Principles of Violin Playing (III)

1 April 2016 – 6:45 pm Posted in Articles' List, Instrument & Playing

Continuation of Pattern 2/1

Points Regarding Left Hand

4/1/2 Left Thumb:
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.

Normally, the left thumb is stretched and is not bended in first and last knuckles (last knuckle is the one which joins the thumb to the hand), there is no need to bend the left thumb while holding the instrument or playing it.

NB 7: Knuckles are rows of connecting joints where the last phalange joins the palm. The order of counting finger joints in these series of articles has been selected from finger tip toward knuckles arbitrarily.

NB 8: There are two possible bending forms for the thumb in the first phalange: The first one is bending inward which causes the fingertip to be inclined toward the fingerboard. The second is bending outward in which the finger tip is diverted toward the left side of player or outside the fingerboard.

As the thumb is not used in general state of playing violin, it should be noticed that in the first manner of bending, digression of the tip of thumb toward fingerboard makes the thumb disturb other fingers through finger placement. This disturbance increases to the most when the player places his finger on G string.

On the other hand, bending thumb inward causes a kind of pluck in thumb and also in part of left palm which is near the thumb. Not only this may cause early tiredness during exercise, it decreases the speed of playing.

In the second state of bending, digression of thumb outward decreases skill in playing. Thumb and edge of first finger of left hand play the main role in holding the instrument. Outward digression of thumb decreases hand’s reliance on the neck as well as the player’s energy while holding the instrument.

NB 9: Usually, only inward bending occurs in the last phalange of the thumb. This kind of false bending, which causes a sort of outgrowth in internal part of palm which is joined to thumb, decreases the movement of other left hand fingers.

NB 10: After this introduction we will attend to the most common mistake of players related to bending the left thumb, i.e. a state that occurs due to the mixture of the above-mentioned mistakes. In this position the thumb is bent inward simultaneously at first and last phalanges. Occurrence of this position causes the player to suffer from all of the above-mentioned errors resulting from false bending which leads to deficiencies in playing.

NB 11: In general, it is better to raise the left thumb, form the fingerboard, about the distance between the finger tip and the first phalange (or central point of the first phalange). Doing this makes the necessary “central gap” between player’s left hand and the back of violin neck balanced (it is worth mentioning that the amount of the gap varies according to the form and size of players’ hand.)*

2/1/5 Left Elbow:
When the left hand lands on lower positions of the fingerboard it is better to keep the elbow exactly under the central part of the violin or in line with the fingerboard. It is better to prevent the left elbow from excessive bending to the left or to the right.

NB 12: If the elbow inclines excessively toward left, player will encounter problems in landing his finger on G string. Moreover, he will face difficulties reaching the last string of the violin.

This critical state in the fourth finger of the left hand is problematic even for players who have long and slim fingers.

NB 13: If elbow inclines more toward right, the player will encounter problems in correctly landing his finger on E string.**

*If the left hand is raised excessively upper or lower than the neck, in both above mentioned states, central distance (gap) is lost and causes some problems in manner and form of finger placement on the fingerboard which will be discussed in finger placement section.

** It will be discussed in finger placement section.

Wrong Rightward Elbow Bending

Bending of Thumb Toward the Fingerboard by Mistake

False Outward Bending of Thumb

False Simultaneous Bending of Thumb

Correct Position of Thumb

False Method in inclining Elbow to the Left

Viol.ir

This entry was written by Ali Nourbakhsh
Tagged: violin.

Farhad Poupel: The Voice of the Shahnameh in the Orchestras Around the World

In an era when almost no trace of contemporary Iranian music can be heard in international concert halls, except (so-called!) avant-garde works that owe their existence solely to the fashionable slogans of the “pseudo-intellectual” crowd who have seized the already meager resources for performing classical music from the true artists of the field, the numerous performances of Farhad Poupel’s works shine as a ray of hope for lovers of sincere musical art. Without resorting to trendy slogans, he has kept the flame of Iranian classical music alive purely through the power of his artistry.

Five Major Myths About Mozart’s Life

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the renowned Austrian composer, is undoubtedly one of the greatest geniuses in the history of classical music. However, his life is surrounded by numerous myths and legends, some of which are not based on facts. This article explores five of the most common misconceptions about Mozart’s life.

Latest posts

From Past Days…

Polyphony in Iranian Music (III)

In heterophonic variant, two performers perform a single melody simultaneously and change it. Performing and changing a single melody simultaneously by two performers leads to the coincidence of different voices.

Gholam Reza Khan Minbashian: a pioneer in Iranian music (I)

Gholam Reza Khan Minbashian, a.k.a Salar-Mo’azez, was a pioneer in several domains in the history of the Iranian music. He is recognized as the first Iranian musician who was educated in classical music. He is also the first Iranian the score of whose works were published in Europe. He is the first Iranian to have launched courses on Western classical music and was also the first Iranian teacher of classical music. Moreover, he is the first founder of a string orchestra in Iran, the first author of the Iranian Radif which was available in oral form. Minbashian is also the first Iranian who studied music in Europe.

Is the Iranian National Anthem a Copy? (II)

In response, it should be said that it is better for the national anthem of a country to use the musical material exclusive to that country; however, some problems might come up in doing so the most important of which include: lack of familiarity of other countries’ music performer with the concerned country’s specific music intervals and special musical technique; and secondly, the strangeness of that music to the foreign listener.

Quality Decline in Regional Music Festivals

Regional music festivals are organized to, firstly, introduce the music of different regions and, secondly, to support its performers. Regional music festivals are held in large cities for various reasons, including the availability of financial and executive facilities and the presence of an audience. However, the organization of these festivals has always been one of the challenging issues of ethnomusicology. The reason is that the presence of regional music performers in large cities places them in a context other than the context they would normally perform in their homes; consequently this change in situation leads to changes in the quality of their performance.

Transition to Enlightenment: Six Lectures on Mozart’s String Quartets (3)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a musical prodigy of the Classical era, was deeply influenced by the intellectual currents of the Enlightenment. His exposure to Enlightenment ideas was multifaceted, shaped not only by the cultural milieu of his time but also by the relationships within his family and his own interactions with prominent figures of the Enlightenment. This exploration will delve into Mozart’s acquaintance with Enlightenment ideas through his father’s relationships and his own encounters with influential personalities of the era, including Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, Baron Melchior Grimm, Madame d’Epinay, and Joseph von Sonnenfels. Additionally, the essay will examine the impact of Joseph II’s reforms on Mozart’s life and artistic endeavors.

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.

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.

Polyphony in Iranian Music (IV)

Two choirs alternatively perform Veŝ Tavaré Na avaz (Transcription 5). The second group starts the avaz before the first group finishes it; consequently, two different voices coincide (Transcription 5, staves 2 and 5).

Lilly Afshar, Iranian Guitar Legend, passed away

The text you are reading is about Hamed Fathi, a guitarist and one of Lilly Afshar’s students, which was previously published on the Persian website HarmonyTalk.com:

A Note on the Occasion of Houshang Zarif’s Demise

No introduction is needed when talking about the position of the late Houshang Zarif (1938-2020) in the Iranian music. His character and personality are so well-known among musicians that his name per se is a symbol and role model for the Iranian youth. “Becoming Houshang Zarif” is the dream of many young people who enter the world of music in Iran and many of whom retire regretting the realisation of this dream.