Principles of Playing Violin (IV)

2 August 2016 – 12:03 am Posted in Instrument & Playing

Pattern No.3/1

Left hand finger Placement:

3/1/1: Landing Fingers on one String:

In preliminary stages of training, an apprentice should pay attention to the principle of keeping fingers while placing them on the fingerboard. Professional violinists pay less attention to this principle.

Novice player’s complying with this principle, in preliminary stages of training, has several advantages: firstly, gaining a more accurate understanding of how to land fingers on different positions in finger placement with different distances; secondly, increasing player’s physical ability in simultaneously keeping fingers on uncommon positions; thirdly, developing the ability to place one single finger on the fingerboard independent of other fingers.

Principle of keeping Fingers on a string:

When finger placement on a string starts from the first finger to the rest, besides keeping the last finger, the player should also keep previously landed fingers on the fingerboard. However, if finger placement is done out of order, there is no more need to simultaneously put previous fingers on the fingerboard.

For example if we have to play notes A to E subsequently on A string in first position, we should not raise its corresponding finger from the fingerboard after playing each note of this series. However, if we have to play note D immediately after playing free string, there is no need to put first and second fingers simultaneously with the third finger and the third finger can be put independently on the fingerboard.

It should be noted that performing this principle on a smaller scale is also the same. For example in subsequent playing of C, D and E on A string we should not pick the second and the third fingers up after performing C and D notes. In order to play note E immediately after B we should not put the second and the third fingers on the fingerboard. In this state the fourth finger lands on the fingerboard alone.

NB 14: Performing this principle in one position does not depend on the form of musical distances of fingers in the position in relation to each other.

3/1/2: Finger placement:

In order to reach accurate finger placement, it is better to consider the following points simultaneously:

3/1/2/1: When placed on violin fingerboard, fingers should be in a curved shape.

If a finger bends inward in its first joint, which makes a Λ shape, as it is called, instead of a curved shape, it will lead to pain in the finger in the long run. It also decreases player’s skill in finger placement.

3/1/2/2: Strings should always be touched (kept) through finger tips. Nails should not interfere in finger placement. When landed on the fingerboard, fingers should not be in a position in which player’s nail touches strings. In other words, player should not hold the strings with his nail.

In this false position, inward curved shape of fingers is decreased and an excessive pressure is beard by finger tip while finger placing. Also finger placement ability decreases leaving fingers with less independence in relation to each other while playing the instrument.

3/1/2/3: If we imagine that a line, in continuation of the finger length, divides this length into right and left halves, violin player should put left half of his finger tip on the fingerboard.

Because, firstly, considering the less distances between violin strings if a string is held by right half of the finger, the finger will approximately be placed on more bass string at the vicinity of the intended one.

Therefore, if there is a need to play a note with lower finger on a more bass string simultaneously (double-stop performance) or immediately after that, the player encounters a problem.

Secondly, finger placement using the right half of the finger tip will lead to the bending of the left wrist toward right which is not appropriate (See 2/1/3: Wrist).

3/1/2/4: Except when the performance of fifth Musical Interval (De la Quinte), is intended, the above-mentioned points regarding finger placement should be complied with in a manner so as to leave the neighboring high-toned string free.

NB 15: finger placement is done better when article 2/1/2, related to hand twist, is done in the best way possible.

*Therefore, the violinist should keep his nails as short as possible.

Correct style of placing the first finger in a curved shape:

Correct style of placing the second finger in a curved shape:

False Way of First Finger Placement:

False Position of Nail on String

Accurate Style of Placing the Third Finger in Curved Shape:

Accurate Way of Placing the Fourth Finger in a Curved Shape

viol.ir

This entry was written by Ali Nourbakhsh
Tagged: violin.

Transition to Enlightenment: Six Lectures on Mozart’s String Quartets (4)

Mozart’s compositions bear the imprint of Enlightenment ideals in various ways. His music exhibits a balance between reason and emotion, mirroring the Enlightenment’s call for a harmonious integration of these elements in human life. The clarity of Mozart’s formal structures in his symphonies and operas reflects Enlightenment principles of order and rational organization.

