Music isn't just notes. It's energy.
Something beyond what we can see with our eyes on the sheet music.
Isn’t music just notes?
That’s exactly what I mean. On a basic surface level, yes we do see random tadpoles dancing up and down across many horizontal lines. But I want to connect you to something beyond that. Something that’s beyond what we can see with our naked eye. It’s the feeling. The vibration. The energy that’s in all forms of life. The type of energy that makes us connect with music and one another. Let me take you on my journey of what I discovered recently!
I am rediscovering music.
I was practicing my new piece Ave Maria by Schubert for a few months now. After the first step of learning the piece and also figuring out how to improve and add my vibrato to the piece. The next step was to make sure I relaxed and was playing with ease making it effortless for me. I was feeling great! Playing the piece was so peaceful and easy. I feel a lot more confident and at ease and enjoy the process and noticing the present moment while I play my cello.
But then I hit another wall. It felt somewhat empty. Even though I figured out the technical stuff and also the mechanism. I felt like something was missing. But what was it exactly? I tried listening to YoYoMa and other cellists playing this piece for inspiration, but somehow nothing worked. I was lost and going in circles as I continued to practice every day without knowing where I was going. For a moment, it felt like it was meaningless and what was all the point after doing all this practicing? But then I realized, wait! Why am I thinking this way? I must be tired and need to see this in a new light and perspective. And there is no better way to ask for a third-person perspective. So I got my dad to listen to me play and see what was going on.
What was I missing?
It was obvious for him. He said one thing that was really impactful and also hit me really hard. “You sound like a robot.” …Ok, maybe he didn’t say those words exactly but he was close enough.
I was just playing it by the book. The music was just as soulless as a piece of paper on the music stand. No personality, no character. Just black dots on horizontal lines. It wasn’t breathing. It wasn’t a magical being that was alive. And it clicked for me!
OMG! THIS IS SO EYE OPENING! WHY DID I NOT NOTICE THIS? Even after all the music I listened to from all these other amazing cellists. I was continuously asking and wondering, what’s missing? What do they have that I don’t do while I’m playing my cello? And that’s the soul, the life in the music. The energy that connects us to the music. That energy that can make us feel the emotions. It can make us feel sad. Or it can make us happy and giddy.
How to practice with this new mindset?
So now that I know what I’m missing. How can I be on the lookout and understand how to add this so-called “ soul” into my cello playing? Here are the steps I’m taking and practicing currently.
Pick the piece you want to add “The Soul of the Music”.
Find a cellist that you love that plays this on YouTube. I chose YoYoMa playing Ave Maria by Schubert
Listen to the first phrase and clap along the melody. Do this 10 times and repeat it until you get a feel of the music and rhythm.
Deconstruct the phrase. Listen and find the weight of the musical phrase. Which note takes a longer time and feels deeper and heavier and which notes are shorter, softer, and more gentle?
Try and play it yourself. Record yourself so you can hear what you sound like from a third-person perspective.
If it doesn’t sound quite like the cellist you want to learn from and copy. Try again and experiment. Listen again and clap along with the melody.
After doing this, you’ll build a new muscle memory and you’ll get to understand the musical flow and energy that breathes life into the music you’re playing. Take one step at a time to polish the piece.
Mini exercise
So this week, have fun rediscovering music and try and find the soul of the music! You’ll be able to approach and learn the piece in a brand new way and get to know it’s character and personality. Breathing life into the music you play.
See you all next week with discoveries, tips, and advice!
So there are my discoveries, Tips, and Advice on how to improve your cello playing. I hope you enjoy this fun new way of practicing!
Do you need help with your cello learning?
Feel free to leave a comment on certain things you're stuck with and need a fellow cello friend to take a look at it from a different perspective! Maybe we can figure out something together!
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