Ysaye's Secret Violin Exercise

[@blundgrenviolin]

I'm a violinist and teacher in Houston, and my mother - also a violinist and teacher, semi-retired - studied with a man named Harold Hess. Mr. Hess was in the US Navy in WW1. When the war ended, he found himself in Europe, and he elected to remain in Belgium to study with Master Ysäye. Hess learned this exercise from Ysäye and would go on to employ it with all his students. My mother had me work scaled back versions of the exercise from an early age. I now work it with all of my students, to varying difficulty levels suited to their playing level. There are two variations that Ysäye would use which you don't mention here. First, in regard to bow distribution, yes, he would shorten the long note. But he would also significantly lengthen the long note with an extended fermata, forcing oneself to fit all of the moving notes into the final four or five inches of bow at the tip or frog, and still maintaining tonal quality. This was somewhat a combination of this bowing/string crossing exercise with his one-minute-long single bow exercise (albeit with less scrutiny on measuring the minute). He also would have students turn this exercise into a three octave G major scale, with all the shifts on the E string. I'm SO THRILLED you've given this exercise new life to breathe in this wonderful video! It's an absolute treasure, and you understand and explain it very well here. I don't have a published copy of the exercise, just scraggly notes on yellowed paper of Mr. Hess from his studies with Ysäye and word-of-mouth handed down from teacher to student. That said, we teach it much the same. I'm so impressed!! Thank you, and all the blessings. Keep playing!!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks so much for your comment. The extension you mention makes perfect sense and is indeed a nice challenge! I will be making a video about Son File technique (re: minute bow) and how it can transform one’s playing.

[@blundgrenviolin]

@@DanielKurganov so glad to hear! I will be following.

[@mmenchu]

Speechless. Your lesson is a piece of art on its own.

[@guillermorochabrun3456]

The best possible description: "a piece or art on its own".

[@aMaudPowellFan]

Funny, I just re-watched the video and had exactly the same thought.

[@shubhamchavan9726]

Most helpful violin tutorial found on KZbin

[@JohnChernoff]

I'm not a violinist (pianist instead), but this is now my favorite Instructional video on KZbin.

[@wolfganggurland9086]

Have seen many good tutorials, this one of the best

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks a lot!

[@pluutoop]

Absolutely

[@jorgevallin2983]

I just wonder, how is it that I CANNOT GIVE YOU 5 MILLION LIKES... Thank you so much ❤️🎻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@DanielKurganov]

JORGE VALLIN thanks man! Share the video please! I have a lot more coming!

[@pbaban]

Mr, Daniel. Thank you for sharing this video, Basically, this is a very important exercise that must be done daily for a violinist.

[@DanielKurganov]

Absolutely!

[@jkjfhgkjhdflgfd]

Dude, def do more of these. 10/10 on all aspects.

[@DanielKurganov]

Appreciate it! I will do my best...

[@stanlassiter8416]

I found Ysaye a few years back ! Major influence for me as a #guitorchestra ! Thanks for being a real teacher ! 🙌🏼🙏🏼

[@stevenj9970]

Even as a cellist, this very useful!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@carlosivan1332]

I'm an adult intermediate violin player and had never heard about this exercise, you have no idea how much it helped with my overall playing (especially string crossing and bow distribution), I must say that your tutorials are remarkable, quite easy to mentally grasp I look forward to watching videos about bow strokes and more violin technique from you :) Regards from Mexico!

[@garysimkins2179]

I also want to say how much I value your instruction. Thankyou

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you Gary

[@ubecheesepandesal]

One of the best tutorials OMG thank u so much love from the Philippines! 😘

[@oneinamillion7103]

Thank you soooo much for masterclasses God bless you

[@mous3y490]

woah i can’t believe i’m saying this but i can listen to you play these exercises on loop. i’m actually being put to sleep listening to it now; it’s so sooth...

[@personalnotesmusic]

I agree with all the wonderful comments here. I've never played Ysaye's music. I'm going to check it out more! Thanks for sharing!

