How to Play Meditation from Thaïs by Massenet on the Violin | Violin Lounge TV #320
Add this beautiful piece, the violin solo Meditation from the opera Thaïs by Jules Massenet, to your repertoire. I hope you enjoy playing it just as I do!
Learn to play this beautiful violin solo piece
There are a lot of elements in this piece. Don’t make the mistake of playing too softly or too modest. You want to maintain a full tone, even in piano you’re still the soloist, and be sure you aren’t using too little bow.
You want an airy sound and to achieve that you’ll want to use just a little bit of pressure. The trick is not to go too fast and to be in control of your bow at all times to ensure you keep a sound with core. Give the notes exactly the bow they need by balancing lightness and fullness.
Practicing is key!
There are a lot of rhythmical figures, so you must be very disciplined. Rhythmic structure can disappear if you play too freely from the get go. Start slow and practice rhythmically. After that you can take your freedom. Also, be sure not to rush through the sixteenth notes as you want to maintain the serene atmosphere.
Let’s talk about vibrato
Use a very relaxed vibrato in this piece from the beginning to get that warm sound. Your goal should be to maintain the serenity of the piece.
Watch the full tutorial above to get more detailed instruction on playing this piece
(and sign up on the right if you want to receive my sheet music with fingering and bowing notes)
Get your sheet music:
Hi! I'm Zlata
Classical violinist helping you overcome technical struggles and play with feeling by improving your bow technique.
Video content
00:32 Beginning to bar 10
10:50 Bars 11 to 39
22:31 Bars 40 to end
What do you think?
Let me know in the comments what you think about this piece and if you enjoyed practicing and playing it as much as I did!
40 Comments
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
- To Shift or NOT to Shift: How to know when to change positions on the violin? | Violin Lounge TV #383 - Violin Lounge - […] If you want to learn this piece, watch my extensive tutorial right here. […]
Dag Mevrouw Zlata,
Mag ik u eerst vragen mij te willen verontschuldigen dat ik niet in het Engels schrijf. Maar als een niet zo jonge Belg in leeftijd (maar wel in mijn geest) ben ik opgegroeid als verplicht tweetalige Nederlands – Frans / Frans – Nederlands . . .
Mag ik u van harte danken voor AL DE MOOIE EN NUTTIGE INFORMATIE die ik al geruime tijd van u toegestuurd kreeg, zowel documenten, video’s enz.
Ik vind het spijtig dat Roeselare in België zo ver van bij u is.
Ik was anders zeker al langs gekomen, toen u nog allerlei instrumenten en toebehoren verkocht.
Het kwijl loopt langs mijn mondhoeken als ik uw mooie Arcus S9 boog zie, maar ja als gepensioneerde amateur violist (met professionele ingesteldheid) moet ik met mijn voeten op de grond blijven, voor een amateur is dit veel geld.
Bovendien hebben mij beroeps violisten gezegd dat die bogen nu misschien goed zijn, maar na jaren kan dit misschien totaal veranderen, zij hebben nog niets bewezen zeggen zij . . . In mijn omgeving ken ik niemand die daarmee speelt en bij wie ik eens zou kunnen experimenteren . . . Ik ken nochtans heel veel muzikanten, voornamelijk violisten.
Ik ben de uitdaging aangegaan om nu nog jazz te studeren voor viool . . . Zeer boeiend maar enorm moeilijk om die jazz structuren en akkoorden te leren . . . Ik bestudeer ook een eventuele aankoop van een elektrische viool . . .
Ik lees heel graag al uw info, maar neem het mij a.u.b. niet kwalijk dat ik praktisch nooit respons geef. Gewoon gebrek aan tijd.
Mag ik u nogmaals heel hartelijk danken voor ” alles ” en ook voor de partituur van Meditation uit Thais van Massenet.
Ik zal daar een hele tijd zoet mee zijn, maar ik hoop dat ik het ooit eens perfect zal kunnen spelen. . . .
Van harte heel veel geluk voor u en man en met de uitbreiding van de familie. Dit is een oprechte wens ! ! !
