Thoughts on Accessories for String Players

A couple of weeks ago, I posted some thoughts on my relationship with D’Addario and giving away some strings sets to a few students.  There was a comment on that post that asked me to give some remarks about the importance of strings and other accessories for parents that aren’t string players so that they can make more informed choices with making purchasing decisions.  This is a response to that request.

Strings

The question started with strings.  So, here are some thoughts on strings.  First, families have to start from the perspective of budget.  I know, I am the father of three string players.  Also, in the interest of full disclosure, I am affiliated with D’Addario Strings as an Educational Specialist.  That said, I am affiliated with them because I love their product and play their product.  For almost all of my remarks in the post, you will see one recurring thought:  You get what you pay for!  So, with that said, here are some more thoughts on strings.  First, they all sound different.  And, in the end, sound and tone is what really matters when playing an instrument.  Tone is what keeps you coming back for more. If a player doesn’t like the tone of their instrument, they are less likely to practice, less likely to play for others, and less likely to continue.  You get the idea.  Tone is everything.  Even among the D’Addario products, there are a broad range of price points on strings and a broad range of tonal offerings.  Some strings are brighter, others are sweeter.  Strings also come in a variety of compositions and tensions.  These all impact the tone.    My advice is to try out several types of strings over a period of months and see what you like.  When you find one you really like, stick with it.  Strings do wear out after a period of time.  So a great sounding string today may not sound so great in 6 or 8 months.   For students, I would recommend changing strings every 6 months to one year.  Many professionals change strings much more frequently.  The strings may not even look worn out.  It is the tone of the string that wears out more quickly.   Listen to the instrument when they put on new strings.  It should sound more resonant, and “live.”

Here is my “cut to the chase” advice: If your student is in their 3^rd or 4^th year of instruction, playing on a “step up” full size instrument, playing in a competitive youth orchestra, competing for regional or all-state opportunities, or performing in solo recitals, they should be playing D’Addario Helicore or Zyex strings or strings of another brand of a similar quality.  They should also be changing strings every 6 months or so. Plan for $50.00-$60.00 each time they change strings.  D’Addario sets range from around $20.00 for their Pro Arte sets to around $50.00 for the Helicore or Zyex sets.  I play D’Addario Helicore strings on my acoustic violin and D’Addario Zyex or NS Design Electric Strings on my electric violins.

Bows

Many folks also don’t understand the importance of a good bow to the string players’ tone.  Bows also come in a wide variety of compositions, qualities, and price ranges.  A bow can greatly impact the tone of a violin and a sub-par bow can really hinder a young player’s development.   Again, in the interest of full disclosure, I play Coda carbon fiber bows exclusively and have a relationship with the company.  I find that in the price range up to $1000.00, Carbon fiber really gives the player the best “band for the buck.”  There will be others that disagree with me and really advocate for wooden bows at all price points.  Pernambuco bows are certainly the most sought-after, particularly in the over $1000.00 price range.  You will also find bows made of Brazilwood in the lower price range.  Many folks go right to the bounce strokes when trying out new bows, but there really is more to the bow decision.  I am always thinking about an even tone from frog to tip when trying bows.  I play long tones and listen for power and evenness at the tip and lightness and control toward the frog.  Of course, balance and lightness are also very important when it comes to spiccato or sautillé strokes.  In the end, a better bow allows for a broader range of subtleties on the instrument.   I do not advocate for the under $50.00 fiberglass bow, even for beginning students.  Spending a couple hundred dollars on a carbon fiber bow, even for younger students, should pay huge dividends.  The bow will impact the tone and ultimately, students will want to play/practice more! The Coda Bow Company is on the forefront of research and design in all categories.  I recommend them highly and play their sticks. In the end, like everything, it comes down to budget and getting the best product for your hard-earned money.  Your local luthier can probably really enlighten you on this subject.   I use a Coda Joule Carbon Fiber bow for my improvisatory work and a Coda Custom carbon fiber bow for my classical work.  I also have a Richter Pernambuco stick in my case that I have had for many years and still use it quite often for classical performances.

