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Could some of you verbalize the thumb moving from normal cusped hold to vibrato two-point hold, both on a/e and as a separate conversation on g/d....
My c-grip for non-vibrato notes, even with a lot of work, still has a way to go in terms of lightness of hold.... That is what is happening I think. I've walked a hundred miles with this, so a few more are not going to hurt.
I've been trying to develop some 'prepare to vibrate' exercises, and will work with this slight thumb rotation in the process.
al
My thumb, holding the violin's neck up, needs to be very flexible in the base joint, so that the hand or arm can vibrate freely, while the violin remains quite stable. It's a kind of 'tail wagging the dog' situation: the larger part of your arm is moving, but the little thumb is holding the violin in one place.
Has reaching the d/g string been this difficult for anyone else?
al
al 'off to watch others prepare to vibrate on youtube' justice
"but I cna vibrate with the firts finger touching the rets of the time,"
As Susan suggested, the thumb allows the arm and hand to move while keeping the violin stable by staying flexible at its base joint (which is close to the wrist). The hand slides freely along the neck (maintaining double contact) if you coordinate the opening and closing of the thumb with the extending and curling of the finger. N.B. the base knuckles of the fingers move opposite to that of the thumb, i.e. they open as the fingers curl, and close as the fingers extend.
You might find it easier to vibrate on the lower strings if you align your arm with your fingers. Allow the elbow to swing under your fiddle and in toward your body as you swing your fingers over to the lower strings (keep your shoulder neutral so you don't jam the upper arm against your chest - you may also need to open your shoulder by swinging your arm slightly to the left). Make sure not to reach for the lower strings with your fingers (this causes them to lose their curl), but rather roll them over (keeping their proper shape) to the lower strings from the elbow. Depending on the relative size of your hands, your side-of-the-1st-base-knuckle contact slides vertically, higher up the neck (even onto the fingerboard for very small hands). Make sure nothing keeps your fingers tips from getting to where they need to go.
Best,
JK
Another part of the issue is psychological. I have this image of a perfectly e-string postured player never reaching for anything, that I have to understand better. I'm getting 'a little' looser along this line by watching alot of others play--and discussing things such as this actually.
I kid around that 'it took the entire internet to get me to slow down and practice smartly, though I didn't download it'. This has been another such issue. Thanks again... al
Hope that's helpful.
JK
I have to litmus tests to check out what I'm doing with base joint of the thumb before I can go much further. I have invested a lot of time against the wall doing thumb relaxing exercises and so forth. So I can say generally up front that I 'know how to at least relax the joint'?
But I won't know until I start applying what you, Susan, and Buri have shared what is 'actually' happening with my thumb joint in this process--I think that is probably critical, and will make or break these efforts.
Nonetheless, you've given me the information to work with--I'm sure of this. Thanks. al
p.s. I'll check back in in a few days after I've had a chance to understand, and/or better yet try to implement these things..
Hi Dan. There are various notions on what the arm/hand does, but whatever happens around the finger, the first joint must be rolled from its tip to its pad, flattening the pitch, and back. Some people talk about the 'posture' of the hand. Generally the hand has good posture when it is holding an octave with its first and fourth fingers (the frame) and the second and third are placed according to the key that is being played, all the while maintaining good alignment (finger tips are aligned along the string) and balance (all fingers a curled more or less, from 1st to 4th). In this posture each finger has a particular shape (the fingers collectively have a different finger pattern according to key and position), curled or extended, but all the fingers are poised on their tips (again more or less on its tip from 1st to 4th, more when the finger is playing its lower pitch, less when the finger is playing its higher pitch) so that it can be rolled down onto its pad from the hand, the forearm, or the whole arm.
When one wants a thicker sound, the fingers are placed more on their pads so the more fleshy part is on the string. When playing lyrical, slow, molto vibrato passages, the posture of the hand is less important than balancing the whole hand on the finger that is being used - in other words, the vibrating finger is curled as much as possible so that it has maximum swing from its curled to extended position, while the rest of the hand is released and contracts toward the vibrating finger.
Dounis suggests that the finger presses at its most curled position - on its tip, and releases pressure as it rolls onto its pad. Those who tend to press the finger excessively onto its pad, as opposed to releasing it and allowing the hand to snap back to its original shape, often possess a mechanical, bleating vibrato. In my experience the release of the finger allows the sound to breath, so to speak, and allows for variety (narrow/fast, narrow/slow, wide/fast, wide/slow, medium, etc.) - too much pressure while on the pad compresses and (my guess is) restricts the vibration of the string, and forces the finger to move in an on/off fashion.
Hope that somewhat describes what you've seen and heard.
JK
I was in a pinch to sound decent and she helped me get a few vibrations in there.....
Anyway, your comments to Dan, really helped me clarify the whole thing in ways that I do not understand very well yet, but somewhere in the back of my mind, little lights went on.
She described the lightness of the pad under the finger, feeling almost like jello in a gentle vertical ebb. And my work with trying to keep the fingers curled in non-vibrato note somehow complements what I'm trying to say, and understand.
Having a lingering thud on D/3 from something I'm fixing, actually adds to this as well--learning to get that pressure minimized and finger curled.
I suppose I'm saying your understanding is like a major masterclass on this...
I know this diverges from the vibrato thing, but they seem to work together in some ways--the lightness, the curling, the fingers staying curled across the strings--this all seems to apply to left hand period--as well.
I had a question you answered to Dan, probably more confusion, about how some people's hands contort when playing, and some people's stay relatively curled as they move on the fingerboard. Only in 'very' small ways I'm starting to understand a little--but given that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing continue to walk slowly.
