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About Todd Sullivan
Expertise
Hello, I am a NYC violinist performing for Broadway shows, symphony orchestras, opera, and sundry theatre/pop tours. I would be happy to answer your questions about anything related to being a performer in the music business. I play both violin and viola professionally, so questions on playing either instrument are welcome. The only thing I am not well informed on is information concerning instruments/bows...those questions are best left to luthiers.

Experience
Professional experience includes a variety of on/off Broadway tours and shows, numerous orchestras, tours with Ray Charles and Ann Murray orchestras, leader of the 20-piece Todd Sullivan Orchestra. Education/Credentials Bachelor of Fine Arts (violin) with honors from Carnegie Mellon University (1999)

You are here: Experts > Music/Performing Arts > Musical Instruments > Violin > rhythm

Topic: Violin

Expert: Todd Sullivan
Date: 5/8/2008
Subject: rhythm

Question
Hi,
I guess I could ask this of any musician. I play violin in
several civic orchestras. I am no youngster and have played for many years. But one thing still haunts me. I struggle with my counting and hence, sight reading can be very embarrassing at times. I notice that the winds seem to have little difficulty in this area. Can you suggest a way to finally end this problem. Also, I can think of some music that I have worked very hard to get the rhythm right
and every time I perform it, I struggle with on often mess up the timing. Thank you.

Answer
Wind players tend to be much stronger with rhythmic reading than their string counterparts thanks to a wonderful practice habit: regular sight reading practice with a metronome. You have to force yourself to get through a reading without stopping or getting caught up in rhythmic errors. A great sight reader will make rhythmic mistakes, but will not let the errors negatively affect the notes and measures immediately following. This kind of concentration and short memory are essential, so regular practice of sight reading pieces in their entirety will help you.

It is also important to keep a clear mind while playing. If you spend cognitive power on actively counting and thinking about the rhythms you are seeing while you play there will be little brainpower left for anything else. This will usually cause you to have trouble keeping up with everyone else and/or breakdowns in technique. You should be reacting more than thinking (muscle memory)and this also comes from practice and sight reading with a metronome. For example: a run of syncopated notes, such as is common in Mozart, should be felt in the bow arm and just go on "autopilot"; if you try to hear the beats in the lower lines and react off of them you will probably get later and later with each one, slowing down as you get separated from everyone else. String players are often guilty of trying to hear, wait, and react; with the result being frequent dragging of tempo, hesitations on beat placements, and imprecise passagework.

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