Viola Gauntlet

Bow control and tone on the four open strings, each tuned against a low drone an octave below. First an 8-beat bow each way swelling p to mf and back, then 12-beat bows as a messa di voce (pp, swell to f, back to pp). Today's sounding point: middle sounding point, full even tone. Soft clicks keep the beat so you can divide the bow into equal parts (a quarter of the bow per beat on the 8-beat bows).

Stretch: 12-beat bows with no audible bow change

A two-octave scale in half notes over a drone of the tonic and fifth, so every note can be heard as an interval against the drone. Then an interval ladder: tonic, then each scale degree in turn, then the notes borrowed from the parallel minor. Tune until the sound goes still (no beating): major thirds and sixths sit a little lower than the piano, the leading note leans up.

Perfect fifths stopped by a single finger lying across two strings, every finger, every string pair, in the notes of today's key. Sustain the double stop until it is pure (the drone gives the lower note), then play it broken: lower, upper, both. A fifth that won't come pure means the finger is not square across both strings, so it diagnoses the hand frame: fix the finger's angle rather than squeezing.

The C major scale over three octaves (C3 to C6), five passes: whole bows one note per bow (half notes), then 2, 4 and 8 notes per bow as the rhythm doubles. Standard Flesch fingering: shift on the same finger pattern every octave (1-2-3 / 1-2-3-4, shifts after the 3rd finger going up). A C drone and a soft C major string chord sit underneath.

Stretch: 16ths at q=80, 8 per bow, without rushing the top octave

C melodic minor over three octaves, same five passes as the major scale. Up: A natural and B natural; down: B flat and A flat. The minor third (E flat) and the minor sixth coming down sit low against the drone.

Stretch: 16ths at q=80 with the top octave as clean as the bottom

Carl Flesch's arpeggio cycle: six arpeggios that all begin on low C - C major, C minor, A flat major (first inversion), A minor (first inversion), F minor and F major (second inversion) - each three octaves up and back. First slurred 3 per bow, then 6 per bow. A soft string chord and low cello note give the harmony.

Stretch: 6 per bow at this tempo; land C6 in tune every time

The dominant seventh (C E G B flat) and diminished seventh (C E flat G flat A) arpeggios on C, three octaves: separate bows, 4 per bow, then 8 per bow in sixteenths.

Stretch: 16th-note pass, 8 per bow, through C6

The C major scale in broken thirds (C-E, D-F, E-G...) up two octaves and back, slurred 2 then 4 per bow. Preparation for Wednesday's double-stop thirds.

One octave of C major notes on each string alone (C string from C, G string from G, D string from D, A string from A), so every note change is a shift. Use 1-2-3-1-2-3-4 style fingerings and keep the shifts silent - release finger pressure, move, then put weight back.

Stretch: the A string octave (A4 to A5) clean, no audible slides

Two octaves of chromatic scale from C3 to C5 and back (sharps up, flats down), 4 then 8 per bow. Half steps on the viola are wide - keep them even, and keep the hand frame still while the fingers do the work.

The two three-octave scales once more at a brisk tempo in sixteenths, now over a light groove (pizzicato bass and off-beat piano chords): detache, then 4 and 8 per bow. This is the 'play it like it matters' pass.

Stretch: all six passes at q=84 without a stumble

Bow control and tone on the four open strings, each tuned against a low drone an octave below. First an 8-beat bow each way swelling p to mf and back, then 12-beat bows held at an even pp (son file). Today's sounding point: closer to the bridge: slower bow, more weight. Soft clicks keep the beat so you can divide the bow into equal parts (a quarter of the bow per beat on the 8-beat bows).

Stretch: 12-beat bows with no audible bow change

A two-octave scale in half notes over a drone of the tonic and fifth, so every note can be heard as an interval against the drone. Then an interval ladder: tonic, then each scale degree in turn, then the notes borrowed from the parallel minor. Tune until the sound goes still (no beating): major thirds and sixths sit a little lower than the piano, the leading note leans up.