Thanks a bunch... al
re. "I 'know how to at least relax the joint'?"
I'm not sure that the word relax is very descriptive of what happens in the body while it's in motion. I hope I'm not being too particular, but if the thumb were relaxed it would slide along the neck. There is always enough pressure so that fingers are grippy, and, even when they're sliding, not too slippy. The tension you want to get rid of in the thumb is in its opposability, i.e. you don't want it to oppose the pressure of the fingers, or the side of the 1st base knuckle - i.e. no grabbing. (In the fingers, you don't want the base knuckles to oppose the fingertips, i.e. you don't want the fingers to curl in upon themselves). Rather, think of the fingertips and thumb turning a rotational lever (the neck of the violin instead of a deadbolt) - in which case the thumb remains quite firm vertically, though not pressed into the neck from its base joint. If you rotate without grabbing the neck, you'll find that the base knuckle of the thumb remains quite flexible as it opens and closes like tweezers. Hope I'm not confusing the issue.
More than relaxing any one joint in isolation, I think it's more useful to think of coordinating the many joints inolved in any motion. Moving at any joint impacts all its adjacent joints and so on. Consider reaching for a pen. Your target is the pen - you're probably sensing with the fingertips, yet your shoulder socket, elbow, and wrist open and close in one, smooth, coordinated motion so that that fingers and thumb may find their target. In vibrato, the sensing part of the hand is the finger tip. As it rolls down (the rolling can be accomplished by the finger itself, or by the hand/arm pulling it toward the scroll) the finger extends and closes the baseknuckle; at the same time, the thumb is pulled open at its base knuckle (viewing it from the side so the nail is facing you); the reverse happens as the finger curls back to its original postion - if, that is, all the joints are held in a flexible manner. How the wrist, elbow, shoulder react depend on where the motion is generated.
Best, JK
P.S. Posted the above after you Al. Again, your most welcome and thanks for the positive feedback. I think a little knowledge and lots of experimenting-hands on experience can go a long way. I'll try to keep answering any questions as best I can. -JK
By relaxing, I mean, (against the wall) drop a finger, relax the thumb, pull back the pressure on the note, check thumb tension, repeat. That type of thing.
Your comment about the thumb being more interactive than my image:relaxed thumb previously, is well taken and understood. I'm pretty sure in fact that your comment is central to this conversation, and a part of the original question? Once again, thanks--al
If you do want to integrate the thumb into your playing (and I realize many, even amongst noted pedagogues, discourage the active use of the thumb) perhaps you might also try releasing the thumb while supporting the violin with it. For instance, two motions you might try while playing are:
a) bend the thumb at its tip, so that the thumb slides down and touches the side of the neck at its tip, and the first knuckle sticks out; return to normal
b) slide thumb along the neck, opening and closing from its base knuckle; maintain gentle contact with the neck
c) or you can play a bar, do either or both a) and b), etc. as you've been doing with the relax
a) is a useful way to get the thumb under the neck when preparing for a shift; instead of returning to normal, bend thumb down, then pull it under the neck from the arm.
In any case it might be useful to also practice releasing the thumb under actual playing conditions - i.e. while things are in motion. Also try to notice if excess pressure occurs because of the opposability of the thumb.
Best,
JK
Sue Belcher jumped in on another issue that was passed along similarly--this is impressive. Thanks. al
The point: It feels like the instrument may be a little too high and around when playing normally, but when I get the position that allows the finger to stay in place it seems a little low. Have any thoughts on what may be going on here? al
It's hard to tell exactly what's going on without seeing what you're doing. (Can you be more specific or post photos?) But the arm feeling lower when you do the guitar hold does make sense. When you hold your hand with the 1st finger split away from the other fingers, it causes your hand to be lower on the neck, and lean away from you; or to put it another way, your elbow is closer to your body. Hope that makes sense. JK
Sorry--I get in a hurry trying express sometimes.
thanks...al
I'm going to work with this some more tonight to see where it goes. I think it may help me understanding basic balance of the instrument better, even if it proves I have to adjust it again when I get back in lessons.
al
Many students tend to thrust the shoulder forward (often up also, instead of keeping it neutral) and push the elbow forward too much. This same tendency occurs in the head and neck. Instead of reaching for the instrument, the instrument should be brought (lowered) to you, your collar, and gently against the neck. In the same manner the arm should be brought close to you, the whole arm folding in zig-zag fashion. (Auer talks about keeping the elbow as close to you as possible in The Way I Teach.) With the arm (and fiddle) held as close as possible, it's easier to counter-balance the arm in front of you with the shoulder-blade. Do the shoulder-blade pull down (contract the bottom of the trapezius, the tip of the muscle between and just below the shoulder blades) to keep the arm balanced in front of you.
I'm not sure if this describes what your experiencing but, as always, hope it helps. JK
You tore this issue apart so completely, even atomically, I want to learn as much as I can from the things you (and others shared)... Basically, I cut and paste the entire thing in an email to myself so I can read it in print rather than on the screen. I spend (obviously) too much time on the computer, but the silver lining is that if I weren't spending time seeking solutions, would likely be spending 'way' too much time practicing--and probably developing more bad habits.. And I need my eyes for improving my sight reading ;)...
These subtle posture tweaks, I think are going to be important to me. I can at at least apply the (arm close and shoulder neutral) ones here as I proceed this evening--then I'll read some more...
Thanks again. al
thanks man... I practiced it.... al
And what I'm finding is:
for whatever reason, the instrument still feels too high. And when I bring it down where I can accomplish the GD vibrato, it feels too low.
