Principles of Violin Playing (IX)

4.3.1. To practice playing of doubles of notes involving two different fingers, each note is played at separate bows with slow tempo, each note is played perfectly regarding its bass and tenor sounds and then the considered double is played at another bow while considering the resulted sound of the double

To increase the dominance of left hand fingers at playing doubles, it is suggested to keep the first finger on the string while playing the second note.

4.1.4. To play a double involving a finger(Quint), player should follow the method mentioned in the paragraph 3.1.3.3 without allowing finger to turn right or left on the fingerboard.

Notification 19: the study of playing continuous doubles which require position changing is according to the general rules of left hand position changing that will be discussed later in this article.

Notification 20: to play doubles, it is necessary to correctly adjust the latitudinal distance of the strings on the nut and the bridge.

Patterns 1/5

Left hand positions

In the different positions of left hand, finger placing should be according to the following essential rules:

5.1.1. at the beginning of doing the practices of positions, in order to acquire a better understanding of the process of finger placing at different positions and to play the notes perfectly, it would be more beneficial to practice Bar by bar the notes playable at the first position, at this position and then practice them at their corresponding position (notes out of the domain of the first position can be also played at bass octaves)

5.1.2. at positions first to forth, as it was mentioned about the point where thumb is placed at first position in the paragraph 1.2.2, thumb is placed at the side of neck, just opposite of the touch point of the first finger on the fingerboard, and it’s better to be in line with it and not before or after it.

5.1.3. At positions fifth and sixth due to the special shape of violin neck, first finger is not in line with thumb and it gradually shifts under the neck.

5.1.4. At position seventh, left thumb is completely under violin neck and after this position elbow moves gradually from its original place under fingerboard toward right. As hand moves to higher positions, elbow moves out more and more and thumb gradually moves out of the underneath of the neck.

5.1.5. The point referred at paragraph 3.2.1.3 about finger placing from left half at first position is true about other positions too. That is, if we assume a line in direction of the finger length, that divides the length into two right and left haves, it’s necessary for the player to touch the fingerboard with the left half of her fingertip.

Pattern 1.6

Changing left hand positions

Changing left hand position on a string due to longitudinal shift of a finger on the fingerboard which results in change throughout the vibrating string and produce different sounds is according to the following rules:

6.1.1. During changing position, from position first to forth, set of thumb and left hand should move harmoniously and simultaneously from elbow; avoid any unharmonious movement of thumb in relation to fingers and hand.

Notification 21.quick increasing glissando of left hand occurring at a short moment and by momentarily passing of hand over several positions, does not follow this rule and thumb always shifts with lower speed and longitudinal movement comparing to hand and other fingers.

In this type of glissando, if the source note is in the first position, from position first to forth thumb shifts thoroughly to underneath of the neck.

In momentary glissando, a part of the distance between two notes in source and destination positions, is passed by opening the interior curve of the finger.

6.1.2. The time spent for usual changing of position over fingerboard is dependent on the optimal tempo in the destination position. The spent time for shifting should not affect the tempo at the destination position, regardless the direction of hand movement; upward or downward.

angoshtgozari-az-nimeie-chap-dar-posesione-8

Finger placing from left half at seventh position

charkheshe-kamele-60-zire-daste-dar-posesione-7

Thorough twisting of thumb to underneath of the neck at seventh position

gilisandoie-ani-va-baz-shodane-helalae-dakheili-angoshte-sevom

Momentary glissando and opening of the third finger’s interior curve

hamrastaeeie-shast-va-angoshte-aval-dar-posesione-4-2

Thumb and first finger being in the same direction at the fourth position from another view

harekate-tadrijie-shast-be-samte-zire-daste

Gradual movement of thumb under the neck

khorooje-angoshte-aval-nesbat-be-shast-dar-posesione-5

Moving the first finger out of the line of thumb at fifth position

Post a Comment

Required fields are marked *
*
*
Your email is never shared.

Transition to Enlightenment: Six Lectures on Mozart’s String Quartets (5)

The late 18th century was marked by profound societal changes across Europe, characterized by the rise of the bourgeoisie and the reshaping of musical patronage. Composers like Mozart responded to these shifts by adapting their compositional styles to align with the tastes and sensibilities of the emerging middle class. This article seeks to explore this phenomenon through an analysis of Mozart’s K. 499 quartet, also known as the “Hoffmeister” quartet, and his Prussian quartets, alongside the works of his contemporaries. By examining the evolution of the string quartet genre within the context of changing social structures and aesthetic preferences, this study aims to shed light on the dynamic relationship between music and society.

