Arts & Entertainment, Music
Introduction
Lesson time 07:20 min
Meet your new instructor: Grammy Award-winning violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman. Mr. Perlman tells you how this class will differ from traditional violin master classes and how through teaching others, you can teach yourself.
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Topics include: Introduction
Teaches Violin
In his first-ever online class, virtuoso violin player Itzhak Perlman breaks down his techniques for improved practice and powerful performances.
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[MUSIC PLAYING] ITZHAK PERLMAN (VOICEOVER): I've been with music since I was practically born. It's my language. It's my way of life. [MUSIC PLAYING] To be a musician, it's almost like to be a magician. You have to do certain things that the listener doesn't know what you're doing. It's not easy to do. [MUSIC PLAYING] Think of yourself as a painter with a palette full of paints. You have choices. [MUSIC PLAYING] They are all at your disposal on the violin. [MUSIC PLAYING] - I want everybody to come in really fortissimo. ITZHAK PERLMAN (VOICEOVER): Teaching has been a very important part of my musical life, and I feel that it has helped me with my playing. Like I always say, when you teach others, you teach yourself. [MUSIC PLAYING] [APPLAUSE AND CHEERING] - Those steps-- you know, some things that are really easy for you are real hard for me. [MUSIC PLAYING] - Yeah, but some things are easy for you that are hard for me. [MUSIC PLAYING] ITZHAK PERLMAN: Violin is a very challenging instrument-- very challenging. You know, when you think about-- even when you think about a stringed instrument, such as a guitar, you have at least some threads-- you know that thing over there that you can put your fingers, and you know more or less where you are. Violin-- nothing. It's like playing by braille. You know, you are supposed to play by feel. So comparing a beginner on the piano and the beginner on the violin-- who can make a better sound right away? Well, guess. Of course, the pianist, because on the piano, you know, you press the finger on the key. Immediately, something mechanical goes on there in the piano, and there is a little hammer, and your string is tuned. You touch the string, and you've got the sound. If you try to do it on the violin, an immediate-- getting a sound even is-- is like this. That's that sound. You have to do so many things in order to make this successful. So it's very challenging. - All right, try from here. [MUSIC PLAYING] ITZHAK PERLMAN (VOICEOVER): At first, I did a lot of normal master classes, which is one on one in front of an audience. - Ah, ah, ah, more, more, more body-- da, de, da, de. Now you go. Don't rush. Don't rush this time. Plenty of time. ITZHAK PERLMAN: The old-fashioned master classes is when the student plays and the teacher says, oh, that's very nice. Let me show you how it goes. And then the teacher plays. And he says, now you go ahead and play it. So the teacher plays, and it's like great, you know. And then the poor student has to-- now you play that. So you know, that's-- that's not teaching. That's basically showing. And, of course, you deal with a lot of kids who have fantastic ears. So when they hear something, they imitate it. And that's why I don't like-- I try to stay away from showing too much because I want whenever they do something to be their own, not because they heard somebody ...
About the Instructor
The world’s reigning virtuoso violin player, Itzhak Perlman performs for presidents, royals, and classical music lovers around the world. Now the beloved Juilliard instructor and 15-time Grammy Award winner brings his passion for teaching to a wide audience for the first time. Learn fundamental techniques, practice strategies, and how to add richness and depth to your sound. Give your most dynamic performance yet.
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Itzhak Perlman
In his first-ever online class, virtuoso violin player Itzhak Perlman breaks down his techniques for improved practice and powerful performances.
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