Beginning Viola Da Gamba
JLocke
Is it possible to learn viol technique decently from a book? My home is very
remote and without viol (or even cello) instructors nearby. As a piano
player who is literate in music, do you think learning from book will be
possible? If so, what are some recommended books?
The instrument I'll be purchasing will most likely be a Ceske viol from
www.bems.com. Have any of you had experience with Ceske instruments? What
are some other makers of relatively cheap student viols of good quality?
Sybrand Bakker
wrote:
I don't want to discourage you, but I play piano and recorder and I
sing, and I have observed bowing a viol string is quite a lot
different from all the other instruments I already know.
You might be capable to learn the basic principles, but producing a
pure tone is something probably no one will learn without a teacher.
That said, I would love also love to learn the viol, but I don't see
how I can manage to get weekly lessons, due to lack of time.
Regards
Sybrand Bakker
Elizabeth Young
> On Wed, 18 Dec 2002 12:03:38 -0700, "JLocke" <jlo...@no.email.com>
> wrote:
>
>>I plan to start playing bass viola da gamba soon and have a few questions:
>>Is it possible to learn viol technique decently from a book? My home is very
>>remote and without viol (or even cello) instructors nearby.
>
> sing, and I have observed bowing a viol string is quite a lot
> different from all the other instruments I already know.
> You might be capable to learn the basic principles, but producing a
> pure tone is something probably no one will learn without a teacher.
I am going through this with the violin. I messed around for a while on
my own, tried to emulate the people I had seen playing, aimed for a
sound that I could tolerate (didn't _that_ take a while).
When I'd gotten to the point feeling comfortable holding the thing, and
had worked out a couple of scales, and tried a song or two, I called
around and found a teacher who was willing to spend 1/2 an hour with me
and let me know what I was doing right and wrong. Many teachers are not
willing to take on a student for just one lesson. She was willing to do
this because I made a point of telling her that I already played several
instruments and could read music.
I got all kinds of information in that one 1/2 hour session.
Depending on travel time, it might be worth it for you to try this.
If I stick with the violin, I want to try transferring my new skills to
an earlier bowed instrument, medieval or early early renaissance.
I've talked to a few violin players about my mad plan to teach myself,
and the consensus was that the bowing gives students the most trouble.
That is so true!
Elizabeth Young
lizy...@fenris.net
Greg M. Silverman
Giso Grimm
the school "Play the viol" by Alison Crum should be a good start. "The
viol" by Anette Otterstedt gives a nice overview about the instrument
(history, literature, ... ).
In Europe there is a big market of used instruments, you might check out
the web sites of the British viola da gamba society
(http://www.vdgs.demon.co.uk/) for more details.
Tall Weeds
(http://vdgsa.org/pgs/video.html) has videos on line of excellent
teachers showing what to do with a gamba.
Better have a decent bandwidth connection though, the video files are
enormous.
Tracy.