There were several thought provoking observations about interpretation, but the one I have been mulling over the most is the idea that one needs to have a "concept of the sound in his mind, you need to be able to hear it, otherwise nothing comes out." As a teacher, I have observed students that from almost the beginning, seem to know exactly what kind of sound they want to get from the violin/viola and they almost naturally play with a good tone from their first twinkle variations. I had the pleasure of hearing a student get more shading and color than I thought possible from an inexpensive Yamaha violin and Glasser fiberglass bow (she has since gotten a better violin and bow and sounds even better), she just knew what she wanted the sound to be and she found it. On the other hand, I also have students that don't seem to have any inner sound at all. Some of them have a reasonably nice, pleasant tone, but the sound doesn't seem to connect to any sort of inner ideal, but is the result of good technique and imitation of recordings and demonstrations, all phrasing and dynamic shadings, have to be specifically coached and planned.
How does one teach or cultivate an inner sound?
Photo: Nan Melville for The Juilliard School
Listening: I do think (and observe) that students who listen to recordings and go to concerts generally have a better concept of sound than those who don't, and that those who listen to a variety of performers generally have a better concept than those who only listen to the Suzuki CD, but I think there is more to it than that.
Expression: I think students also need to know that they can "say something" with their music and that their playing can be a form of personal expression. With the exacting nature of classical music, it can be easy for both teachers and students to get into the mindset of doing it "right" and thus performing become more akin to a math test with "right" and "wrong" answers than a way to express oneself or portray musical character or emotions.
Technique: Another barrier to sound is, of course, technique. Without an understanding of the relationship between bow speed, weight, and contact point, it is much more difficult to create a beautiful and varied tone. Although again, some students seem to figure this out with a minimum of instruction, while others can recite the three variables for tone/dynamics, but have to be guided almost note, by note to create any variation in tone or dynamics.
Self-Assesment: Related to listening, students also need to learn to listen to themselves. With so much to think about in order to play (posture, technique, music reading, etc..) students can sometimes forget to listen to what actually comes out of the instrument. Or are so focused on playing the right notes, that they ignore the quality of said notes. Guiding them to listen to a particular aspect of their playing or recording and having them listen/watch for themselves (thank you iPhones!), can help students to be more aware of how they sound.
Exploration: I have found (unsurprisingly) that students who spend more time playing generally have a better concept of sound. Even students who don't practice a lot, but play in school orchestra generally have a better tone, just from the act of playing more, and getting a better feel for the bow on the string and how the instrument works. I try (although I could do better) to encourage students to explore the instrument and try out different options for creating sound.
Teachers, How do you cultivate an inner concept of Sound/Tone?
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