I worked on my sight-reading in the build up to this video and, as you will see, the bowing is not straight as I was not focusing on it. My new teacher, Emily, picked up on it straight away and has given me some exercises to improve it. These exercises involve…
Violin Journal: #4
I have now started taking violin lessons and it’s been incredibly helpful!
It’s been a few weeks since I last updated you on my progress, but the video in this post is from a couple of weeks back and was recorded after my first violin lesson. I worked on my sight-reading in the build up to this video and, as you will see, the bowing is not straight as I was not focusing on it at all. My new teacher, Emily, picked up on it straight away and has given me some exercises to improve it.
Mostly, these exercises involve taking things that I already know, such as scales or short pieces, and really focusing on long bow strokes that stay perpendicular to the fingerboard.
Emily was impressed with my intonation in general, but has really encouraged improvement on bowing technique as a whole. This has included trying to ensure that the correct amount of pressure is put on the bow and that the hairs of the bow are angled correctly (sometimes I don’t have my bowing wrist forward enough).
I’m very much looking forward to sharing my progress with you shortly, and showing the improvements that I have made with a professional violinist watching over my development.
Top Tip #5
Invest in a teacher!
As a pianist with a degree in music, I thought that it would be possible to learn the violin on my own, and it is… possible. However, picking up a few bad habits that I didn’t want to become ingrained, general lack of motivation, and the benefit of a little professional input made it obvious that investing in a teacher was the next step for me. I have already noticed a significant improvement.
Next Time…
I will be working on two pieces from Jessica O’Leary’s 80 Graded Studies for Violin: Book One for my next post. I’m going to get the performances to as high a standard as I can, so hopefully it will be an enjoyable listen.
This week, I have been working on my first violin piece: Scarborough Fair. I decided to learn this famous old English folk song by ear. By using trial and error, I was able to feel my way around the violin, which gave me a greater connection to it. I found that this approach also allowed for greater expression and exploration of the piece as the constraints of written notation were removed.
Violin Journal: #2
This week, I have been working on my first violin piece: Scarborough Fair.
I decided to learn this famous old English folk song by ear. By using trial and error, I was able to feel my way around the violin, which gave me a greater connection to it. I found that this approach also allowed for greater expression and exploration of the piece as the constraints of written notation were removed.
Disclaimer: I have set myself the challenge of recording only two or three takes for my vlog and using the best of those. This means that what you see and hear is a true reflection of my progress to date. As such, some parts are less… tuneful.
The piece itself makes for interesting development in terms of aural comprehension. Rather than being in a major or minor key, Scarborough Fair is in the Dorian Mode. This essentially involves flattening the 3rd and 7th note of the major scale, giving us a typical sound for many old English folk songs. Having to think about this when playing encouraged me to consider the different intervals and respond to what I was expecting to hear with slightly different finger placement. You can read more about the modes in this previous article.
For those interested in the historical background of the song, it does indeed tell us of ‘Scarborough Fair’. The fair did exist, and has its roots as far back as the 13th Century. The origins of the song are shrouded in mystery though, and it’s likely that it actually came about much later. One suggestion is that it is a descendant of a Scottish ballad, ‘The Elfin Knight’ (17th Century). While the traditional fair unfortunately no longer exists, there are still frequent celebrations in its memory. Recently, one of these celebrations involved a jousting competition!
Play in time! Work on timing by using a metronome or accompaniment. In this week’s video, I played along with my own pre-recorded piano accompaniment. It added a new dynamic to my practice and you can hear in the recording that I struggled to get to a few notes in time. It’s easy to gloss over this when there is nothing keeping strict time.
The more you practice with a metronome or accompaniment, the less you need them.
Next Week…
I will be working on minor scales and looking at arpeggios for both major and minor keys. I’ll be trying to improve intonation and sight-reading too.
This is my first progress update since starting my violin journey. After a week or so of practice, this is where I am… I aimed to simply get used to the instrument; stringing it, tuning it, getting a feel for it, and listening to it.