Nonetheless, and it is important, that learning to neutralize the shoulder, keep the thumb base joint relaxed, keep tension from the arm under the instrument, are all coming together though truly in the spirit of the funky dance with which this response began.
There appears to be a more graceful (as if I could acutally be graceful ;) ) kinesology/spatial awareness evolving, but a lot of the things Jeewon particuarly suggested I still have to visualize and incorporate.
Again, thanks--al
Al, 'feel too high' and 'feel too low' are both relative sensations that will melt away into habituation as you become more comfortable with this odd (far from graceful, or natural) posture of holding the violin.
In the veign of 'rules are there to be broken', it might be best not to get too attached to what anybody says you should do. These are all guidelines that may or may not fit your physique, or work for your current situation.
I think there are only two rules to follow:
1. Do what frees your movements (find balance and alignment for *you*); if ever you have to do something that tightens you (e.g. for musical purposes), return to a freer posture as soon as is practical
2. Do what ever frees you to express the music (both physically and mentally)
3. Sometimes 1. and 2. contradict, in which case you have to find a way to sublimate the conflict into a resolution
I don't mean to do a 180 from all the particulars I was getting into, but I needed to balance out my posts a little.
I'm still a big proponent of experimenting because in the end only you can tell what truly works for you. So here are a couple of resources you might consult:
1. Dalton and Primrose: Playing the Viola (this book should be in every violinists library)
2. Barbara Conable and William Conable: How to Learn the Alexander Technique: A Manual for Students
Because of the relative size of the instrument, you might want to see how violists get around their instrument. (I think Buri may have a few more recommendations concerning the Alexander Technique, e.g. taking lessons, etc., Buri?)
Thanks for your enthusiasm.
Best,
JK
It's a little frustrating, because I do not envision myself having to play vibrato up in 12th position for a long time. And, I'm simply trying to get my vibrations going on G/D as well as find how to balance the thing migrating from normal hold on A/E in that I already am doing nicely with the vibrations once I get there.
But at the same time I'm encouraged that with everyone's help here, and actually a couple other places, that 'something' is happening, and as I allegorized last evening, I just am not sure what it is.
I know I have to be patient, but my brain is a big big notebook or something of music from other instruments, and also, I've discovered, I'm going to be really good with transpositions on violin,so I'm really looking forward to getting started on these things, more importantly just the business of playing general music nicely. I guess I'm saying this vibrato thing feels like it is holding me back.
Music I'd never dream of changing the key on piano for example, I simply play in whatever key I want to on violin--within reason. I only know personally two other people who can do this fluidly (and with style), but they are both, that advanced on piano--one naturally, and one trained. I'm ok with this on piano, just never had the luxury, 'to make it my own', and have never had the luxury of the time to do things like explore the tonal mood of a song in one key versus another very fluidly.
Somewhat related and sigfnificant is that the entire internet jumped in ;), and slowed down my learning speed awhile back which was a remarkable remarkable feat. The point being, I'm learning just so much more efficently now if not perfectly, and thus really feel this vibrato thing is holding me back.
Anyway, I think the advice on the Alexander technique is important, especially to my aging joints. So perhaps untalented ballerinia in the case of all the above, might be changed to horse waiting at the gate image wise? ...
Finally, I'm fully aware that vibrato is like bowing, and a lifetime endeavor in terms of practice, molding, and refining so that kind of patience is not an issue.
Thanks for all your help... al
posted by al justice at 1:43 PM
9 comments
I have a small, arthritis inflamed, injury-recovered left hand I'm trying to convince can learn vibrato. In doing so, the space between the 1st finger and the neck simply does not want to cooperate.
I know that proceeding slowly is the first part of getting around this, but it may turn out because of the shortness of my fingers I may never be able to get that space consistently on g/d.
How far and how, if you know, would one deal with this? Somebody (actually here), got me started with some advice about getting it going on a/e, and lo-and-behold it's working very very nicely if not yesterday, but I just have this feeling the g/d issue may be permanent.
My f3 took a serious serious injury when I first started (along with f2 and f4 though not as bad), and I'm trying to prepare myself that it may never be 100 percent. About 4 months after the incident, I sat down to play piano, then guitar, and realized the extent of the situation.
So another part of the question involves trills and more broadly how far to flex in getting around something. I'm doing a little Bach piece (fairly easy), and discovered that by shifting up to 2nd (I think--I'm sure it's not 3rd) that I can perform the trill a hundred times better-literally. Would one force themselves to strengthen the finger, or accept that jumping through some hoops may be in order.
Finally, I'm not willing to throw all my work away, and start flexing when inappropriate, so I'm trying to get at, how high are your hoops...
al
I'm just trying to get a general feel, for what: "what sounds good" means in terms of dealing with circumstances. Thanks again... al
But, it is also a general question about what one has to do when 'the method' fails due to circumstances (injuries, arthritis, etc), --and how do we reliably define flexibitlity in finding workarounds for injuries and so forth, minimizing the effect on technique, and ultimately musicality I suppose.
Notice in the original post the point about shifting to 2nd to do the trill. Well, I don't want to arbitrarily start taking these measures, when my 3rd finger is begging for strengthening, after the injury.
Finally, I intend to play this instrument even if I find real limitations because of just several factors. I'm in love with a violin! sheesh. Seriously though, I played on a piano, many years before I played a piano. I don't have the time, nor the patience to repeat that pattern. That little shift on the trill scared me--I know my propensity to cheat!. I had a similar though not as unfocused experience getting some decent guitar under my belt.
