My lesson was good. There are a couple of things I haven’t done which where written on my assignment sheet, and naturally those were things my teacher asked about today. Note recognition for example. (Note to self: Use the Flash Cards. A lot!) I also need to working the C Major scale using hooked bowing, and a variation of the Etude using hooked bowing.
He was pleased with Rigadoon. Yay! And he was pleased with my progress on Happy Farmer. He said it is coming along very well. He liked when I described working from the 5th measure backwards: getting that measure working and then adding the 4th measure, and then the 3rd, and so on. He said he often works the orchestra or his other students that way. I can’t claim the idea as original as it is something Sibylle suggested and something I’ve seen her do with her students with great success.
We worked on Minuet in C a bit, particularly one section were the slur crosses strings. During this part of the lesson my teacher admitted that with children he doesn’t emphasis all the bowing variations this early in lessons and that he was experimenting a little with me to see how adults managed it. He said that he thinks it may be a bit much for adults too. I said that it has been overwhelming at times. I am pleased that I am finally bringing together hooked bowing and slurs with my pieces, but it hasn’t been easy to get here.
My teacher is doing a short recital tour of England the first part of April, so no lessons for the next three weeks. While he’s gone he wants me to continue on as much as I can. Minuet #1 (the last piece in volume 1) and then the Long, Long Ago variation which is the first piece in volume 2. It’s in a different key (i.e., different fingerings) and uses (wait for it….) hooked bowing.