Principles of Violin Playing (IX)

1 September 2017 – 10:08 pm Posted in Articles' List, General Information, Instrument & Playing, Western Classical Music

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.

Finger placing from left half at seventh position

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

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

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

Gradual movement of thumb under the neck

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

This entry was written by Ali Nourbakhsh
Tagged: .

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.

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.

Latest posts

From Past Days…

Negation of Changes in Iranian Music: Embracing Tradition

The perspective that denies any alteration or innovation beneath the realm of Iranian music, and more broadly, the performance and even the structure of Iranian music instruments, stems from the discourse of “tradition-oriented”* and the “return to self” movement in Iranian music. Given that some educators still adhere to this discourse and emphasize the necessity of preserving tradition, a perception is formed among art students that Iranian music, including Radif, lacks dynamism and is confined within a rigid framework.

A brief examination of Ardavan Kamkar’s Santour playing style

I still think of those fish in a crystal bowl for the Haft sin table and those disappointed old men who went out to sell blackfish.

New Technique for Playing Classical Guitar (I)

Joint application of the two techniques of “Lip” and “Nose” could be effectively applied for hearing and playing far-away intervals, by the Classical Guitar. Before this, a Classical Guitar player had to waive playing intervals not possible with the left hand, and had to replace or eliminate some notes, making it possible to play such intervals; specifically the capability of the left hand of the musician, was also a factor in such a selection. These methods are hereby illustrated by photographs and a video-file, in order to provide optimum comprehension of applying these methods, invented by the author; specifically the “Lip” technique, which is considered to be a more significant technique, emphasized by the author.

Shaahin Mohajeri Wins UnTwelve Composition Competition

UnTwelve Non-profit Organization announced the results of its 2014/2015 composition competition on January 28, 2015. Shaahin Mohajeri, an Iranian Tonbak player, microtonalist, acoustician and composer, was awarded the second prize for his piece “Castle of Babak.”

Harmony in the Iranian Music (I)

Translated by Mahboube Khalvati The article you are about to read was written by Rouhollah Khaleqi (1906-1965), composer, and conductor of Golha Orchestra (established in 1956). Khaleqi was one of the most prominent promoters of polyphony for the Iranian music and is one of the best representatives of the school of Ali Naghi Vaziri. In…
Read More »

Jamshid Andalibi passed away!

Jamshid Andalibi, one of the most famous ney players in Iran, passed away on the fifteenth of Esfand, 1402, at the age of 66 due to a heart attack at his private residence. Andalibi was a member of a family that had a significant presence in the field of Iranian music in the sixties and…
Read More »

Women and the Music Environment in Iran

The life territory of the female-male relations in the Iranian cultural context is basically a domestic territory and not a social-living one in the labour and leisure domains. To prove this, it only suffices to consider the Iranian men’s viewpoints about women. For the Iranian men, there are three perspectives regarding the women: mother, sister and wife. Mother represents the emotional territory; sister represents the logical territory at home while wife represents the sexual territory.

A combination of technique and musicality in the fingers of a pianist

In the world of classical music, the position of soloist has always been exceptional. Apart from the technical ability that many orchestral musicians also have, the soloist must also have a special power to be able to present a different and unique perspective of a piece. The soloist must maintain its special power of expression not only in solo roles but also when interacting with the orchestra.

From the Last Instrumentalist to the First Composer (II)

Rouhollah Khaleghi was the master of composing beautiful melodies. He was the premier of the course of history which was first established by Ali Naghi Vaziri and which improved the Iranian music from simply a gathering music to the classical music of the country. First efforts to compose independent and instrumental music can be also traced in Khaleghi’s works.

Developments in Iranian Music Since Qajar Era (III)

Developments in Composing

Along with developments in the Iranian instruments, composition of the Iranian pieces developed as well. As a matter of fact, the developments of the two, mutually affected each other. In other words, instrumental developments led to developments in composition and vice versa.