Thank your for your generous answer and time Buri.. Play on! al
Further, I think I'm going to simply add them to my daily practice chart as if they were part of my program. Now that I'm thinking about it, I have a couple more little exercises (I think from Sevcik)I can use/adapt for 3rd as well I'm going to throw in there.
It was telling, that I hadn't realized what real damage had been done until I sat down at a piano about 3 months after the fact--it was like a total loss of coordination. So, I've got that under control now by going back to patterns and scale studies, and improve a little every week.
I don't play piano every day, or even month since starting violin--I wouldn't even if not playing violin, but knew when I saw f3 recuperating steadily on piano that eventually everything will be ok.
I also, because of trauma, do Wohlfahrt op45 1st position (just the first series), against the wall with scroll wrapped and practice a grip/thumb release exercise I adapted from a finger dropping exercise. The point in this rambling, is that I'll be a natural for the Kievman material, because I've really had to dig in mentally at every point.
Finally, thank you again for your help. The people in this group have been awesome. I pray that this kindness will be repaid.
Play on!
al
i have seen self taught golfers who went very far but only very few and always they occasionally get feedback from others.
it is very difficult to describe things and show things in posts...way too much ambiguity and confusion.
one crazy suggestion is to consider showing your play on youtube. i am sure buri and sue would love to comment on it:)
I took lessons from 1st chair of WV symphony for over a year; and, yes I am a violin fanatic as you say. I usually say just in love with violin--it's and amazing amazing instrument.
It is tough to communicate through posts, nonetheless, I've had a great deal of help from Sue, Buri, and others to keep me grounded and moving forward until I can get back in lessons.
I like the idea of itube, but I am such a pretty person, I'm afraid the entire net would melt down were I to place my lovely likeness upon it's delicately balanaced million of miles of cable and optics, especially with Lucille-my beloved instrument. I simply couldn't be responsible for that .. Especially in that I know Fee Fee, my well bred but poorly behaved hound dog would be trying to upstage me at ever point--that would really make me angry. (She sings better than I play at this point.)
Seriously though, one day that will be common. I play other instruments as well, and will, reach some level along the way. More importantly, I only use 56k and it would be pretty much impossible. Good idea though.
al (checks the back of the computer to see if it would melt, thinking 'just a couple more years on vibrato' and Hillary Haun will give me a holler) justice
it may take longer for you to reach the top of the mountain, but i think your trip will be more interesting than most.
have fun!
Sue, that got me there. I had heard about people choosing their favorite approaches to vibrato, so you reinforced that as well--thanks. I just had to hear this from someone that really knows. And my understanding of flexibitly is increased as well.
I only practiced arm once, and got a few clean vibrations going. Given that I really do see myself doing a lot of slow romantic music, it probably makes good sense getting that online fairly soon. I'm working seriously on relaxed posture, no tension, and again--the left thumb release, so will try and review the material on arm ASAP.
And in that I'm making myself use accepted shifting points when doing scales etc., I think I get the picture now... Thank you so much.
And Al, it's not tenacity--it's half addled. God put this thing in front of my feet, and said, Play on!.
al
Regarding the trills, it sounds like a dilemma, but it's not really. If you get a better trill RIGHT NOW shifting up to put the trill under the stronger fingers, then that's what you do, right now.
Meanwhile, you continue to strengthen all the fingers, and run trill exercises, and all that good mom, flag and apple pie stuff. There will come a piece that needs a trill, and really doesn't allow for the accomodating shift. There might come a time when you will want to play the Bach differently, with no shift or a different shift. When that comes around, you are ready for it.
I do hope your hand injuries ultimately heal completely. About 35 years ago, I got badly burned on over half my body, and came away with restrictive scars that limit my mobility slightly in my arms and my left hand fingers. So, I know about accomodations. But it is amazing what you can adjust to when you are compulsively driven. When I play a scale in tenths, my hand looks like no other violinist, but the notes are (occasionally) in tune, therefore, it can be done.
Keep at it, and use all the resources you can find.
If you can produce a video file, perhaps you could load it onto a cdrom or dvdrom, and carry it down to a library or a friend's house to upload to youtube or whatever.
I'm sure it'll end up somewhere between what everyone has suggested. I actually love working on basics, exercising, and so forth--so much that it can take a lot of time. I just spent my first hour doing exactly that. My next one will be the same--then I get to play some music.
I've been in massage therapy, hot-wax treatments, and had some of the best practial as well as holistic support for this thing imaginable. I'm glad you've taken command of your circumstances as well. It sounds like you have been through 'it'.
It's strange, but I was more terrifed of not being able to play violin than piano, and I have nearly 40 years twinkling the ivories. I picked up my guitar (about 3 months in) after I sat down to jam on piano, and I was in complete shock--nothing--nada. Piano was the same. It was like an exercise someone was describing elsewhere to build speed, and actually like shifting: lift, shift and drop for the longest time.
My instructor was hmmm--she's extremely competent--do I really want any part of this. So after I faked like I wasn't in pain enough, we topic-hopped so that when I got better I'd have lots of stuff to work on. Boy, do I!
I'm sure she'd be proud I finally got my basic bowing correct in terms of level-hair, angled bow, pretty good ball and egg motions, and so forth. And I am really proud of what Sue got me through going 'all the way' back to Twinkles for staccato.
And tonight, I got my first clean vibrations on d-string with everything correct (it's a long story). Didn't sound too good, but now I know I can work through it. I wanted to run down and holler at Sue, but refrained. I've bugged her enough(and Fee Fee has become jealous--another long story). Now I know what the inside of my left elbow looks like...