Rosin

Yes – even the rosin they use makes a difference.  Rosin is the material that affects the feel of contact and friction of the bow to strings.  I did a quick bit of web research and, wow, there is a bunch of information out there!  I tend to like darker rosin.  I am not sure why. It just feels better to me.  I started using it when I was 12 years old or so and have loved the feel of it ever since.  Rosin comes in two basic colors, amber or light and dark.  There are many brands and manufacturing processes associated with rosin.  But, again, it has a huge impact on the way the bow feels against the string.  So, I recommend trying several out over a period of time.  Amber rosin, for me, just doesn’t give me the same touch that dark rosin gives.  The good news is that rosin isn’t that expensive.  It ranges from $2.00-$10.00 or more at the top end.  I use D’Addario Kaplan Dark Rosin exclusively.   I recommend giving your child a new /different rosin for every birthday and Christmas (or other gift-giving holiday) until they find one that really makes them happy.  Then “stick” with that brand. (Please excuse my pun.)

I am sure that there are other accessories that will come up as a result of this post so don’t hesitate to ask me to add to this if you have further or related questions.  I hope that all of this is helpful at some level. 

Peace.

Scott

Side by Side

Hi all -
It is a cold morning in Northern MI today, so I am inside the library at Interlochen, catching up on e-mails and on organizing my thoughts for this next set of concerts.

We have a new initiative here at Interlochen that I thought I would share with you today.

During the summer, we have an amazing faculty of artist/teachers that come to Interlochen to teach for the summer.  Each 3 week session, I have 5 of these folks assigned to my orchestra to lead sectional rehearsals and help with the preparation for upcoming concerts.  During our first 3 weeks of concerts, a decision was made to convert some of these sectional rehearsal meetings to "side-by-side" experiences within the context of the orchestra rehearsals.  During a side-by-side, the instructors came to rehearsal and sat within the section, offering tips on bowing, style, fingerings, technique, etc.

I was pleased to hear of this opportunity for our students.  I know that as an undergrad at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, I had the opportunity to sit beside my violin teacher, Mrs. Delight Malitsky, in almost every orchestra rehearsal for three years.  She sat at the Concertmaster position in the university orchestra and I sat in the Assistant Concertmaster position.  In every rehearsal, she would model all of the best of orchestral practice and give me and the other players tips throughout our time together.  I can't begin to describe how very much I learned from her in that setting.

I was really pleased with the results of the side-by-sides during our first two concerts. During the first and second meeting, the faculty were able to sight-read the repertoire that I had selected for the upcoming concert, discuss the various sight-reading techniques, and offer an aural image to the students for their upcoming work.  For these early rehearsals, they sat at the Principal positions in the section and were able to interact with each other both verbally and musically for the students in the section.  In my opinion, it was magical.  I did my best to make those meetings significantly less "conductor-centric" that my standard rehearsals and simply give them the framework in which to teach and lead.

Later in our concert preparation, the teachers sat in the middle and back of the sections, where they could look over the section for problem spots with bowing, technique, physical interaction, etc. and give thoughtful tips and tricks for cleaner, more expressive and unified performance.  Sectional rehearsals were not completely abandoned and they were able to give more specific advice to their respective sections in those meetings.  I also think that the ensemble meetings gave the faculty members a really good idea of the composers' vision and a better feel for the specific needs that could be addressed in the sectional rehearsals.

Those of you that know me, know that I am all about collaboration.  I loved having the opportunity to collaborate with my colleagues in these "side-by-side" experiences and was thrilled with the results.  I feel like I know them so much better at this point and really value their expertise and musicianship in new ways.  Perhaps they feel the same after working with me in this way.

I do this think this requires balance.  There is definitely a need for the sectional rehearsal in this environment.   But  there is so much that a young musician can learn by watching a true pro in the rehearsal environment. The real key is that the conductor stay out of the way.  (Not one of our strong characteristics - by the way!)

Both concerts that were performed at the end of this experiment were outstanding and I think the students experienced a real benefit from the opportunity.  We will see how it goes for the next two concerts with a new group of kids!

For now, stay warm.

Peace.