[@manolisschiller3042]

your are brilliant... you are helping so much thank you

[@ConnorFischettiMusic]

this is literally exactly what the world needs. excellent job. please continue!!!

[@petromusic23]

I am not a violinist. I am a guitarist. However I really enjoyed this video!!! Thank you for posting!!! 👍

[@ghazaleb4093]

Wow, right know I can feel and understand my violin in a completely different way. Tnx a lot🎻

[@orlandosanidad6342]

Great technique! Great sound! Great tune! It’s really coming from within!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks so much!

[@johnsoloninka322]

I studied with a student of Ysaye and learned this exercise. Your extrapolations are wonderful...and this is a great video explaining its power. Wonerdeful!!!

[@DanielKurganov]

Wow, thank you!

[@alexsaldarriaga8318]

This is the best tutorial I've seen on Ysaye's Exercices et Gammes. I found your commentary and insights, as well as your demonstrations, to be absolutely wonderful! Aaron Rosand recommended these to me about 35 years ago, but they were out of print then. Glad to see that they are easily obtainable now. I look forward to more of your excellent instructional videos. Thank you Daniel!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you Alex! I didn't know Mr. Rosand taught this! I guess it only makes sense...it's such an incredible little exercise and jumping off point.

[@alexsaldarriaga8318]

The Urstudien by Carl Flesch, the Excercices et Gammes by Ysaye, and the Daily Dozen by Dounis were just some of the tools used by the pros to warm up and quickly get into playing shape. I’m not a pro, so I just stick to scales (preferably those by Elisabeta Gilels, although I do like the Heifetz Scales also). You’ve inspired me to dust off the Ysaye studies again. Thank you Daniel. Greetings from Tarpon Springs, FL!

[@DanielKurganov]

@@alexsaldarriaga8318 Cool -- The Flesch and Dounis are great for sure. Next week I'm releasing a video about another super clever and useful work. I'll be curious if you like it!

[@madhusudan6129]

👌💐🌹🌺

[@herbertkronzucker8367]

An outstanding tutorial, and a very important lesson. I also first learned the Ysaye exercises from the late, and great, Aaron Rosand. Aaron believed they should form part of every violinist's daily regimen, along with some Kreutzer. I always start my practice with them now. There is so much packed into these deceptively simple exercises. They are golden. Thanks for posting this!! I also really liked your little meditation scene with the burning incense :). We all need some calm at this time, and we certainly need our violins more than ever!

[@shashanka-deva]

Excellent work brother..I was thinking to resume violin after 10 years..and was searching for tutorials like this .. thanks a lot

[@SofiaViviEnDo]

You are so clear and Structured in your explanations, that I am really analyzing it, to find out how to apply some of it into my way of teaching. Totally loved it.

[@robertocaesar]

Wow. I'm just here to learn. And to rediscover the great Ysaye. Bravo

[@claumonm944]

Máster. Muchas gracias por el aporte al mundo hispano, estoy aprendiendo a mis 53 años y tus máster clases, son fantástico. Thank so much.

[@dolce9876]

Thank you, Daniel. This tutorial is extremely helpful! You provide a path to "violin literacy" to feel comfortable with the technical aspects and musical opportunities of the violin.

[@DanielKurganov]

Glad it was helpful!

[@OEMFlores]

Excellent tutorial! Please share more!

[@jeanparke9373]

Wow. Just realized Ysaye put those technical trick all over in his sonatas!!

[@ManorHouseMusic]

Bravo! A masterclass in how to give a masterclass. Crystal clear explanations and brilliant execution of the studies. As an additional insight into Ysaÿe s personality, it's well worth searching out Frederick H. Martens's 'Violin Mastery: Talks with Master Violinists and Teachers' (published in 1919) which includes an interview with Ysaÿe himself. He says 'Too many of the technicians of the present day no longer sing. Their difficulties - they surmount them more or less happily; but the effect is too apparent, and though, at times, the listener may be astonished, he can never be charmed.' Ysaÿe is not referring to a laudable precept: he is talking about the constant internal singing that is the root and motivation of all subsequent actions, anticipating every mood and atmosphere. In short, the gateway to the active musical imagination, which is sadly absent from many of the current crop of leading violinists.

