger slightly touch the G string, because it's going to act as a guide for our first finger to find the C sharp.

When we go to find the A and B flat, again, you can use that second finger to help you to figure out where to place that first finger. And now, when we're playing our third finger G, as quickly as we can, get the fourth finger over before we play it. And we're good.

You see, we've prepared everything at this point. Okay, so trust me, I never believed that I could really think and do this all in time. I mean, that would truly be overthinking it. But I figured that by becoming more aware and organizing my attention this way, it would allow me to react faster, and I had clearer points of reference.

All of this can increase our awareness and zoom in our attention, and in doing so, create focus.So let's look at this section of the D minor concerto by Wieniawski. Starts at measure 115 of the first movement. Here, it's this one.

["Demonstration"] Okay, so first we have two, three, two, one, two.

["Demonstration"] And they're all half steps. Okay, so when we do the second A, ["Demonstration"] let's put our third finger down at the same time.

["Demonstration"] We're prepared for them.

["Demonstration"] And now we have an extension back from the D.

["Demonstration"] A half step.

["Demonstration"] And we're gonna release our hand.

["Demonstration"] And when we play our second finger, ["Demonstration"] let's put our third finger down, just like we did with the A and the F.

We're gonna do it with the D and the B -flat.

["Demonstration"] And now we have all half steps. ["Demonstration"] And now, let's shift. We can use our second finger.

And we end up with four, three, one, two. So that second finger's sort of acting like an anchor, because I can find my first finger C -sharp from that second finger.

["Demonstration"] And now, while I'm playing that last D, I'm gonna move my first finger back, get my third finger ready for a whole step, and I end up with... ["Demonstration"] F... ["Demonstration"] and A, which are whole steps away from that second finger.

["Demonstration"] So here we go.

["Demonstration"] Half step, move it back. ["Demonstration"] And there we have it. ["Demonstration"] Now I'm gonna shift... ["Demonstration"] up to the A. ["Demonstration"] And I have my octave.

["Demonstration"] So I think these examples show how my fingering board can be a catalyst in helping us to visually understand or even create the steps involved in this kind of focus.

While looking on the internet for something else, of course, I ran into this quote by Amit Kalantri, and would like to share it with you. He said, preparation doesn't assure victory, it assures confidence. I like that.

So do take care, and if you haven't done so already, subscribe to my channel. Don't forget to click on the notification bell so you can choose how to be notified when new videos have been published.

Again, take care.