Violin Journal: #1
This is my first progress update since starting my violin journey. After a week or so of practice, this is where I am…
This week, I aimed to simply get used to the instrument; stringing it, tuning it, getting a feel for it, and listening to it.
I learnt the pitches of the open strings and worked on simple bowing technique to achieve a smooth, continuous sound. Correct bowing technique (not demonstrated in my video!) relies on keeping the bow perpendicular to the strings and making contact with the strings midway between the bridge and fingerboard, as shown below:
Next, I practised playing one octave major scales off of each open string. I found the key here to be listening carefully. Working out the correct interval by ear and training the fingers to make the correct positions without looking takes some patience and perseverance but I wholly recommend it. It allows the musician to better understand their instrument and make an aural connection with it.
When I was comfortable with this, I moved on to reading very simple violin music. I have the advantage of already being able to read the treble clef as a pianist, but for those with little or no experience, it would be helpful to learn the notes of the stave (particularly those of the open strings; G ,D, A, E) and begin to understand intervals in relation to the fingerboard. I found The Sight-Reading Sourcebook useful as it approaches reading music in a very gradual but thorough way. Importantly, it starts with rhythm alone, and this is where any new musician should begin.
I found that I was able to advance through the book at a decent pace. The placement of fingers came naturally due to the practice of the major scales on every open string. Rhythms were not demanding at this stage, and the bowing was largely alternating up/down for each note.
I have to admit that the sound wasn’t the most pleasant, but as I practised through the week, the intonation definitely improved and it almost started to sound like music!
Top Tip #2
Listen to your instrument and try to hear if your intonation is correct.
It is important to know how the scales that you are practising sound so that your ear is trained to recognise errors in intonation. Therefore, listen to what you are going to play (use a recording or play it on a keyboard if you have that luxury). Actively listening and having a good reference point will really help you to develop good intonation.
Next Time…
Over the next week, I will be learning my first simple violin piece and I’m very much looking forward to sharing it with you. Until then…
I’m often asked what modes are and how they work, so here is a short breakdown.
Simply put, there are seven modern modes and they are all built from slightly different interval patterns. The easiest introduction to the modes involves the use of just the white notes of the keyboard…
Introduction to the Modes
I’m often asked what modes are and how they work, so here is a short breakdown.
Simply put, there are seven modern modes and they are all built from slightly different interval patterns. The easiest introduction to the modes involves the use of just the white notes of the keyboard.
If you try playing a one octave scale of just white notes, regardless of which note you begin on, you will have played a mode. Starting your scale on each of the seven different white notes gives you a different mode.
Modal Theory
First, let us establish our understanding of melodic interval patterns in relation to key. Most of us will be familiar with the sounds of major and minor keys. If we were to play an ascending succession of white notes on the keyboard from C to C, we will have played the scale of C Major. This is also known as the Ionian mode. The interval pattern for major scales (Ionian mode) is as follows:
C Major
Tonic >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
The Scale of C Major
A Minor (Natural)
Finding the relative minor of C Major (a minor third below), and playing white notes from A to A results in the natural A Minor scale. This is also known as the Aeolian mode. The interval pattern can be seen here:
Tonic >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone >
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
The Scale of A Minor (Natural)
So, what happens if we play all the white notes from D to D? Would that be the key of D Major or D Minor? Well, you may have already worked out that the answer is neither. In short, the interval patterns shown above for major and minor keys mean that black notes (sharps or flats) must replace certain white notes for every key other than C Major and A Minor. This is where the remaining five modes come in.