Vriendelijke groeten.
Jose.
Beste Jose,
Bedankt voor je reactie en uiteraard prima dat dit in het Nederlands is. Wellicht zou een 6-klasse Arcus een mooie optie voor je zijn. Ze komen met 30 jaar garantie en ze maken ze ook al decennia, dus met de duurzaamheid zit het wel goed. Andere ervaringen met carbon leren dat ze langer en beter goed blijven dan hout. De winkeljaren voor mij zijn voorbij na twaalf jaar, zeker met de komst van de kids, het is goed zo en ben liever inhoudelijk bezig. Ik zal met Violin Lounge in de toekomst wellicht meer gaan samenwerken met winkels.
Al het beste,
Zlata
Hello Zlata
Thank you for the lesson and music. It’s beautiful music. I’m very much a learner, so I’m working through it slowly. I’m early stages with vibrato too. I enjoy it immensely though and thanks again.
Great, Derek, I’m glad to read you’re enjoying it. Happy practicing!
Hi Zlata, thank you for providing your tutorial video (Thais) and the sheet music with your fingering and bowing notes. I am still a beginner just finishing up the Suzuki Vol. 1 and working through the Wohlfahrt Book 1, so I haven’t learned the higher positions yet. However I have begun to practice the first few bars, and I find that your fingering notes are a nice help to understand and play this piece. Thanks again!
Great, William, I’ve got more tutorials coming up on various levels, also easy pieces :). Stay tuned!
Hello Zlata,
I heard this piece the first time from Maxim Vengerov and loved it so much that I committed to learn it. Admittedly, I have not come to doing justice to this fine work, so your tutorial has given me much needed direction for my improvement. Some of the shifts are a challenge I enjoy working on, I sincerely thank you for these tips. Thank you for committing your time and energy to teach us!
Thank you, David, happy practicing!
Thank you for the sheet music. I found all the 8th and 16th notes difficult as a recreational player. I prefer slower notes ie. whole, half, quarter.
The way to learn fast runs is to practice them with rhythmical variations. Happy practicing!
Dear Zlata, I love to hear you playing Meditation, I would love to play it too, just as Schindler’s List Theme and some other music pieces that came along in the years I know and follow you. But….. it is not my level of playing. I know the first 4 positions, and that’s it. Could you once give us a piece for the less advanced student?
Nevertheless, Meditation was very interesting because of your comment. I learned a lot.
Thank you, Marlies
Yes, Marlies, I’ve got more tutorials in the pipeline, also for easier pieces :). Stay tuned!
Zlata this video is quite a lesson. The musical notes “look” easy enough, but in reality a lovely slow piece like this one is much more difficult to perform than many works that have more notes, played faster, so that they distract the ear from fine details. Playing Meditation properly allows me (and everyone else) to hear everything that irritates me about my playing. So we have to go back to basics and “clean up our act” to get the beautiful sounds we know we should be hearing. Your discussion of all the fine details involved is a valuable treasure. But I also see and hear, that your own playing has continued to progress admirably in the three years since you created this particular video. Please keep your excellent work going, and congratulations on your new and lovely family. I’m sure you will be quite busy being trained by Louise and Victor, double trouble from your lovely twins.
Thank you so much for your kind words, John!
Ik heb dit stuk al aan menig leerling aangeleerd maar wilde even kijken of ik toch nog wat dingen over het hoofd had gezien. Bedankt voor alle moeite die je neemt om deze tutorials te maken.
Ik wilde nog wel het een en ander zeggen over het Engels. Flageolet heet hier harmonic. Natural voor die in Thais voorkomen. Artificial voor waar men de eerste vinger erbij speelt om de snaar korter te maken en de harmonie hoger. Piano als instrument spreek je uit zoals in dit filmpje. Maar als dynamiek aanwijzing spreek je het uit met een Hollandse a. Of Italiaans. Een muzikale zin is een phrase. En een 16e noot een semiquaver maar de Amerikanen zeggen het ook zoals in Nederland dus dat is een keuze.