[@DanielKurganov]

I adore Martens's book! A real gem. Thanks for reminding me of it!

[@saimiride]

wow one of the best violin teaching video I have seen. Thanks I will use it for my students in switzerland . Thank you a lot for your work

[@peiyihe9885]

Thoroughly enjoyed this! Gave this exercise that my teacher gave me a while back exciting new lights!

[@kyotosunsetdreams6105]

I love and appreciate all of this, I usually never comment but for you I do :)

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you very much!

[@JustFiddler]

thankyou for this good tutorial. greeting from bali island

[@hartmutlindemann9735]

Thanks a lot for your fantastic explanation of the exercise and Ysaye's approach to the instrument

[@DanielKurganov]

Hartmut Lindemann thank you Hartmut! I enjoy your videos a lot!

[@hartmutlindemann9735]

@@DanielKurganov Thank you Daniel for your kind words. Do you know Ysaye's poema elegiaco op.12, played by the Ysaye student Aldo Ferraresi? It is a recording that might interest you. Unfortunately, it is not yet available on youtube

[@ViolinfanaticOriginal]

Love, love, love! I am taking notes!

[@melissaplascencia7280]

Keep doing these kind of videos! They're really helpful

[@DanielKurganov]

More to come!

[@xzz6104]

Thank you so much for your demonstration and tutorial. It's amazing. Can't appreciate more.

[@DanielKurganov]

You are very welcome. I am always looking forward to releasing videos!!

[@MilinndSagar]

Hi, Mr. Kurganov , Awesome! I loved it and will try this page .Your playing inspires to try it's difficult though Warm Regards and Thanks for the insight.

[@ViolinistExtraordinaire]

Thanks for sharing your wealth of insight into some our great grand-teachers technical and artistic mastery and approach. I had a revelation into the process of warming up when I played through Kreutzer’s Book #1, EXCERCISES 1-12 or so, followed by a Sevcik book on bowing, starting sequentially. After about 1 hour and 20 minutes, I was able to jump to the Ysäye Ballade and play the entire piece. It had been nearly a decade since I had last studied this, and at the time, wasn’t even aware of Sevcik and Ysaye’s collaborations. I am a jazz violinist, and find these exercises you have shared bounteous in their universal applicability. Looking forward to seeing what happens as I incorporate them into my efforts to get better technique and solidify my evolution into better practicing technical and aesthetic mastery. Bravo and all best to you, good sir!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you Mark. Your revelation is very interesting! Those guys did such amazing work for all future generations of violinists...

[@kendyboston4225]

Very interesting ! William Primrose describes a version of this exercise in one of his books . He has an illustration of the exercise written out in Ysye's own hand and a photo of the master holding up his violin so as to look down the strings from the lower end as they cross the bridge . Ysaye intended this exercise to be performed with the bow flowing IN A CONTINUOUS ARC with no audible change of string .

[@johngeddes7894]

You have a great gift for teaching; not to mention your playing, too. Fantastic details I’ve wondered about. I didn’t even have to ask. Your answer beat me to my question!

[@maryhill1925]

Many thanks for posting this excellent video. I love Ysaye but was unaware of his exercises and scales. I look forward to watching more of your videos.

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks Mary!

[@divyacakshu8192]

Pff this is mind blowing, one of the best tutorials i have ever seen on Ysaye :)

[@MrNachocml13]

Awesome tutorial! One of the best of violin tutorial i ve seen

[@gexydo]

Beautiful, instructive and inspiring! Thank you!

[@DanielKurganov]

Glad you liked it!

[@ohmyjune]

Your sound is so crystal clear. I admire it. Thank you so much for this!!! Been working on the Ballade, so this is PERFECT, also for quarantine!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you June! Nowhere to hide in living room acoustics :) Ballade is such an incredible piece! Have you tried the sometimes mysterious original fingerings? It's really interesting if you give them a chance!