If we were to play all the white notes from D to D, what we end up with is the Dorian mode. If we play all the white notes from E to E, we find the Phrygian mode. F to F is Lydian, G to G is Mixolydian and B to B is Locrian. Below are audio clips and charts detailing each mode and its interval pattern:
Ionian Mode
Tonal Centre >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
Ionian Mode on C
Dorian Mode
Tonal Centre >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
Dorian Mode on D
Phrygian Mode
Tonal Centre >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
Phrygian Mode on E
Lydian Mode
Tonal Centre >
Tone >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
Lydian Mode on F
Mixolydian Mode
Tonal Centre >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Mixolydian Mode on G
Aeolian Mode
Tonal Centre >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
Aeolian Mode on A
Locrian Mode
Tonal Centre >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone >
Semitone >
Tone >
Tone >
Tone
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
Locrian Mode on B
As with our major and minor keys, each mode can be begin on any note as long as it follows the relevant interval pattern. In order to get a better understanding of the subtle differences between the modes, I recommend trying out all of the modes using the same tonal centre. For example, by starting on C and following the interval patterns outlined above (you will play sharps and flats depending on the mode), you will be able to hear the different characteristics of the modes in relation to each other.
Characteristics and Musical Examples of Modes
While some music is entirely composed within a mode or modes (harmonically and melodically), very often there are fleeting moments of mode usage in many pieces as well (particularly noticeable within jazz). Below, I have given a brief description of the character of each mode and recorded some short excerpts that show use of modes within familiar music. There are links to the full pieces if you’d like to explore them more.
Ionian Mode
The same as the modern major tonality. Often described as bright and uplifting. This mode can be found very commonly in many styles of music. The examples below are Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight and American Pie by Don McLean.
Wonderful Tonight & American Pie
Dorian Mode
Minor in quality due to the minor root chord, but doesn’t have a raised seventh degree which gives the upper end of the mode a major feel. From Gregorian Plainchant to folk music and even modern pop, Dorian mode has been heard in Western music throughout the ages. I chose Scarborough Fair and Gary Jules’ version of Mad World (featured in the film Donnie Darko) as examples of Dorian Mode.
Scarborough Fair & Mad World
Phrygian Mode
Minor in quality, this rather rare mode can sound dark and mysterious due to the minor 2nd interval. It is sometimes described as having a ‘longing’ feel. The mode is sometimes associated with Middle Eastern music and Spanish Flamenco music and is often altered by sharpening the third degree (becoming Altered Phyrgian Mode) to really emphasise this feel. The original theme from Doctor Who is one of my favourite pieces that makes use of Phrygian Mode.
Doctor Who Theme (1963)
Lydian Mode
This mode is major in quality. Has an upbeat, sometimes comical association and is often heard in cartoons, animations and film. The theme from The Simpsons is probably the best example I have heard.
Theme from The Simpsons
Mixolydian Mode
Major in quality and, aside from Ionian Mode, the most similar to the modern major key. The only difference is the whole tone between the 7th and 8th degree of the scale. A good example is Clocks by Coldplay.
Clocks
Aeolian Mode
The same as the natural minor tonality, Aeolian Mode is often described as sad or solemn. It is frequently heard set against its relative major (Ionian mode). For centuries, composers have made use of the ambiguity and duality between these major and minor tonalities to create intrigue in their music. REM’s Losing My Religion is a fine example of Aeolian Mode usage.
Losing My Religion
Locrian Mode
Diminished in quality (due to the fifth degree being diminished rather than perfect). In Western music, it is the rarest of the modes but can still be found at least in part in music of various styles. Most commonly, elements are heard in Jazz or Middle Eastern music. Interestingly, a modern piece of folk music called Dust to Dust by John Kirkpatrick explores the mode through melody alone. Written in B Locrian, it often it feels as though it is moving towards Aeolian Mode, but the artist always draws back to a tonal centre of B. Below is a short excerpt that I arranged for piano, but I do recommend having a listen to the vocal version by following the link above.
Dust to Dust
Final Thoughts
I hope that you’ve gained some insight into the modes and their modern-day usage. If you have any burning questions, other examples of songs that use the modes, or just want to make a general comment, please feel free to share your thoughts below!