Fereydoun Shahbazian, An Iranian Musical Icon Passed Away

Fereydoun Shahbazian, the renowned Iranian composer, passed away at the age of 82 due to respiratory illness in Tehran. His last significant activity was leading the National Orchestra before the appointment of Homayoun Rahimian

Latest posts

From Past Days…

Last Year under the Light of Music

Almost three months into the new Iranian year (starting March 21), it is still not too late to have a look at the last year and the challenges that the musicians faced. The following article was published on the first day of the New Year in the Persian edition of the HarmonyTalk journal.

Behzad Abdi’s opera Rumi was physically released by Naxos

Composing a traditional Iranian opera using the Iranian modal system, dastgāh, has always been my dream. I first approached this by composing an opera called Ashura followed by the operas Rumi and Hafez. I believe that in order to attract an international audience for Iranian opera, it is essential to fuse dastgāh with Western classical forms.

Interview with the Makers of the New Qeychak (II)

Regarding the classification of a new instrument in an instrument family, one can point to a number of fundamental issues, one of the most obvious of which is the instrument’s visual features. If we look at how the new instrument has changed compared to its historical versions, the set of visual elements that link the instrument to the Qeychak family becomes apparent. But other characteristics such as the geometric dimensions of the instrument, characteristics of the instrument’s various parts and how they relate to each other, its systematic performance, its sound range (compared to modern versions), the material and color of the sound, the way it is played and the like, can be considered in order to classify the instrument in the Qeychak family.

Hossein Aslani passed away!

Hossein Aslani, Iranian pianist residing in the US, passed away due to cancer in late January 2020. His last musical activity was an article written for Harmony Talk entitled “Iran amidst musical struggle” in 2016, his memoir entitled “I Play You Again” in the same year and his album “Symbolic Emotion” published by Arganoun Publications in 2014. Here is a brief biography of Hossein Aslani according to his own website:

The Structure of Kurdistan Daf (I)

Today, percussion instruments have such a high place in music that are an essential element of orchestras. This has attracted many people to this type of instrument with roots as old as the first humans. A historical study of music, shows that humans used the sound of these instruments to defend themselves against wild animals and, over time, for alerting each other, signaling their readiness and encouraging people for war, ritual ceremonies, dances, etc. in a manner that is still clearly visible in music and some ritual ceremonies.

Principles of Violin Playing (III)

Violin players should always pay attention to the proper position of the left thumb and other points related to it and to its joining point to the palm.

A Look at Ali Tajvidi’s Manifold Musical Activities (I)

Ali Tajvidi (1920 – 2004), one of the most prominent Iranian musicians, passed away sixteen years ago. He was one of the most distinguished Iranian artists. To specify one of the fields in which he was unique, one can refer to Tasnif composition. A brief review of his manifold musical activities is presented below.

Interview with the Makers of the New Qeychak (III)

In this project, my specialized responsibility was the basic drawings of the desired instrument with the help of engineering and mechanical software. I have also the carried out phases related to engineering designs, related variables, and volume and weight calculations under Mr. Ziaei’s direct supervision from the very beginning. Regarding the challenges of this work, suffice it to say that the set of designs for the instrument lasted more than 9 months in the final stage of the project only.

Women Musicians in Large Iranian Orchestras

It is more than a century now that the sociologists consider the presence of women in different social domains as a benchmark for a society’s progress. They analyze the presence of women in society by the means of available statistics. Unfortunately, as with regard to the Iranian society, statistics related to women’s engagement, has not been available to the researchers, if they existed at all.

A Miracle in the Iranian Music: About Tehran Flute Choir’s Eight-year Tenacity

Tehran Flute Choir is a 40-member orchestra of Iran’s best flutists; Iran’s best flutists? Yes! If you write down the names of the greatest Iranian flute players who participate at concerts and contribute to academic centers in Iran, you will see that most of them are among the choir’s members.