Incredible. I love the beauty, complexity and dexterity in your soulful playing. Another dimension. There are so many things you did with the violin here that I have not seen done before.
This year in 2014, I invented new ways to play the violin using many more of the instrument's parts. It is a "modern" concept in its "extended technique" angle, but still very accessible to the listener. I bet John Cage would have liked it or appreciated the violinist in a new way if he had have known this! Some techniques I use to begin this improvisation include the "bow harmonic spiccato" that I came up with years ago, as well as the "3-finger pizzicato" that I first used in Caprice No. 3 in A Major using the 4th finger on the left-hand and the first 2 fingers on the bow hand. In this case though, I not only employ it as arpeggios, but create a repeated note like a guitar "tremolo." I also employ the "thumb-strum" technique using 3 and 4-note chords played like a guitar or mandolin. With this piece, I came up with an alternating up and down bounced bow at the tip sympathetically combined with the left-hand's 4th-finger "pizzacato" outlining fingered chords using the remaining three fingers on the left-hand. I also use the "bow chop" in this piece at the "frog," and then I create "Hip Hop" sound effects with the "chop" that employ sliding the bow on the string with varying amounts of stress on the strings creating controlled and pitched "noise." I also use the "chop" in combination with the left-hand 3rd finger striking the top wooden plate of the instrument near the shoulder while dampening the four strings with the left-hand's first-finger. The two hands can play the violin like a hand drum traveling across the graduated wooden top to change pitches. I discovered that I can alternately dampen strings with the left-hand's 1st-finger while still being able to play percussion with the left-hand's 3rd finger sometimes up-dampening to change timbre. Playing percussion with the right-hand is difficult while holding the bow, but I developed a natural technique using the bow hand's thumb. Deploying one other right-hand finger is possible while still balancing the the bow in the air and occasional can be used on the rib of the violin. I invented the technique of turning the bow into a percussion mallet using the screw end of bow by the frog, instead of the delicate bow tip. I invented new areas of the violin to use musically and percussively, specifically the tailpiece and chinrest. I utilize the tailpiece as a unique and beautiful percussive instrument, with over tones created with the strings attached to it, by striking it with the "screw" at the bottom of the bow. I use the Chinrest as a "talking drum" taking advantage of the ability to change the pitch as the contour of the chinrest naturally allows. I employ the metal 1/4 jack of my pickup housing for an industrial metalic sound with the "screw" of the bow and finally the top of the bridge for a loud and tight wooden percussive hit. And the use both hand's finger nails on the violin's ribs provides a unique sound texture. The years I studied percussion as a teen helped me with the flam paradiddles or often referred to as flamadiddles. Or in this case we could call them flamafiddles. Or flam parafiddles. [Recorded June 27th, 2014]
classically trained violinist and fiddle player, going out side "the box"- you can do both, you can do whatever you want. if more people saw past the scope of "the box",keeping "the box" in perspective,...can u imagine how the world would be today??
" The Box ", is forever expanding, to except concepts that haven't yet been developed. Nice job Mark. You've shifted the walls, of the box, out a wee bit.
We are in Boston at Berklee College for tonight's concert of "An Appalachian Christmas." This was from a performance at Berklee last summer! We look forward to seeing friends Matt Glaser and David Wallace amongst many others tonight! th-cam.com/video/n_op1PBwYJo/w-d-xo.html
Amazing. I too can randomly tap areas on my violin! Edit It is two years later. Coronavirus roams the earth unchecked. This still ranks right up there among the stupidest fucken things I've ever watched.
Incredible. I love the beauty, complexity and dexterity in your soulful playing. Another dimension. There are so many things you did with the violin here that I have not seen done before.
Bow harmonic spiccato! Now I know what its called! This is all very inspiring. Thanks for posting!
This year in 2014, I invented new ways to play the violin using many more of the instrument's parts. It is a "modern" concept in its "extended technique" angle, but still very accessible to the listener. I bet John Cage would have liked it or appreciated the violinist in a new way if he had have known this!
Some techniques I use to begin this improvisation include the "bow harmonic spiccato" that I came up with years ago, as well as the "3-finger pizzicato" that I first used in Caprice No. 3 in A Major using the 4th finger on the left-hand and the first 2 fingers on the bow hand. In this case though, I not only employ it as arpeggios, but create a repeated note like a guitar "tremolo." I also employ the "thumb-strum" technique using 3 and 4-note chords played like a guitar or mandolin. With this piece, I came up with an alternating up and down bounced bow at the tip sympathetically combined with the left-hand's 4th-finger "pizzacato" outlining fingered chords using the remaining three fingers on the left-hand. I also use the "bow chop" in this piece at the "frog," and then I create "Hip Hop" sound effects with the "chop" that employ sliding the bow on the string with varying amounts of stress on the strings creating controlled and pitched "noise." I also use the "chop" in combination with the left-hand 3rd finger striking the top wooden plate of the instrument near the shoulder while dampening the four strings with the left-hand's first-finger.
The two hands can play the violin like a hand drum traveling across the graduated wooden top to change pitches. I discovered that I can alternately dampen strings with the left-hand's 1st-finger while still being able to play percussion with the left-hand's 3rd finger sometimes up-dampening to change timbre. Playing percussion with the right-hand is difficult while holding the bow, but I developed a natural technique using the bow hand's thumb. Deploying one other right-hand finger is possible while still balancing the the bow in the air and occasional can be used on the rib of the violin.
I invented the technique of turning the bow into a percussion mallet using the screw end of bow by the frog, instead of the delicate bow tip. I invented new areas of the violin to use musically and percussively, specifically the tailpiece and chinrest. I utilize the tailpiece as a unique and beautiful percussive instrument, with over tones created with the strings attached to it, by striking it with the "screw" at the bottom of the bow. I use the Chinrest as a "talking drum" taking advantage of the ability to change the pitch as the contour of the chinrest naturally allows. I employ the metal 1/4 jack of my pickup housing for an industrial metalic sound with the "screw" of the bow and finally the top of the bridge for a loud and tight wooden percussive hit. And the use both hand's finger nails on the violin's ribs provides a unique sound texture.
The years I studied percussion as a teen helped me with the flam paradiddles or often referred to as flamadiddles. Or in this case we could call them flamafiddles. Or flam parafiddles. [Recorded June 27th, 2014]
I am continually amazed at this mans creativity with the violin. He is truly a master of the instrument.
classically trained violinist and fiddle player, going out side "the box"- you can do both, you can do whatever you want. if more people saw past the scope of "the box",keeping "the box" in perspective,...can u imagine how the world would be today??
" The Box ", is forever expanding, to except concepts that haven't yet been developed. Nice job Mark. You've shifted the walls, of the box, out a wee bit.
We are in Boston at Berklee College for tonight's concert of "An Appalachian Christmas." This was from a performance at Berklee last summer! We look forward to seeing friends Matt Glaser and David Wallace amongst many others tonight!
th-cam.com/video/n_op1PBwYJo/w-d-xo.html
Wonderful, I have always said he is one of a kind. Thank you so much for sharing.
MO'C is a one man band! And there goes the varnish!
Our violins are almost identical.
first!!!!111!
Amazing. I too can randomly tap areas on my violin!
Edit
It is two years later. Coronavirus roams the earth unchecked. This still ranks right up there among the stupidest fucken things I've ever watched.
two years of zero personal or mental growth lmfao
Two years, and still no one has paid any attention to you.