Veel succes met de kinderen en de tutorials.
Hi Jacqueline, bedankt voor de tips! Succes met lesgeven!
Hlo zlata.It sounds beautiful when you play it.I did play it,but still going slowly to get every note in.but i’ll keep on practice with my great violin teacher ZLATA BROUWER.Thank you again.
Yay, Baronice, congrats on picking up this piece. Happy practicing!
Thank you for doing that – much appreciated!
Thanks for watching, Patricia, what’s the next piece you’d like to learn?
Dear Zlata,
First of all, your playing was beautiful and your teaching was incredibly helpful. I have been practicing this piece for the last one month and watching your tutorial made it much easier for me to learn this piece. Thank you!
-Labonno
I’m glad to read that, Labonno, what’s the next piece you’d like to learn?
Dear Zlata,
I thoroughly enjoyed your extremely helpful tutorial for this lovely and emotional piece. I have been practicing with your tip in mind and it has made a definite difference.
I look forward to more of your tutorials.
Thank you.
Great to read that, Jerry, what’s the next piece you’d like to learn?
Dear Zlata, I really enjoy this piece and very helpful tutorial. It is challenging, but at the same time to feel satisfied to produce the tone which is so beautiful. Your tutorial is really help to make my task easier and pay attention to some details. Well done ! I am still practicing a little by little and enjoying to accomplish what I have learned from you. Thank you so much. My next song I hope you could post a tutorial is Beethoven Romances in F Major. I’d like to study this beautiful piece as well. All the best:)
I’m very glad it’s helpful, Shirley, good that you took up this challenge… actually I’m working on some bowing tutorials on the Frühling sonata with Bow like a Pro teacher Vivien. We might share some of it on my channel :).
Dear Zlata, thank you so much for the lesson and the sheet music with your annotations! I have been practicing this piece and your input was precious to help me pay attention at some details for the bowings and check my fingerings. It’s wonderful to get annotated music from a pro like yourself! Thank you for sharing!
Happy playing!
Hi Zlata,
I printed the music of Meditation. Is it possible for the fingerings to be bigger and clearer?
Thanks.
Leandro
Hmmmz, I think it’s because they are made with pencil. Perhaps you can adjust the printer settings to make it easier to read? Happy practicing!
I’ve been playing American Fiddle method for about 10 years and decided it was finally time to start learning classical technique. I’m learning vibrato and shifts, and my teacher said this was a good piece to practice those with. He was right! And your tutorial is helping me tons. Thank you!
Great to read that, Nicholas!
Thanks for the music and the video! It’s very helpful. I’m still on the third line struggling to get the beautiful tone and some places the sound came out was weaker than I wished.
I’ll practise more and share a recording 🙂 thanks!!!
Great to read it’s helpful, Ally!
Thank you for sending me your sheet music and for your video tutorial. Could you do a video tutorial of the adagietto of de 5 sin phony of Mahler? . This is one of my favorite pieces and there are not videotutorials in youtube.
Ah, orchestra scores… is there a specific part of it you struggle with?
Thank you very much for sending the notes. Your explanations are very helpful.
You are a wonderful teacher.
You’re so welcome, Liga!
Hello Zlata, I worked on this piece with two teachers in the 1980s, and I’ve come back to it after 18 years away from the violin. Your markup helped resolve some conflicts in the bowings of my two teachers, and your advice to be disciplined about rhythm is very helpful. I’m finding my biggest problems are intonation during the shifts in measures 15 and 32 and….the very first note! I struggle to play that F# in third position piano but still clean and clear – it often comes out scratching and hissing. I have payed close attention to bowing straight (thank you, Bowing Bootcamp), I’ve tried different bows, different rosin, different pressure. It’s slowly improving, but I’m nowhere near a reliably beautiful start to the piece. In any case, I’m having a lot of fun working on this again. Thanks for your tips.
That’s great to read, William, and glad you like the bootcamp. Perhaps it helps to not start the piece too soft. It’s the start of a solo, so it shouldn’t be an orchestral piano. Happy practicing!