Perfect fifths stopped by a single finger lying across two strings, every finger, every string pair, in the notes of today's key. Sustain the double stop until it is pure (the drone gives the lower note), then play it broken: lower, upper, both. A fifth that won't come pure means the finger is not square across both strings, so it diagnoses the hand frame: fix the finger's angle rather than squeezing.

Shifts between 1st and 3rd position on all four strings. Each string has two pairs: a same-finger shift (1 slides to 1, the glissando line shows the slide) and a new-finger shift with a guide note. The small note in parentheses is the guide: slide the finger you are already on to it, then drop the new finger on the target (Galamian's old-finger shift). Hear the guide faintly at first; once the shift feels sure, make it silent. The target is held a whole bar while the drone sounds that same note two octaves down, so you can hear at once whether you landed. The drone always changes to the next target a bar early so the pitch is in your ear before you shift. Backing: drone on the target notes; a soft solo-viola cue doubles the target only on the G- and D-string new-finger shifts (E4 and B4) as a unison check. Release finger weight while sliding, and let the arm carry the hand.

Shifts from 1st position to 4th and 5th on the G, D and A strings: a same-finger slide first, then a new-finger shift with its guide note (small, in parentheses). Going up, the thumb travels with the hand and the elbow swings in under the viola; coming down, the thumb leads back to its 1st-position spot. The target is held a whole bar over a drone of the same note. Backing: drone on each target, plus a soft solo-viola cue on the target of every new-finger shift (F#4, D5 and A5) so you can match it in unison.

Shifts from 1st position up to 6th position on the D string (to D5 and E5) and the A string (to A5 and B5), written in treble clef so the high notes sit on the staff. The target is held a whole bar over a drone of that note; a soft solo-viola cue plays the target with you on the new-finger shifts. Keep the thumb under the neck until the hand meets the body of the viola, then let it drift toward the neck heel. Above 5th position the notes are closer together: shrink the hand frame.

Stretch work: shifts from 1st position to 7th on the D string (D5, F#5) and the A string (A5, D6). The top D6 is the octave check: it should ring with the low D drone. If a target is out, stay on it and adjust, then repeat the shift slowly in your head before moving on. The target is held a whole bar over a drone of that note; a soft solo-viola cue plays the target with you on the new-finger shifts. Keep the thumb under the neck until the hand meets the body of the viola, then let it drift toward the neck heel. Above 5th position the notes are closer together: shrink the hand frame.

Stretch: 7th position: D6 on the A string in tune on the first try

A position ladder (after Sevcik and Yost) on the D string, then the A string, through positions 1 to 5 and back. First pass: every bar is the same 1-2-3-4 shape one position higher, and the shift across the barline is a same-finger slide on finger 1. Second pass: the bar ends on finger 2 and the next bar starts on finger 1 on the SAME note (a new-finger shift by substitution); coming down it is 1 then 2. The repeated note must not change pitch or tone. Backing: a soft D-A drone and a click on every beat.

The D major scale one octave up and back on a single string with a single finger, so every note is a shift (Flesch's one-finger scale). G string and D string with finger 1, the D string again with finger 2 (the first E sits in half position), then the A string with finger 1 up to 7th position. Slide in the slur, change position cleanly at the bow change, and notice the steps getting shorter as you climb. Backing: a soft D-A drone and a click on every beat.

Stretch: the A-string octave on finger 1 (up to A5 in 7th position)

D major from low D (C string, 1st finger) to D6 and back. Four notes per string in 1st position (1-2-3-4) on the C, G and D strings, then on the A string 1-2-3 and two 3-to-1 shifts: up to 4th position on E5, up to 7th position on A5. Coming down, 1-to-3 shifts back to 4th position (G5) and 1st position (D5). The shift points are written under the notes; fingerings are shown in full on the first pass. Passes: one note per bow, 4 per bow, 8 per bow. A D drone and a soft D major string chord sit underneath.