[@abrahamconstantinonoguera4963]

Wow, amazing content. I studied violin and viola and now I'm currently studying the bachelor for viola and I have been always complaining about the lack of technique we sometimes experiment as violists. I may borrow some of them because they build an incredible strength and hand frame that is welcome when playing (besides, I just love Ysaye). Thank you for your approach, it is really pure.

[@jmg1884]

Thank you, Daniel. 👏👏👏 ( from Brazil 🇧🇷)

[@edwinbarreno]

Amazing, thank you. Looking forward for more videos.

[@melanienolley]

Thank you for this great material.

[@elizahalbrook7088]

Wow. My teacher currently has gone over some of these concepts without explicitly giving me Ysaye's music but this is fantastic. I hope someday I can teach like you

[@nicolafattorini3841]

That is the metacarpal falangeal joint. Super nice video

[@violinhunter2]

Brilliant. Thank you Daniel.....

[@violinhunter2]

If you have any advice on learning to read (music), it would be nice to have some tutorials on the subject. Some of my students are good players, but poor readers, so, when they read, they falter, but when they memorize, they are good. I tell them that playing and reading are two different disciplines. I say it is important that we first learn to read so that we can then read to learn.

[@dashildabiz]

Спасибо! Очень полезное упражнение.

[@holzfallen]

This is fascinating, please make more videos like this -- I'm an ultra beginner and find it very difficult to do anything if I can't understand WHY I am doing it/playing it. It's just too big a physical challenge to learn as an adult; I really need the intellectual support, I can't just mimic/copy.

[@PBXVIILY]

I use this exercise with my students it’s great

[@tomasfajardo]

This is brilliant.

[@cryptominingsauce4043]

This is friggin brilliant!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! So much!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks:) We need to talk about mining ⛏

[@cryptominingsauce4043]

@@DanielKurganov sure, what would you like to know / or discus?

[@DanielKurganov]

@@cryptominingsauce4043 are in involved in the defi world? or just mining? i'm researching ways to build DAOs in classical music.

[@rafthegoat]

Wow I love your tone

[@batlin]

This is so far beyond my level, but I love how you've broken the exercises into achievable incremental steps. Thanks for a mind-expanding video!

[@DanielKurganov]

Keep practicing! :)

[@Enrobdoolb]

When I tune my violin I'm thinking "my teachers gonna kill me during this lesson"

[@norahertz6286]

Your tutorials are wonderful and it really helps me a lot! I always enjoy because your violin sound is so beautiful. Thank you so much from Japan!

[@darlenerivest148]

Great video! Looking forward to trying these exercises. Thank you!

[@DanielKurganov]

Great! Let me know how it goes. Next week I will release another one of my favorite exercises which is not well known.

[@skripach69]

Perfect. Many thanks for these great exercises!! BRAVO for your playing as well!!

[@jakubjakowicz1159]

Dear Daniel,it's much more than tech support. It's so great to be able to see and feel your wonderful deep approach and love for violin. Very inspiring. Greetings from Poland

[@DanielKurganov]

I appreciate that, Jakub. This is exactly what I want to convey with all of the videos.

[@shvannajeeb2615]

Man, you are amazing!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks!

[@MohamadHamami]

Amazing, thank you very much you inspired me to practice again the right way

[@DanielKurganov]

Wonderful! I am glad.

[@danqiaoviolinist]

Amazing explanation and demonstration! Thanks for sharing all of these.

[@DanielKurganov]

Dan Qiao Glad you find it useful!

[@stephanebelizaire3627]

BRAVO !

[@ej9117]

I find your videos fascinating! Could you please make videos about basic bow techniques? Looking forward to more vids! Thank you.

[@camillarognes]

Thank you so much for a very beautiful video! I really enjoyed the way you connect clear technical explanations with the spiritual aspect of the music. The demonstrations give a very inspiring foundation for the technical work. I appreciated this video a lot, and am looking forward to following this series!

