Kreisler’s Preludium and Allegro Preview Spot

Here is a preview spot for Kreisler’s Preludium and Allegro measures 66-83. This is only the first step in learning this passage. It only deals with the left hand intonation and shifting. Other practice steps should be used after learning the left hand to incorporate the bariolage type bowing used.

(A great article by Grigory Kalinovsky, who is the Starling Professor of Music (Violin) at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music is available at Strings Magazine HERE. He discusses the the articulation and bowing ideas for measure 2 for the Allegro. But his ideas would apply to this passage as well.)

Practicing Double Stops

If you’re playing Preludium and Allegro, you probably already know to play the bottom note of the double stop, then the top note, then both together. Tuning the double stop to the bottom note.

3D Thinking

We need to think in 3D in this piece. You will need to know  relationship between the notes both vertically (the double stop) and horizontally (the melodic line). First the vertical relationship. Almost all of the intervals in the section are 6ths. I didn’t mark on the page if the 6ths were major 6ths or minor 6ths. This knowledge not only trains your ear to hear these intervals. But it also helps you know if the fingers are a relative half-step (close together) or a relative whole step (space between fingers.)

For the horizontal relationship. First play through only playing the top notes. Listening and learning the melody. Then play through playing only the bottom notes, listen to the harmony line.  Mark or note the relationship of whole steps and half-steps between the horizontal movement of the musical line.

Once you master the double stop page with shifting and intonation, then move over to your music and move to adding in all those open Es.

Happy practicing!