Stretch: the top octave (7th position, up to D6) in 8-per-bow slurs

An original 20-bar melody in D major, played twice. It starts in 1st position, moves to 3rd (bar 5), 5th (bar 10) and touches 7th position at the climax (bars 13-14, up to D6), then settles back to 3rd. Positions are marked over the notes. Use the shifts expressively - a slight, unhurried slide on the long shifts is fine - but land in tune. The second time, add more vibrato and longer lines. Backing: piano broken chords and a soft string pad; nothing doubles the melody.

Stretch: bars 13-14: the shift to 7th position and a full, in-tune D6

Bow control and tone on the four open strings, each tuned against a low drone an octave below. First an 8-beat bow each way swelling p to mf and back, then 12-beat bows as a messa di voce (pp, swell to f, back to pp). Today's sounding point: halfway point, let the string ring after each bow. Soft clicks keep the beat so you can divide the bow into equal parts (a quarter of the bow per beat on the 8-beat bows).

Stretch: 12-beat bows with no audible bow change

A two-octave scale in half notes over a drone of the tonic and fifth, so every note can be heard as an interval against the drone. Then an interval ladder: tonic, then each scale degree in turn, then the notes borrowed from the parallel minor. Tune until the sound goes still (no beating): major thirds and sixths sit a little lower than the piano, the leading note leans up.

Perfect fifths stopped by a single finger lying across two strings, every finger, every string pair, in the notes of today's key. Sustain the double stop until it is pure (the drone gives the lower note), then play it broken: lower, upper, both. A fifth that won't come pure means the finger is not square across both strings, so it diagnoses the hand frame: fix the finger's angle rather than squeezing.

Sevcik-style double stops against an open string on each string pair (C-G, G-D, D-A). First the stopped note sits ABOVE the lower open string (fifth, major sixth, octave), then BELOW the upper open string (fourth, minor third). The open string cannot be out of tune, so it acts as a built-in drone: move only the stopped finger until the double stop stops beating and the open string rings in sympathy. Bow weight shared equally between both strings; the bow sits on the plane between them. First pass in half notes with fingerings, second pass in quarters, 2 per bow. A low cello drone doubles the lower open string an octave down.

Before the scales, the finger pairs that build them, Sevcik op. 9 style: two neighbouring double stops alternated in one position - thirds fingered 3-1 and 4-2, sixths fingered 1-2 and 2-3 - first sustained, then in quarters and eighths, slurred. Lift and drop each pair of fingers together as one block from the base knuckles; don't let the lower finger arrive first. Keep the hand frame still: the thumb stays put while the fingers change. Soft G and D drone underneath.

The G major scale in thirds, two octaves up and back, with the standard Flesch fingering: alternate 4-2 and 3-1 and shift every two thirds (4-2 to 3-1 moves the hand up a position). First pass sustained, one third per bow, fingerings printed; second pass slurred two per bow; then one octave in a long-short rhythm. Tune the lower note first, then place the upper note to it: major thirds sit narrow (lower than the piano), minor thirds wide. Shift with both fingers light, then lean in. The low G and D drone shows when a third is true - it stops beating. The top octave (5th-7th position on the D and A strings) is today's stretch.

Stretch: the top octave (5th-7th position) as clean as the bottom

The G major scale in sixths from G3 up to the sixth B4-G5 and back. In first position the fingering walks across the strings 0-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 (G and D strings, then D and A); the top two sixths move to 4th position, 1-2 and 2-3. A sixth on the viola is two neighbouring fingers on neighbouring strings, so the finger pair barely changes shape - tune the lower note, let the upper finger fall beside it. Major sixths (G-E, D-B) sit low, minor sixths (B-G, E-C) wide. Sustained, then slurred 2, then in a long-short rhythm over the G and D drone.

One octave of G major in octaves. Open G with 3rd finger on the D string first, then fingers 1 and 4 shifting a position at a time (A, B, C on the G and D strings), open D with 3 on the A string, and 1-4 again for E, F sharp, G on the D and A strings. The 1st-4th finger octave IS the hand frame: set it once, then move the whole frame up and down the string without letting it open or close. Listen to the upper note: an octave in tune sounds like one fat note. Sustained, slurred 2, then eighths 4 per bow (the stretch) over the G and D drone.