Scott

Midwest Clinic Thoughts - Tuesday

Hi all.
Today, I am the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. It is one of the largest annual gatherings of music educators and music companies. If you are a music educator and have never been to this event, it is really worth the effort to get here at some point.

The string education sessions began this morning with a nice breakfast gathering that was sponsored by the Kjos Publishing Company. It was a really nice event and I had the opportunity to reconnect with many friends from around the country. I was particularly pleased to reconnect with Marvin Rabin, one of the true pioneers in the string ed field. He paved the way for so many of us that are making our careers in public school string education and at age 93, is really getting around well. I had the chance to thank him for the impact he has had on my career. For those of you that are familiar with some of my web-teaching, he planted the seeds for many of the concepts that I teach using finger patterns. (major scales and upper positions) My students at NCSSM can see these concepts put to use on the NCSSM Orchestra page. Those of you elsewhere in the world can see these soon on the D'Addario site: www.thelessonroom.com. I believe that they will be posted very soon.

I also had the opportunity to see Mark O'Connor present a session on his new O'Connor Violin Method. It is available exclusively through Shar Music. I think that he has hit on something really effective here and applaud his efforts to be innovative in the traditional world of string education. There were several performances by students that have studied with Mark in various capacities over the years and they were all fantastic. I am going to check this method out very closely and try it out with my own sons.

Tomorrow, I will be giving a session with Doris Gazda, Matt Turner, Sean O'Laughlin, and Larry Clark. This session is sponsored by Carl Fischer Music and, as always, D'Addario Strings is supporting me in this session. This session is called "Teaching the Nitty Gritty: Who Has Time for Anything More?" and will cover a variety of topics related to technique, literature and enrichment to traditional skills in the string classroom. I think that this will be a lively panel discussion and look forward to sharing this platform with my friends.

Meanwhile, I have just enjoyed a lunch in my room while jotting down this post. Time to head back over to the conference to get more new ideas! More later...

Peace.
Scott

Festival at the Eno

Hi all!

Happy 4th of July weekend!

This weekend, I am spending a great deal of time a the Festival for the Eno. It is an awesome gathering of musicians, artists, and conservationists coming together to enjoy a beautiful place and event together on a very hot weekend. It is always a blast and this weekend should prove to be the same.

This weekend, I am working with the folks at High Strung Music in Durham, a wonderful little string shop that specializes in bowed string instruments, acoustic guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, and other folk instruments, giving daily seminars on violin improv. High Strung really provides a wonderful service at the Festival. They have guitar repair services right on site at the Festival and daily seminars that include, in addition to mine, beatboxing, learn to play the ukelele, open jams, and others. High Strung is centrally located at the festival and really embody the spirit of the event.

My seminar is a very low key introduction to string improv for those that haven't ventured away from the page before, but if a more advanced improviser comes by, I will give them feedback on their playing and tips and tricks that may help them out. And, if folks prefer, my friend and guitarist Adam Sampieri, and I will just play a little bit and talk about the thought process that goes into generating an improvised solo. I am there to represent D'Addario Bowed Strings and Coda Bows, both of which High Strung carries.

One of the highlights of the day for me yesterday was getting to know the guys in the band, Fiddlefoxx. This is a cool little trio of fine musicians from the Boston area. They feature some fine fiddle playing, acoustic guitars and mandolins, and a really good beatboxer on percussion. Their music is influenced by a variety of styles, but reminds me of some of the early Bela Fleck and the Flecktones stuff. It is really cool and I encourage you to check them out. Also, they are available to work with school orchestra programs and I think they would be a super addition to any program. I know that I am going to try to have them in to the NC School of Science and Math at some point to work with my kids. The beatboxer from the band also gave a masterclass on his art and it was really cool. There were a bunch folks there to check it out and he is really a wizard at the mouth percussion!

My family and I also really enjoyed checking out all of the artists' displays and various booths around the festival. We bought some pottery, learned about the new Mountains to Shore trail, played games, ate a ton, and generally had a wonderful time.

The festival runs for 2 more days (July 4, and 5) and totally recommend that come out and check it out. I'll be giving my seminar at 3:00 each day and would love to see you there. I can't think of a better way to spend some time over the holiday weekend.