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you Camilla! My goal is to bring clarity and efficiency to technical work but also creativity/musical approaches, as will be addressed in future videos.

[@TheHikuky]

Very good and intelligent , glad I run into and I will follow you on this journey...

[@DanielKurganov]

Thank you!

[@mariangivens2684]

Thanks for this - you express everything so clearly and succinctly. I will be trying this tomorrow :-)

[@wendyshell8679]

This was really excellent! Oh, and your violin has a lovely tone! Your L’Aurore was beautiful, Daniel! It occurred on my iPad just as dawn was occurring in the morning!❤️😌

[@bluetorrent3937]

Bravo!!!, I don't know about the sonata 5 from Ysaye, your performance was awesome, thanks for much!!

[@robertpauls4955]

Daniel, thank you for these clear and helpful lessons and for your generous downloads . I appreciated especially your help on developing smooth string crossings with no extra sounds.

[@DanielKurganov]

You are very welcome, Robert!

[@divinechild5025]

Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us 👍❤️🙏🏼🌹

[@DanielKurganov]

I appreciate the opportunity!

[@divinechild5025]

Daniel Kurganov, Violinist you are a genius performer and a great teacher🌹👍❤️

[@amiralikhalili3461]

Excellent video 👍👍👍👌👍

[@francoishenkins8238]

Fantastic video. Thank you, and bravo!

[@nadem3518]

So inspiring to practice this exercises. Thank you !

[@maxwellnoemie]

Gorgeous, thank you

[@liubomyrsenyshyn]

Brilliant video!!!

[@MCMeru]

Wow. This video is perfect in every way!

[@lucius79blues]

Thank you Teacher¡

[@garysimkins2179]

When I tune my violin, I feel as though I am about to embark on a passage somewhere that I have been, and at the same time look forward to a new adventure. Tuning is the place where I fly when I know that the harmonics and overtones are speaking to me.

[@Jtanda08]

Отлично 👌🏻 Молодец!!!! Браво 🙏

[@alexeyaslamas732]

Great job! Looking forward for more excellent tutorials!

[@DanielKurganov]

Alexey Aslamas Thanks man! Hope all is well!

[@ceciliamoreno7221]

Excelente trabajo Daniel. Tu trabajo y detalle son impecables. ¡Gracias por compartir!

[@Yolmo1947]

Thank you so much for this wonderful exercises ,Thanks a lots.

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks and enjoy it!

[@ChrisEbbrsen]

Your brilliant! Ive only recently flushed out my bridge with a viola bridge and dowel stabilizer. I can hear the overtones of your instrument are tenor esque and I hear mine in my minds ear. Your Yesahi js lovely! I can appreciate it now as I hear it in my instrument. Not Yesahi but All I need is a photograph by Ringo Star which is what I have been playing. Thank you Mr. KIRGANOV I LOOK FORWARD NOW TO YOUR TUTORIALS.😅

[@rosastrange8343]

I really liked the melody at the end of this video. It would be interesting to know what images come to you when you play in more detail. In my opinion this is great. Very nice.

[@tareksrhan679]

thank you very much الف الف شكر

[@adrianfernandez894]

I was literally in awe from the first couple of notes 😱

[@diegeigergarnele7975]

Woooow! I played ysaye 5th many times and when you started the exercise I was so surprised to find how many passages in the aurore are from the exercise. It's almost like the aurore wakes up the violinist with his routine that finally gives in to artistic freedom. I never thought of that sonata that way but it could be a subtle hint of how thecnique brings to expression.

[@DanielKurganov]

Well put!

[@ramonperaltamartinez6152]

Oh dude this is absolutely amazing! I'll start today doing this exercises. Lovely sound, lovely violin and lovely sweater!! Hahah. Hugs!!

[@lauraaperezr]

Thank you so much for this!

[@aramkhachaturian8043]

This was very good.

[@DanielKurganov]

Thanks! I love your music ;)