Stretch: the eighth-note pass with every octave still pure

Three-note chords in the simplest real music there is: the I-IV-V-I cadence in G, then in D. Each chord is first broken across the strings (bass, middle, top, middle, slurred) so you can check every note, then played together as a held chord, all down-bow. For a three-note chord, start close to the frog, aim the bow at the middle string and let the weight hold the outer two; don't crush. Finger 1 lies flat across two strings for the D and A chords - the same fifth as in the core exercise. The last lines play both cadences in quarter-note chords and close on G. A soft string pad and low cello root play the same chords underneath.

The stretch item: fingered octaves (Flesch), G-A-B-C on the D and A strings. Instead of 1-4 shifting every note, alternate 1-3 and 2-4: the 3rd finger reaches out to where the 4th normally sits, and the hand moves only once (from 2-4 in 3rd position to 1-3 in 5th). It opens the hand from the base knuckles - warm up first, never force the stretch, and stop if anything aches. Whole notes, then half notes, then slurred 2. Treble clef for the top notes. Soft G and D drone.

Stretch: the whole exercise: fingered octaves are a long-term target

A short original chorale in G, all in first position, moving between the thirds and sixths you just practised (fingerings printed on the first time through). Bring out the top voice a little - it's the tune - and keep the lower voice smooth underneath. Connect the double stops with no gap at the bow change. Played twice: first p and plain, then mf with a little vibrato on both notes. A soft string pad and cello bass play the harmony under you.

Bow control and tone on the four open strings, each tuned against a low drone an octave below. First an 8-beat bow each way swelling p to mf and back, then 12-beat bows held at an even pp (son file). Today's sounding point: near the fingerboard: light and fast, then back to the middle. Soft clicks keep the beat so you can divide the bow into equal parts (a quarter of the bow per beat on the 8-beat bows).

Stretch: 12-beat bows with no audible bow change

A two-octave scale in half notes over a drone of the tonic and fifth, so every note can be heard as an interval against the drone. Then an interval ladder: tonic, then each scale degree in turn, then the notes borrowed from the parallel minor. Tune until the sound goes still (no beating): major thirds and sixths sit a little lower than the piano, the leading note leans up.

Perfect fifths stopped by a single finger lying across two strings, every finger, every string pair, in the notes of today's key. Sustain the double stop until it is pure (the drone gives the lower note), then play it broken: lower, upper, both. A fifth that won't come pure means the finger is not square across both strings, so it diagnoses the hand frame: fix the finger's angle rather than squeezing.

Cues: M = middle of the bow, WB = whole bow, UH = upper half, LH = lower half, Fr = at the frog. The day's figure: eight bars of F major sixteenths in first position (F, B flat, C7, F, then D minor, G minor, C7, F), played three ways. First detache in the middle of the bow, a few inches of bow per note, smooth and connected. Then grand detache in eighths using the whole bow for every note - full speed, even sound from frog to tip, the arm opening and closing from the elbow. Finally detache again in the upper half, lighter. Keep the sounding point steady and make every bow change sound the same in both directions. A light groove (pizzicato bass and off-beat piano) keeps the pulse.

The same figure slurred 4, then 8, then 16 notes per bow (a whole bar in one bow). Divide the bow evenly over the slur so the last notes are not squeezed, and roll the arm level smoothly between strings so the crossings sound like part of the line. Only the left hand articulates the notes - the fingers drop firmly so each note speaks under the slur. A soft string chord sits under it.

Stretch: 16 notes per bow at q=60 with full tone to the end of each bow

Cues: M = middle of the bow, WB = whole bow, UH = upper half, LH = lower half, Fr = at the frog. Martele (marked, hammered stroke). In the upper half: set the bow on the string with weight (index finger), release it with a fast stroke that starts with a clean consonant, then stop the bow on the string - the silence between notes is part of the stroke. First in eighths through the whole figure, then a smaller martele in sixteenths in the middle of the bow on the first phrase. No crunch at the start: the bite comes from pressure released, not pressed harder.

