The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1903-07-22

! MUSICAL CORNER! !
Conducted e. A, Violin Maker q
: by THOMPSON, and Teacher Z,
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Expectation of Results.

are expecting results and are disap-
pointed by not realizing them. Some
times this is the fault of the teacher
but very much oftener the fault lies
with the student. 1t has been said
land with truth that music is heav-
enborn gift; the only God given art to
man and yet while many persons are
blessed with this grandest of gifts the
fact still remains that God has endowed
us with physical attributes that are
positively necessary to the accomplish
ment of success in music, and this means
effort. 1t means work. and those who
expect results in any other way will
only end in disappointment and failure
To those who have not realized what
they have expected. the question is, have
you worked for those results? You are
dissatisfied because your playing is no
better than it was last year, but did
you try Systematically to improve it or
did you plod along without system UNI
doing one day what you had previously
done?
We should keep what we did yesterday
adding still more and more each day in
technic, in strength and velocity, in
smoothness and of most Importance,
time and Interpretation. If your playing
is weak, set out to strengthen your
muscles. Some people have stronger
fingers. some have less power in mus
cles. You should find out the weak
points and cultivate them until they are
overcome. If octaves is the trouble,
practice octaves persistently until this
feature is mastered. Do not keep at
them too long at one time but at diff
ferent times during the day.
If it is bowling on the violin. devote
a portion of your practice to bowling
exclusively, listening attentively and
note if the bowling is smooth and even
and be sure you know what notes you
are playing. Increase your speed, not
hurriedly, but with care, listening care
fully to both smoothness and time
Avoid making rests where there are
none. This is an error too frequently
fallen into and is one of the very worst.
If you find that you cannot render a
piece or exercise well at the tempo move
ment, play it slower but in strict time
and you will soon be able to increase the
speed.
Have you felt that your interpreta
ton lacks something's Perhaps you
have not seen anything besides notes.
The composer has meaning. Have you
looked for that? When you can see or
feel joy, delight, love, birds, flowers,
melancholy, etc, try to see, feel and in
terpret these sentiments as you find
them. Also study the composers lives
and music. 1t will seem and be i'm
measurably more to you than it ever
has before.
1t seems hard for some people to
habit. You do long for few pieces so
truly part of you that you are able
to play them at a moments notice with
out being haunted with the fear of
breaking down. Instead of wishing you
knew these five or six pieces you like
best, make up your mind that you will
know them. Then memorize one by
one instead of trying to get the whole
six at once or togethe which means
that you could never do one satisfac-
torily.
The pleasure from being able to play
the first one will make the memorizng
of the second far easier. Did you ever
stop to think what this amounts to in
year? this working with the mind
made up to have something to show for
all the time and energy spent. If you
have been working blindly. hoping all
will come right in the END, change your
tactics tomorrow and you will find by
working methodically you are assured of
satisfactory results.