Viola Gauntlet, Day 7 (Sunday): Lyrical playing & repertoire - key of B flat major / G minor. A daily practice routine for viola with a play-along backing track: the score scrolls with a playhead, every exercise has a 2-bar count-in. A lighter, musical day: an aria, a 5/4 waltz and a sarabande, all original and all with a piano and string accompanist under you. Phrasing is the point today - shape every phrase like a breath, then close with quiet long tones on the C string.
1. Open-string long tones - One unbroken tone per bow, in tune with the drone; middle sounding point, softest possible tone that still speaks (stretch: 12-beat bows with no audible bow change) 2. Drone intonation - Each note rings with the drone - no beats; thirds low, leading note high 3. Fifths across strings - One finger flat across two strings: a pure fifth means the hand frame is right 4. Aria in B flat (cantabile) - Sing through every phrase, breathe at the rests; the bow is your breath (stretch: the climb to G5 in 3rd position at forte, in tune and still singing) 5. Waltz in five (G minor, 3 + 2) - Feel 5/4 as 3 + 2: a long swing, then a short one - never count to five (stretch: feel the 3 + 2 in the body, not by counting, both times through) 6. Sarabande with double stops - Slow 3/4 that leans on beat 2; double stops ring with an open string 7. Cool-down: C string and a last scale - Long, quiet bows on the C string, then let the scale come home to B flat
Full week, PDFs and backing tracks: https://www.grahampaasch.com/viola-gauntlet