Stretch: the 16th-note martele at q=60, each stroke still stopped

The figure in dotted rhythms (dotted eighth + sixteenth). First with separate bows, which teaches bow distribution: slow bow on the long note, fast and light on the short one so you don't drift to the tip. Then hooked: the dotted eighth and the sixteenth in the SAME bow direction with a small stop between them (down-down, up-up). Keep the rhythm crisp - the sixteenth is late and short, never a lazy triplet.

Cues: M = middle of the bow, WB = whole bow, UH = upper half, LH = lower half, Fr = at the frog. Colle (glued): optional, about a minute. At the frog, place the bow on the string, pinch it with the fingers so the string 'catches', release with a tiny fast finger-and-wrist stroke, and lift off in the rest. Alternating bows first, then all down-bows with a lift and reset between notes. This is the finger action behind every clean bow start and behind spiccato later today.

Cues: M = middle of the bow, WB = whole bow, UH = upper half, LH = lower half, Fr = at the frog. Bariolage: a fingered note on the lower string alternating with the open string above it, first D against open A, then G-string notes against open D. Separate bows first (small strokes in the middle, the forearm and wrist making the crossing), then slurred, where only the wrist and fingers rock the bow - the arm stays at a level between the two strings. Open strings ring; keep them as loud as the fingered notes, not louder. The harmony is chosen so the open string always belongs to the chord.

Stretch: the slurred 8s across G-D with no bumps on the open D

Cues: M = middle of the bow, WB = whole bow, UH = upper half, LH = lower half, Fr = at the frog. Spiccato in the lower half of the bow (find the spot a little below the balance point where the bow bounces most easily). The arm makes small U-shaped arcs: the bow drops into the string and leaves it again on every note. First in eighths, then in sixteenths with smaller, lower arcs - the faster it goes, the closer the bow stays to the string. Listen for a clear 'tock' with pitch, not a scratch or a splash.

Stretch: spiccato 16ths at q=72 through the whole figure

Cues: M = middle of the bow, WB = whole bow, UH = upper half, LH = lower half, Fr = at the frog. Sautille: a fast detache in the middle of the bow (at or just above the balance point) where the hair stays close to the string and the stick's own spring makes it bounce. Don't throw the bow - play a small fast detache with a loose hand, tilt the stick slightly and let the bounce appear. Start each pass on the string if it doesn't bounce yet. This is a stretch tempo today: if it falls apart, play the passes on the string at q=100 and keep the hand loose.

Stretch: the whole exercise: sautille 16ths at q=100

The 'performance pass': the figure with the classic Kreutzer No. 2 bowing variants. 2 slurred + 2 separate, 1 separate + 3 slurred, 3 slurred + 1 separate. These groupings pull the bow toward one end: use more bow (faster) for the slurs and less for the separate notes so you stay in the middle. Play it like music, with a big tone, over the groove.

Stretch: all three patterns at q=66 without drifting to the frog or tip

Bow control and tone on the four open strings, each tuned against a low drone an octave below. First an 8-beat bow each way swelling p to mf and back, then 12-beat bows as a messa di voce (pp, swell to f, back to pp). Today's sounding point: contact point steady, watch the bow stay parallel to the bridge. Soft clicks keep the beat so you can divide the bow into equal parts (a quarter of the bow per beat on the 8-beat bows).

Stretch: 12-beat bows with no audible bow change

A two-octave scale in half notes over a drone of the tonic and fifth, so every note can be heard as an interval against the drone. Then an interval ladder: tonic, then each scale degree in turn, then the notes borrowed from the parallel minor. Tune until the sound goes still (no beating): major thirds and sixths sit a little lower than the piano, the leading note leans up.

Perfect fifths stopped by a single finger lying across two strings, every finger, every string pair, in the notes of today's key. Sustain the double stop until it is pure (the drone gives the lower note), then play it broken: lower, upper, both. A fifth that won't come pure means the finger is not square across both strings, so it diagnoses the hand frame: fix the finger's angle rather than squeezing.

