1. Analyse your playing in various settings (solo, ensemble, improvised, composed, etc.):
What methods or strategies do you employ in different situations? Which of these do you find
interesting to develop further? Try to define methods in such a way that they are open in terms
of material. Think of yourself, the space and your instrument. Examples of methods could be:
phrases, isolated sounds, layers, continuum, etc., but also different modes of listening,
movements in space, different types of thinking, etc. Make a list.
2. Classify the material your playing is built from. Define basic elements like arco, pizz., long
tones, trills, noises, etc. Make a list of materials.
3. Choose one (or more) method(s) and one (or more) material(s) and play within the given
restrictions. Combine methods and materials in different ways. This could be done for example,
following one of these ideas:
a) Play with the two lists in front of you and make ad lib choices of methods and materials.
Change between different methods and materials. Expand or reduce the number of methods
and materials you employ in a given moment spontaneously.
b) Define beforehand which methods and materials you want to explore.
c) Make two sets of cards in two different colors or sizes. Use one color or size for methods and
one for materials. Write each method and each material on one card. Shuffle the cards and pick
a card from each of the two piles. Play with the given restrictions. When you feel time for change
has come, pick a new card and add to or exchange with the ones already open.
A realization of the piece from Félicie Bazelaire is available on the CD "music for strings" (edition
wandelweiser, 2021)