Good morning, Nostr 🌞

Fun one today… I’m back with my own viola! At the festival last week I was borrowing a much smaller instrument, so you’ll probably notice in this video just how HUGE mine looks in comparison. Mine is a large, tenor-sized viola, and I love it for the richness and depth of sound it has, especially on the low strings.

In this clip I’m also messing around with a technique I don’t think I’ve shown here before: chopping. It’s a percussive bowing style that came out of the bluegrass scene, where you slam the bow onto the strings to get a rhythmic, almost drum-like effect. I try it at a few speeds here, practising it. Stick around to the end you’ll see me really rip into it at a fast speed.

It’s not something you hear often in classical music, though I have written it into some of my pieces. Feels good to be back on this instrument and exploring some fun sounds. Hope you enjoy, and hope your day’s off to a great start! ✨✨✨

#musicstr