Tone is made by three things together: bow speed, bow weight and where the bow touches the string (the sounding point). On four E-flat-chord notes, one per string (E-flat on the C string and B-flat on the G string with the 2nd finger, G on the D string with the 3rd, high E-flat on the A string with the 4th), first sweep the bow from over the fingerboard (sul tasto) to near the bridge while you crescendo pp to f, and back again on the up bow. Then hold each sounding point for a whole bow: tasto (fast, light bow, airy), middle, near the bridge (slow, heavy bow, rich - but stop short of the glassy ponticello squeak), middle again. Near the bridge the string needs slow bow and weight; near the fingerboard it needs speed and almost no weight. The soft clicks mark each beat: use a quarter of the bow per beat. An E-flat drone (cello) sits underneath. Vibrato on, but the bow is the subject.

A ladder of dynamics on one long note, one step per 4-beat bow: pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff and back down. First on G (D string, 3rd finger), then the stretch: E-flat on the C string from ppp to fff and back. Make each step clearly different from the last - most players only really have three dynamics. Get louder by moving the bow nearer the bridge and adding weight, softer by moving toward the fingerboard and lightening, not just by speeding up or slowing down the bow. Let the vibrato grow with the dynamic. The E-flat drone stays at one level so you can hear how far you travel.

Stretch: the C-string pass, ppp to fff and back, with a ppp that still sings

Vibrato practised as rhythm. Each note is held for one whole bow, and the number over it is the speed of the vibrato: '2 per beat' means two complete rocks per click (like eighth notes), '3 per beat' three (like triplets). One rock = from the note down to slightly below it and back up to the note - the pitch you hear is the top of the vibrato, never above it. These are not separate notes: one finger, one pitch, the rhythm is only the motion. Every finger (1-2-3-4) on every string in first position in E-flat (no open strings - you can't vibrate those). Keep the motion even, wide enough to hear, and the thumb soft; the vibrato does not stop at the bow change. The drone plays each note an octave lower so you can hear the vibrato stay at or below pitch. Soft clicks on every beat at q=60.

The same drill one gear faster: each note gets one bow at 4 rocks per beat (like sixteenths), then one bow at 6 per beat (like sextuplets) - G, D and A strings, fingers 1-4. The written number is the speed of the rocking from the note to just below and back, not separate notes. At 6 per beat the motion gets smaller; that's fine, but it must stay even and loose (if the thumb squeezes or the sound starts to bleat, drop back to 4). It ends with a ladder on one G (D string, 3rd finger): 2, 3, 4, 6, 4 per beat, then a bow of your own natural vibrato - which is usually somewhere between 4 and 6. The drone plays each note an octave lower; soft clicks on every beat at q=60.

Stretch: 6 per beat (sextuplet speed), even and relaxed, on the 4th finger too

A common fault is vibrato that switches off for a moment every time a finger changes, so each note starts 'naked'. Here the vibrato motion never stops: it carries through the finger change and the bow change, like a singer's voice. First a two-octave E-flat major scale in half notes, slurred 2 per bow; use the 4th finger instead of the open G and D strings so every note can be vibrated. Then slow finger 'trills' (1-2, 2-3, 3-4 on the D, A, G and C strings) slurred 4 per bow: the new finger drops into a hand that is already vibrating. Each group ends with a held note. Quiet E-flat drone.

Vibrato is part of the dynamic, not decoration on top of it. On five notes of the E-flat chord, one per bow: pp with a narrow, quick shimmer; mf medium; ff wide and rich (wide must not mean slow - keep it alive); then a diminuendo where the vibrato narrows with the sound. Width comes from the forearm/hand swing, not from pressing the string harder. The softest notes are where vibrato is most often lost; keep it going, just smaller. E-flat drone underneath, soft click each bar.

