Vibrato involves muscles, motion and mechanics when you teach or learn it, but ultimately is only about the sound and its place in the music. It makes longer notes more pleasing to listen to and enables us to express beauty, drama, pathos – emotional colour in the music we play. A good vibrato is the mark of a mature musician, an alluring skill that seems to emanate from the core of their personality and character. Violinists are often recognizable by their vibrato – part of their unique tone, much like the familiar sound of a person’s voice.
I use several recordings in the studio as examples of good vibrato, but because interpretation is an individual expression of musical taste, I teach students and parents to select and study recordings that they personally consider attractive and to keep referring back to them during practice. Read More →
Placing fingers precisely for correct note pitches is a foundation skill of playing the violin. It’s much harder for string players than other instrumentalists to play in tune. There are no keys or frets on a violin, although a well-known maker of student violins tried (and failed – with notched fingerboards!) Forming the notes is a wonderful and exacting part of string playing, enabling us to play with more melodic freedom and expression than fixed note instruments, but it comes at a cost. We must work long and hard learning how to pitch notes accurately.
Fingerboard tapes to the rescue!
Tapes on the fingerboard show beginners where to place the fingers. They are a great head start. Eventually they wear off or are removed. We fit our young beginners’ violins with narrow pinstripe tapes. They must be placed by a teacher or expert player. I fit them so that the leading edge is in tune.
Regardless of how accurately the tapes are placed, the ear is the final judgeof pitch. More detailed instruction about playing in tune is in the intonation PDF on the resources page.
Teaching Left hand Position in 5 steps:
Start with basic violin posture. Extend the left hand out, placing the pad of the thumb at the first tape. Keep a straight thumb. The tip should be about level with the top of the fingerboard.
First finger touches near the nut, before the second joint – the one closest to the palm.
Keep the wrist straight, with the arm directly underneath the fingerboard.
Place fingers one, two, three and four at the fingerboard tapes on the A string at the edge of the tapes – B (1st finger), C# (2nd), D (3rd) and E (4th) – on the pads, so that the tip joint is angled, not vertical. (Why? It will help with vibratolater on.)
Keep a relaxed space between the thumb and first finger under the fingerboard – be careful not to squeeze!
Now simply hold this position and relax. Listen to the music. Make a habit to carefully place the fingers in position each time before starting to play. This establishes correct left hand posture and keeps the finger in close proximity to the fingerboard. Taking time to get it right in the beginning avoids corrective work later.
Learn from famous violinists.
Look at the posture of theseviolinists – the relaxed arms and hands, straight wrists and violins on shoulders. Read More →
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