A William Bruce Masterclass
A Little Technique Goes A Long Way with William Bruce - part 1
Posture
Ensure that you maintain the natural gentle curve of the lower back when sitting - it should be the same as when standing. A forward tilt in the chair will help considerably. When sitting the knees should be lower than the hips to help maintain a lower lumbar lordosis* and open the blood circulation to the legs. Sitting forward on the chair results in a freer physical relationship with the cello and a more resonant sound. It also encourages faster thinking in the front of the brain, producing more creative results in the playing.
It is only recently that the medical profession has looked at musicians’ posture in depth. Schools of cello playing have evolved without the benefit of modern medical knowledge of the effects of incorrect posture on musicians’ health. It is the responsibility of all teachers to plug into the expertise of medical professionals and keep fully up to date in this area, irrespective of how the teachers themselves were taught!
If you feel tension building up, eg in the thumbs or shoulder, and can’t seem to relax, then tense the area a little more - you will then be able to achieve an instant, deeper release.
William recommended The British Performing Arts Medical Trust 0207 240 4500 for students and professional cellists.
William asked all participants to think in the ‘front of their heads’.When they did so he thought that they looked much more alert, that their eyes were ‘on fire’ like a row of light-houses. Thinking at the ‘back of the head’ was like relaxing in a hammock on a tropical island. Moving one’s consciousness around the head can help in performance.
When playing fast passages, think slowly.
Art vs Craft
William asked which way the participants preferred to think about ‘cello playing: was it ‘The art of ‘cello playing’? Or ‘the craft of ‘cello playing’? The word ‘art’ implied the interpretation of music and all that surrounds the creation of an inspired performance. The word ‘craft’ put him in mind of an 18th century watch-maker in Venice. One participant observed that one can’t be artistic without technique.
We are born expressive creatures; ‘blocks’ in playing come from technical inhibitions. Refining technique releases the blocks and allows the creative thought processes to flow. William demonstrated using acting; the head being the general manager of a large corporation (the body) giving instructions to each of the limbs and fingers. He implied that through the play that the head should not be controlling all the time, once the directions are given.
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