Stretch: the ff on the 4th-finger E-flat: wide vibrato with no pressing or bleat

An original 20-bar slow melody in E-flat major that puts the day together: five four-bar phrases, each ending on a long note and a rest so the music can breathe. Phrase 1 asks a question (ends on the dominant), phrase 2 answers, phrase 3 climbs the A string and cadences deceptively on C minor, phrase 4 is the climax - hold the high E-flat through the change of chord and let it resolve down to D - and a low, quiet coda brings it home. Played twice: first to find the line, then with more vibrato and more bow. Use what you practised: the bow nearer the bridge for the f, vibrato that never stops between notes, wider at the climax and narrower in the coda. Take the rests as real breaths, not as gaps. A piano plays broken chords and a soft string pad holds the harmony; neither plays your melody.

Bow control and tone on the four open strings, each tuned against a low drone an octave below. First an 8-beat bow each way swelling p to mf and back, then 12-beat bows held at an even pp (son file). Today's sounding point: near the bridge, rich and slow; no crunch at the bow change. Soft clicks keep the beat so you can divide the bow into equal parts (a quarter of the bow per beat on the 8-beat bows).

Stretch: 12-beat bows with no audible bow change

A two-octave scale in half notes over a drone of the tonic and fifth, so every note can be heard as an interval against the drone. Then an interval ladder: tonic, then each scale degree in turn, then the notes borrowed from the parallel minor. Tune until the sound goes still (no beating): major thirds and sixths sit a little lower than the piano, the leading note leans up.

Perfect fifths stopped by a single finger lying across two strings, every finger, every string pair, in the notes of today's key. Sustain the double stop until it is pure (the drone gives the lower note), then play it broken: lower, upper, both. A fifth that won't come pure means the finger is not square across both strings, so it diagnoses the hand frame: fix the finger's angle rather than squeezing.

Before the whole etude, its four hardest corners, each played three times with a bar's rest in between: the shift to 3rd position in bars 11-12, the 5th-position B7 in bars 18-19, the C sharp 7 with E sharps in bars 21-22, and the half-diminished chord in bars 29-30. Slow, every note placed; on each shift, release the finger, move, then arrive. Bowing as in the etude. Soft piano chords and beat clicks underneath; no guide notes.

The whole etude (original, in the style of Kreutzer) at slow practice tempo, quarter = 60, with soft piano chords on every beat and a soft click. Use the written bowings. The etude is an original study in the style of Kreutzer, 40 bars of running sixteenths in A major. Bars 1-8 (A major, 1st position, separate bows) train string crossings: broken chords over all four strings with a still left hand and a bow arm that moves in levels. Bars 9-16 are a rising sequence (A, B minor, C sharp minor, D) bowed 2 slurred + 2 separate, shifting up to 3rd position for the F sharp in bar 12, then a turn to E major. Bars 17-24 are the high passage in treble clef: E major up to 5th position on the A string (top note B5), then C sharp 7 to F sharp minor with E sharps, 4 notes per bow so the crossings stay smooth. Bars 25-32 come home by a descending circle of fifths (B minor, E7, A, D, G sharp half-diminished, C sharp minor, F sharp minor, B minor/E7): each bar is an 8-note scale slurred, then an arpeggio separate, which trains bow distribution. Bars 33-36 bring back the crossings top-down and forte, and the coda (37-40) goes down to the C string before the final A major chord.

The shifting and high sections of the etude (bars 9-24) in dotted rhythms, slurred in pairs: first long-short, then short-long. The short note forces the next finger (and every shift) to be ready early, so when you go back to even sixteenths they feel easy. Keep the dots sharp. Soft piano chords follow the harmony.

The whole etude again at quarter = 66 with a different bowing: every beat (4 sixteenths) in one slur. Crossings are now rolled with the arm inside the slur, so plan the bow level for each group. Soft piano chords underneath.