Thanks for the feedback man.. I'll let you know when Hillary calls ;). Play on! al
Albert, it sound slike you might ave a bit of an imbalance here. Of course, the expression `Technique is only a means to an end` is a soverworked as my coffee machine but itis true and is well complimented by the rather odd idea that the end is also sometimes a means to the technique. What I mean by this is you might actually achive your end through music rather than overdoing technique as an abstarct exercise. The book I recommeded by Kievmann ha sa useful piec eof advice. he says that however long you practice be it an hour or two minutes, half of that time shoudl be spent on music.
Auer state ssoemthign along the same line swhen he says that all techncila time shoudl end with a piec eof singing nature to remind ourselves taht the violin is a singing instrument.
I think modern ideas on motivation and pracitce p@sychology (really just explciating whast great teacher sand player shave always known...) quite commonly state that itit may be better to get in the right frame of miond for practice , be it techncial or musicla work you wish to do, by assessing your current emotional state and matchign it with either a similar kind of improvisation (the cellist William Pleeth used ot practic elike this) or a piec ein similar vein.
By activating the emotional , spiritual whole person ones technicla work is of the highest order. Technical work in the abstarct can suck out the soul of any musician. Ratehr like my spelling I suppose...
Cheers,
Buri
That said, I could literally play this thing for not hours but days, if I had that luxury. And by play, I mean play. It was the same with piano when I was a child--and I did have that luxury.
I have a really good understanding and hold on the 'zen' of life, and all that it implies--from Jung to mythos, I am currently getting control of my passion--it's imperative if I'm to get through Suzuki 10 at some point--or wherever I end up.
But what you have said is awesomely true. I've been there a thousand times on piano--and pacified myself instinctively using exactly those ideas. Sometimes it would be rock, sometimes Bach. And so forth and so on. And sometimes, it was pure exercise--or wherever I was led.
I'm impressed with the idea of ending with a singing, musical song and intend on applying that--especially as I drill myself for awhile. To be honest though, most of the time, it's all pure joy; and, in some ways you may be preaching to the choir! ;)... You're great man! Thanks. al
One of the greatest frustrations of my teacher, was that my passion rather than my head was leading me in my endeavors. I am certain of this. Soooo, when I get a little further along, and do some deal-making with my passion, I'll start flexing some in terms of the more personal layers of what all this means.
posted by al justice at 1:42 PM
1 comments
If you set your metronome to some speed to learn a piece of music, what do you use? al
Also, your earlier help with doing what does well first on vibrato is now helping others beyond me. Thank you.
It's been awhile, but in adding measures (that's what I call it), to a piano piece--I proceeded 'sort of' like you I think. I just wanted to see if I could improve learning efficency by exploring this--I want to get the most out of the generous bowing directions in Suzuki, along with sight reading and thought it worth discussion.
I had cut back to 40 to work on Lully in S2, and it was just too distracting... But your advice for increasing speed is 'great' and will be used--when I get that far along..... ;) I'm starting to use Wohlfhart nightly now, so as you can see I'm just now starting to really focus on very 'general' speed and patterns. I take these pieces of advice and put them on my 'practice' wall--or those like this that I find of special value.
I also went 'way' back with the staccato you helped me with (Suzuki 1: Twinkles), and brought it forward--along/w/your advice it seems to be working. I'm hearing the results in Wohlfahrt, and actually in some hymns I was learning the other night (the hymns: were actually sort of a combination of using staccato to sound them out and mix them with what I'd layed out on piano, and what you've shared here)....
My path, will have been 'exercise, exercise, exercise', because ultimately I want to play music that I love confidently; and, I find that though I'm running across alot of music that 'whew! inspires me: Brahms: Hungarian 4, Sarasate:Carmen, and so forth I'm afraid I won't be able to find a lot of help with the music I intend to play unless I've done so. My brain is a saturated sponge of all kinds of music.
a thousand thank-yous! al
Alternating the number of notes in a sequence so as not to ingraing the rests, as in alternating patterns elsewhere keeps it efficent.
Thanks again, al
and so on.
Cheers,
Buri
This has been the only way I've achieved clarity and speed. Before, it was always a mad, messy scramble, because the bow sometimes moved faster than the left fingers.
I didn't even realize where I'd learned to do that! Sheesh. al
I hope you buy 'Basics', it's made such a difference for me.
Practice well!
Daniel
al ...
Now that I'm past the I've gotta get through Suzuki 5 next month syndrome--and Oh my God, I've gotta play that, now(songs that keep popping on my fingerboard from other instruments), alot of these approaches are coming in place. I've started doing (in my amature beginners world) pretty closely to what you've decsribed on "Gavotte from Mignon", Lully's "Gavotte", and went back and applied it to "Witch's Dance" in Suzuki II--I like these pieces and want to do them well!.
Just knowing how other people break this stuff down is incredibly helpful. And, even if I'm still tending to generalize 'a little', when I work intently on each note in it's context (staccato in a slur, 8th v 16th,) you've all given me the techniques to get there.
I was really hammering on this on "Mignon" last night as above, and I can feel it making a difference. I discovered however, that I need to go back an get better at string crossings, and the mechanics/kinetics of doing so. I watched the videos over at masterclasses, and need to spend some time with that--the elbow's role and so forth.
Thanks a million. al
I watched the legato lessons at VMC, and they taught me to anticipate the crossing, at least in legato; and, to begin the motion earlier than at the actual point of contact and etc.. And somewhere else I learned that the elbow raises a little (if I'm not confused) in preparation for crossing.