Nasser Masoudi: The Voice of Gilan and a Legacy of Iranian Music

In Iranian music, certain singers have become emblematic of their homelands through their distinctive voices. Historical figures such as Eghbal Sultan, who epitomized the grandeur of Azerbaijani music, and Taj Isfahani, who conveyed the authentic essence of Isfahan, serve as notable examples from the Qajar era. Nasser Masoudi occupies a similar position; his voice emerged as a symbol of Gilan while also achieving national acclaim. Before him, Master Ahmad Ashurpur represented Gilan’s musical landscape, but his extended residence outside Iran limited his continuous engagement in the music scene. In contrast, Masoudi’s consistent presence allowed him to introduce the voice of Gilan to audiences across Iran.

From Past Days…

Principles of Playing Violin (IV)

Principles of Playing Violin (IV)

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…
Read More »

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.

The First Saba Student Music Festival Concluded in Tehran

Preparations for Saba Student Music Festival started in the summer of 2016; the Student Music Festival will be held annually by the students of music at Arts University. The first part of the closing ceremony of the Festival was dedicated to the celebration of the life, work and strives by Maestro Hossein Dehlavi to upgrade the level of music as an academic discipline. The name of the award-winning students and ensembles were announced at the second part of the ceremony.

Nasser Masoudi: The Voice of Gilan and a Legacy of Iranian Music

In Iranian music, certain singers have become emblematic of their homelands through their distinctive voices. Historical figures such as Eghbal Sultan, who epitomized the grandeur of Azerbaijani music, and Taj Isfahani, who conveyed the authentic essence of Isfahan, serve as notable examples from the Qajar era. Nasser Masoudi occupies a similar position; his voice emerged as a symbol of Gilan while also achieving national acclaim. Before him, Master Ahmad Ashurpur represented Gilan’s musical landscape, but his extended residence outside Iran limited his continuous engagement in the music scene. In contrast, Masoudi’s consistent presence allowed him to introduce the voice of Gilan to audiences across Iran.

Layla Ramezan, Iranian Pianist

Iranian pianist Layla Ramezan has always sought to create a connection between her Persian origin and the contemporary music which she encounters daily. Sound, phrasing, a particular sense of rhythm and a refined understanding of the “time of musical development” are the foremost qualities of her interpretations. Her musical and pianistic education began in Tehran at the age of 8 with Mostafa-Kamal Poortorab. Having moved to Paris and received a scholarship from Albert Roussel Foundation, she integrated the classes of Jean Micault and Devi Erlih at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot, where she received a Diplôme de Virtuosité in piano performance and chamber music.

Hassan Kassai, Ney Virtuoso

The name of Maestro Hassan Kassai is so vehemently intertwined with Ney (Persian reed flute) that one cannot imagine one without the other immediately coming into mind. Ney is one of the instruments which went through a lot of ups and downs in the history of the Iranian music since the time of Sassanid kings to the time when shepherds found playing it consoling when they took their cattle for grazing. However, Nay could never demonstrate its main capacities to gain a stable position among the musicians and the people like other instruments including Oud, Tar, Santour, all sorts of bowed string instruments and plucked string instruments.

Interview with the Makers of the New Qeychak (I)

On occasion of the 8th anniversary of launching HarmonyTalk Online Journal on 6 April 2012, Reza Ziaei, master luthier and researcher on classical music instruments (violin family), announced that the first phase of the project to improve Qeychak has borne fruit. The new instrument would feature a bowl of ribs and the material used for the surface would be wooden. Carrying out the second phase of the project took more than 7 years engaging the new members of Reza Ziaei’s Workshop. In this phase, new researches were conducted from different aspects on the Qeychak and the modern versions of the instrument which were introduced previously by other instrument makers. The available versions of the instrument were studied in terms of their weak and strong technical features.

Ali Rahbari & Recording Iranian Symphonic Compositions

In the few days prior to the New Iranian year (March 2015), the news of the revival of Tehran Symphony Orchestra under Ali (Alexander) Rahbari’s conductorship was announced. Ali Rahbari, who served as assistant to Herbert von Karajan in Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at a very young age, was also invited to conduct Tehran Symphony Orchestra in 2005; however, the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government put an end to his collaboration with this Orchestra. Recently, it was announced that Rahbari is invited to conduct an orchestra in the U.S.

Avaye Naerika Percussion Orchestra

Avaye Naerika Percussion Orchestra is an Iranian percussion orchestra featuring 40 lady percussionists. The Orchestra was established as Iran’s largest all-female percussion orchestra in 2008 by Ms. Minoo Rezaei under the title Naerika Percussion Orchestra and changed its name to Avaye Naerika in 2017.

Musical Sense or Technique?

One of the most popular terms used by Iranian instrumentalists is the existence or a lack of musical “sense”. Both musicians and fans of music consider having “sense” while playing music as an important principle to the extent that they use it vis-a-vis having technique.