The performance pass: the whole etude at quarter = 78 with the written bowings and dynamics, over soft piano chords (no clicks). Keep going whatever happens; note the bars that slipped and take them back to the hard-spots routine next week. The etude is an original study in the style of Kreutzer, 40 bars of running sixteenths in A major. Bars 1-8 (A major, 1st position, separate bows) train string crossings: broken chords over all four strings with a still left hand and a bow arm that moves in levels. Bars 9-16 are a rising sequence (A, B minor, C sharp minor, D) bowed 2 slurred + 2 separate, shifting up to 3rd position for the F sharp in bar 12, then a turn to E major. Bars 17-24 are the high passage in treble clef: E major up to 5th position on the A string (top note B5), then C sharp 7 to F sharp minor with E sharps, 4 notes per bow so the crossings stay smooth. Bars 25-32 come home by a descending circle of fifths (B minor, E7, A, D, G sharp half-diminished, C sharp minor, F sharp minor, B minor/E7): each bar is an 8-note scale slurred, then an arpeggio separate, which trains bow distribution. Bars 33-36 bring back the crossings top-down and forte, and the coda (37-40) goes down to the C string before the final A major chord.

Stretch: the whole etude at q=78 without stopping, shifts and crossings clean

Bow control and tone on the four open strings, each tuned against a low drone an octave below. First an 8-beat bow each way swelling p to mf and back, then 12-beat bows as a messa di voce (pp, swell to f, back to pp). Today's sounding point: middle sounding point, softest possible tone that still speaks. Soft clicks keep the beat so you can divide the bow into equal parts (a quarter of the bow per beat on the 8-beat bows).

Stretch: 12-beat bows with no audible bow change

A two-octave scale in half notes over a drone of the tonic and fifth, so every note can be heard as an interval against the drone. Then an interval ladder: tonic, then each scale degree in turn, then the notes borrowed from the parallel minor. Tune until the sound goes still (no beating): major thirds and sixths sit a little lower than the piano, the leading note leans up.

Perfect fifths stopped by a single finger lying across two strings, every finger, every string pair, in the notes of today's key. Sustain the double stop until it is pure (the drone gives the lower note), then play it broken: lower, upper, both. A fifth that won't come pure means the finger is not square across both strings, so it diagnoses the hand frame: fix the finger's angle rather than squeezing.

An original aria in B flat, 32 bars in four 8-bar breaths (A, A again, a climbing middle section, A quietly), played twice. Mostly first position on the D and A strings; bars 17-22 climb into 3rd position to a G5 at forte (written in treble clef). Each phrase ends with a rest marked 'breathe': let the bow lift, breathe in, and start the next phrase as if singing it. Slurs are bow strokes - use the whole bow on the half notes, keep the sound alive to the end of each note, and follow the hairpins. A piano plays broken chords with a soft string pad under you; on the first pass a quiet solo viola touches the top G (bar 20) as a target to land on. Second time through, take more freedom.

Stretch: the climb to G5 in 3rd position at forte, in tune and still singing

An original waltz in G minor in 5/4, played twice: each bar is a waltz bar of three beats plus a short bar of two, so it limps gracefully, like a waltz with a missing beat. Most bars are a long note or three quarters (the 3) and then two quarters or a half note (the 2). The piano plays it that way too: bass on beats 1 and 4, chords on 2, 3 and 5, with a soft string pad. Stay in first position (top note E flat 5); breathe on the half-bar rests, lean a little into beats 1 and 4, and let the last note fade to nothing.

Stretch: feel the 3 + 2 in the body, not by counting, both times through

An original sarabande in B flat, 16 bars played twice (second time softer). A sarabande is a slow dance whose weight falls on beat 2, so most bars put a dotted-quarter double stop there: let it bloom, then release. The double stops are easy ones in first position, most with an open string (D with B flat, open D with open A, C with open A), plus a few sixths and one fifth under one finger (E flat with B flat, bar 14). Tune the stopped note to the open string until both ring. A piano holds each chord with a soft string pad.

A quiet close. Over a low B flat and F drone, long whole-bar bows on the C string: D (a sweet major third over the drone - keep it low), F (a pure fifth), E flat and D again, each swelling a little and fading. Then one slow octave of B flat major down from the A string, two notes per bow, ending on a soft sixth (D on the C string with B flat on the G string) held to nothing. Let the shoulders drop; this is the exhale of the week.