So, what I've started doing, and something I wish I'd discovered earlier, is to do a lot of open bowing for string crossings, wrist motion, detache (level, stick angle), and etc. I anticipate I'll be doing this for a long while way beyond when I can 'feel' my elbow and arm doing these motions fluidly and hopefully instinctively a little later.
I like the double-stops aspect of what you pointed out.... I think that will help alot in terms of ingraining those little subtle angles when things are moving quickly, or simply to play more efficiently.
Thanks, al
posted by al justice at 1:40 PM
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Beginner's Questions: (staccato, colle, and vibrato)
I'm relatively new to violin, and am trying to learn staccato better. I'm talking about just basic staccato rather than upbow or downbow. I injured my hand when I first began, so my instructor sort of topic hopped around and I am now trying to get those crisp notes in place in Suzuki II. I had to stop lessons after about 14 months because of family responsibilities, but fell so deeply in love with the instrument that I refuse to give it up, if only as an intensive hob by.
I'm working on Gavotte from Mignon in Suzuki II, and feel I need to stop at this point and get the staccato correct. I have been practicing upbow-S at violinmasterclass, colle, martele, and other techniques but I can't find a good technique simply describing 'basic' staccato anywhere.
Also, I am having a terrible time getting space between my 1st finger while doing vibrato anywhere beyond a-string. On A/E I can control the amplitude and speed nicely. However on g/d, even though the vibrations are even, the muffling is apparent because of the first finger touching the neck of the instrument. I have small hands, short arms and thick shoulders. I've tried every posture stunt imaginable.
I'm doing well with tip and frog colle, so that reference in the heading really doesn't apply. I hope that someone will give me a minute to help with the 'just plain' staccato and vibrato if possible.
Although I play piano and guitar very well, I absolutely, undeniably fell in love with violin. I have to get past this beginner's oversight (staccato) and perhaps physical limitaion (vibrato) if possible, and would be eternally grateful for help.
Thanks, al justice, war wv
zeagle79@bellatlantic.net
Oddly, but not particularly unexpectedly, I had overlooked the most basic definition, not in Suzuki II somewhere, but on S1-1 "Twinkles"--sheesh, so that's where I actually began by releasing pressure, AND, focusing on more abrupt bow stopping, AND under the advice of another, using a little wrist motion (not really colle
motions) but something similar.
I'm doing a little left hand recuperating right now for about a week I think, so will be doing alot of open string bowing exercises to further refine these things.
My real problem with vibrato is reaching across to g/d with the space between f1 and the neck in place. However, with a sore left wrist, am going to simply wait until I feel better to continue. My v-control is very nice--it's a reach thing. I actually do 'fairly' well, with all 4 fingers in 3rd position. The other issue is that my thumb tends to slide when I'm trying to reach also, but I think this may also be related to this overuse thing I have going on. Final answer: I'm going to have to wait.
I love the Suzuki approach. Thanks for your help... al
Most important: too much too soon. (probably)
Most relevant: more specifics than noticed about dvlpmt/staccato. how cool... On my practice wall they go. al
You wrote, "Dr.S. wrote that players should commence vibrato only when their independently-achieved pitch was excellent. "
The Suzuki method obviously has many strengths when it comes to both teaching and motivating students. However, IMO this particular idea is problematic. While I agree that intonation should be learned without vibrato, that doesn't mean the student should not ALSO learn vibrato at the same time.
As an adult beginner with a substantial knowledge of music and other instruments, I imposed this same rule upon myself at first. After getting the basic holds, shifts, and intonation down, I began to get my vibrato happening. I subsequently had a terrible time playing vibrato in all positions. I hadn't realized that the hold, esp the thumb position, has to change for various ranges & strings. My (ex) teacher did not pick up on this, either.
My point: By ALTERNATELY practicing with vibrato (intonation for one hour, vibrato for the next) you get the proper hold happening, and won't have anything to un-learn later.
This is just my experience, and I suppose a really good teacher could watch out for this, but it's still a concern.
ALSO: It 'aint much fun playing without vibrato. Where's the music? Doing the "alternate" method, above, allows you to enjoy playing more, without hurting your intonation development.
Just my opinion.....
And your point about the hold/thumb position is very true, but beyond my question, though not beyond some of the issues I am encoutnering--in fact to really practice I have to focus on either/or at this point, only sometimes getting a good clean vibration on a/e or more consistently across the board in 3rd position (somewhat more consistently).
Thank you both.
al
After two days off (I couldn't get past 3), I actually just finished neck against the wall exercises to start my recovery. I also applied heat--before the warm ups, then only played a few minutes. The grip release exercises I put together are really nice. I took the finger dropping exercises from masterclasses, and applied them to thumb release--it works well for me.
Also, I started working with Sue's suggestions and practicing pressure-release on Staccato, using the same materials, but not really getting very far beyond visualizing and getting a few successive notes crisp. On the other hand, my 3rds and 6th double stops were even much slower coming on line (and are still getting there); so, I am generally pleased with the re-learning staccato in that it is advancing a little more quickly--as it should be?
Thanks again, al
posted by al justice at 1:37 PM
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posted by al justice at 1:28 PM
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I've put off working on this as long as possible because of the bubble gum factor. Now that I'm on Minuet in G., I'm going to have to improve my upbow staccato, and think the piece is a good place to start.
Concerning finger pressure bow hand f1, and given that UBS is like a series of short marteles, what is happening with the pinky? And, how does one approach the martele's fluidly considering f1 pressures required--are there exercises to get this going beyond my rote sounding efforts? Finally, I got around the tendency for the bow to 'glide' backwards on each martele, but is there anything I can do to make this more instinctive?
