The Takacs Quartet, and practice continues...

Tonight, Chris and I went to see the Takacs Quartet at my school. It was really amazing! And god, do they make it look perfectly effortless. They're so animated, too, that it's almost like they're dancing, and they somehow manage to play the most delicate, soft notes. The range of sounds was really awe-inspiring, although in my present mental state it also frustrates the hell out of me when I have to work pretty hard to make a decent sound.

The cellist was amazing to watch. At times, he seemed to be dancing smoothly back and forth with his instruments, while at other times it looked like more of an attack, like he was engulfing or devouring his instrument. His bow movements seemed so light and airy always, more like he was moving the bow through just air, instead of against the string. There was no real tension to be seen at all, and least not that I could see. His left hand movements were equally as effortless, and by the tension in his arms it didn't look like he was even pressing down. The whole time, he was in motion. I honestly don't think him or the instrument stayed static for more than a second at a time.

The whole thing was like watching a dance or a conversation, and the lead violinist was particularly spritely, at times stomping his foot during particularly pointed sections of the music.

I practiced quite a bit this weekend and feel like I am making some progress, but the going is still slower than I would like it to be. It's hard, because after my first instrument (the flute), I could pick up almost any other wind instrument and learn it really quickly, but this is a whole new ballgame for me. There are so many complexities in the string instruments, from the angle and segment of the bow, to the amount of pressure, to the speed at which you move the bow, not to mention finding the right pitch with the left hand, and pressing the string down hard enoough without tensing up your entire body. Chris said I'm playing too much like a robot, which I think is true. It's hard not to tense up, and when I do, it's really hard to get the bow arm to move properly. I'm especially having trouble coordinating both hands well. It seems like they're always a little bit off from one another when I'm playing. I really need to practice each little song slowly and then gradually increase my speed when I start to get it down better, which is what I've been doing, and I think it's working.

I ordered a mute tonight, that way I can practice later at night without disturbing the whole complex. This should give me a lot more flexibility in my practice schedule, which is good, because I get home pretty late in the evening sometimes, and now I can practice anyway without worrying about disturbing people. I hope it gets here soon, I really need to practice more often if I'm going to improve at a decent rate.

I'm also starting to build up my callouses, which is a slower and more refined process on the cello than on the guitar. On the guitar, if I play too long my fingers bleed, but on the cello, my finger tips just feel a little bit tougher every day, less sensitive to anything. I guess it's because the cello strings are thicker and don't cut so well as the ones on a guitar.