Happy Holidays!
al
If you are refering to Heifetz's transcription of Mozart Menuet in G, I would suggest to use pianissimo flying staccato instead...(or even spiccato )for the style, because it is more delicate and more convenient...and you respect more the ideal of the composer...staccato and Mozart is a strange conception which in the time of Heifetz was maybe accepted by a few,to enhance virtuosity...try Wieniavsky Valse-sherzo, it is rarely played and well suited for up and down bow staccato.Some will tell you to get your arm stiff while doing the motion...I totally disgree with that...It comes from the wrist (martelé) while your arm is totally relax...you can do it first on open strings and alternate with slow and fast motion...than, try the same thing with a simple scale on one string ( you must try it on each string)...after, scales on 2, 3, and 4 strings...that it will improve after a while...never forget that your neck and shoulders must be relaxed all the time
Marc
al
The region ranges will be particularly helpful, as will the 'U' image... Thanks again al
A lot of David Nadien (sp) recordings of Suzuki, when doing just plain stacatto, have that springy ringing quality. I've been in pursuit of that forever.
Sorry, didn't mean to change the subject. I can do that with the tremolo (figuratively at this point) because I play around with tremolo a bunch.
I think the connection if there is one, is that I started putting a little bounce in my stacatto (plain) awhile back (had to stop it--getting too wild with it), and heard some qualities I've been looking for; and, Sue's U-image on the plain stacattos in Mozt. MinuG.... I hear it more if I can just master it now. But it's the quality and resonance of the 'attacks' I guess, that is where I want to be--both with plain, and upbow series.....
I hope that makes sense... Thanks. al
posted by al justice at 1:21 PM
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Excerpts from
by Carol Porter McCullough
IntroductionThe Anti-Gravity Response of the Well-Functioning Human Organism
The Anti-Gravity Response, the Violin Hold and its Relationship to Bowing
The Double Spiral Arrangement of the Human Musculature and its Relevance for String Players
The Asymmetrical Placement of the Violin and Viola
The most fundamental aspect of violin and viola playing is how the instrument is supported and held. The "chin" instruments are held close to the neck. The importance of the head/neck and back relationship to all human movement, indeed movement by all vertebrates, has been well established in the scientific world. The optimal relationship of the head to the neck is not a fixed position, but a dynamic balance by which the weight of the head is balanced under the changing conditions of the body in activity. Alexander wrote about his discovery of the importance of this relationship in The Use of the Self:
This led me to a discovery which turned out to be of great importance... namely, that when I succeeded in preventing the pulling back of the head, this tended indirectly to check the sucking in of breath and depressing of the larynx. The importance of this discovery cannot be over-estimated, for through it I was led to the further discovery of the primary control of the working of all mechanisms of the human organism....The experiences which followed my awareness of this were forerunners of a recognition of that relativity in the use of the head, neck , and other parts which proved to be a primary control of the general use of the self. (Alexander 1932).
It is the interference of the workings of the mechanisms Alexander termed "primary control" that causes many string players' problems. Frank Pierce Jones explains the ramifications of interference with the primary control:When the primary control is functioning as it should, it is sensed as an integrating force that preserves freedom of movement throughout the system, so that energy can be directed to the place where it is wanted without the developing strain either there or elsewhere. Misuse of the primary control, on the other hand, is always reflected by misuses somewhere else; this appears in the form of awkwardness, fatigue, and what Wilfred Barlow, a London physician and a pupil of Alexander, call "maldistributed muscle tension," or over tension at one place accompanied by under tension (lack of tone) at another (Jones 1976, 184).
Herein lies the difficulty for many string players: the dynamic head/neck relationship is greatly interfered with as a player attempts to fix the violin or viola into a hold that feels secure, often by clamping the head down onto the chinrest with a vise-like grip. There are many scenarios used by players to capture the feeling of the secure instrument hold. Some players build up either the height of the chinrest or the height of the shoulder pad, often to the point of immobilization of the head, neck and shoulder.
The influence of the state of the muscles in the neck cannot be overemphasized. The neck is the "hub" of nerve receptors. There are more nerve receptors in the muscles of the neck than any other muscles. Physiologist David Garlick, who has studied the Alexander Technique extensively, writes:
Interestingly but not unexpectedly, sensory input from the neck muscles are very important physiologically. The number of nerve receptors in neck muscles is much higher than in other muscles. Thus there are many more sensory nerves from neck muscles which therefore will have important effects on the brain control of muscle.Control of muscles in posture and movement is primarily affected by the state of neck muscles with their strong sensory input to the brain. When the head is turned, caused by contraction of neck muscles, the effect is to prepare the trunk and limb muscles for action (Garlick 1990, 27).
Inputs from the neck muscle receptors and from the balance organs (semi-circular canals) work as a duo; the information provided is essential for the maintenance of human upright posture. Together they facilitate what is known to physiologists as "the righting reflex." (When understood that the balance organs reside in the head, the reason for Alexander's preoccupation with the head/neck relationship becomes more clear.) When a person is standing in a balanced way, his line of gravity passes through the ear, near the front of the knee and in front of the ankle joint (Garlick 1990).
It takes very little to upset the delicate balance of the head and neck. The simple act of placing a violin or viola under the chin takes on greater magnitude when these facts are considered. This simple act is likely to stimulate a faulty reflex pattern in many players: the reflex pattern has been referred to by Frank Jones as the "Startle Pattern." The "Startle Pattern" may be briefly described as follows:
In reaction to a sudden loud noise, the chin thrusts forward as the neck muscles contract. The shoulders are lifted and the arms extended, the chest is flattened and the knees are flexed. The change, which is not instantaneous, begins in the head and neck, passing down the trunk and legs to be completed in about half a second (Jones 1976).
In the experience of this researcher, elements of the "Startle Pattern" are also apparent when an object comes close to the face. A pulling back of the head, with the consequent thrusting forward of the chin, if often seen as the instrument is lifted towards the face. This is usually an unconscious movement until it is pointed out by the teacher. There may be several reasons for this movement. If the instrument is held by the neck, rather than in the middle positions (as advocated by Rolland), the length of the instrument will force the player to pull their head back in order to avoid hitting themselves in the face with the instrument. Even when holding the instrument in the middle positions, some players so actively and habitually contract their upper arms and elbows toward their torsos; there is no room for clearance as they bring their instruments to playing position. As the pulling back of the head is unconscious to begin with, this head back position becomes a fixed point as the player begins to play.
The Startle Pattern may be taken as a paradigm of malposture in general, whether it is associated with aging, disease, or lack of exercise. In malposture, muscles in various combinations and degrees of tension have shortened, displacing the head or holding it in a fixed position. Head displacement would have an adverse effect on the rest of the body partly because of the added weight and strain put on muscles and ligaments, but largely, I believe, because of the interference in the righting reflexes by abnormal pressure on the joints of the neck.The procedures used in the Alexander Technique establish a new dynamic balance among the forces acting on the head so as to allow more of the posture work to be done by disks and ligaments and by muscles acting at their optimum length (Jones 1974, 148).
There are many purely mechanical ramifications of pulling the head back into a fixed position. The back is shortened and the head weight must be supported rather balanced by the muscles of the neck. The nodding joint (the joint that allows the head weight to be released onto the violin for support of the instrument) is interfered with. The entire balance of the player is shifted. If a student of the violin comes to the instrument with habits of malposture already in place, the act of putting a violin in place to play may bring about a further exaggeration of already harmful tendencies.
If a student manages to bring the instrument toward playing position without pulling the head back, there is still a great chance of disturbing the head/neck relationship. Some students place the instrument so close to the neck, they actually push the weight of the head towards the right shoulder, thereby shifting body balance predominantly to the right side of the body.
In both scenarios described above, it is nearly impossible for the weight of the head to be released forward from the nodding joint onto the violin. The use of the released head weight is imperative for a dynamic, sensitive, adjustable support of the instrument.
Rolland understood the principles of leverage involved in using the head weight to support the violin or viola. Citing the cantilever principle, Rolland maintains that:
Beginners must be taught to use the weight of the head to provide better leverage on the chinrest. The farther back the chin contact, the better is the leverage. The upward support is furnished by the collarbone. (Rolland 1974, 71).The instrument rests on the collarbone; the upward support is provided by the entire body of the player.
It must be remembered the delicate balance of the head/neck relationship is a balance and not a fixed position. This is another area where Rolland's pedagogical principles of movement in string playing are so relevant. In essence, the head/neck relationship (or "primary control") is controlled by the thought processes of the individual, whether or not the individual is conscious of it. Walter Carrington, one of the few remaining living Alexander Technique teachers who trained with F. M. Alexander, explains primary control in this way:
[primary control] isn't a thing like the inner ear mechanism or vestibular apparatus. The primary control is a psycho-physical process. It's a process that manifests itself in physical change--muscular activity, relationships and all the rest of it--but it's controlled by thought processes of wish or intention. A very big element of primary control involves automatic , mechanical and involuntary aspects, but to have it work satisfactorily the voluntary component is indispensable (Carrington and Carey 1992).The Anti-Gravity Response of the Well-Functioning Human Organism F. M. Alexander wrote extensively about the "universal constant in living." The constant Alexander referred to was the influence of the habits of an individual upon the functioning of his organism. A constant to which one responds habitually to is the force of gravity. Walter Carrington writes of gravity:
Now, the thing that all living things have to cope with, as I've said so often in another connection, is the force of gravity. The force of gravity is the constant in our environment. It is the one unvarying thing, because air and food and everything else varies, every other darn thing varies, but gravity doesn't vary. Now if this constant is out there, living things can only live if they come to terms with it. The first requirement of living things is to come to terms with this constant in their lives As we all know, there are considerable degrees of gradation in how well or how badly we adapt to it (Carrington 1994, 94).
Frank Pierce Jones believes that a skilled Alexander teacher activates a mechanism that is already present within the human organism:
My strongest impression when A. R. Alexander first demonstrated the technique to me was that of a mechanism working against gravity...In relation with human beings, gravity has generally had a bad name. It is commonly thought of as a hostile force which has to be fought against and overcome. Part of the fascination of the space program lies in the opportunity it offers to television viewers of vicariously escaping from the pull of gravity... Now I had a striking demonstration that the picture was wrong. I had not been oppressed by gravity but my ignorance of the role it played in posture and movement. If it were an indomitable force...it is hard to imagine how man could have achieved upright posture in the first place....Obviously a mechanism to neutralize the effects of gravity must always have existed as long as there was life on earth (Jones 1976, 139).
The anti-gravity response of the human structure is the upward thrust from the ground through using the extensor muscles. When the anti-gravity response is fully functioning, there is no sense of effort needed to achieve the full length of the back. Hence, if a string player's back is fully functioning, there will not be a sense of effort required to support the instrument.
The Anti-Gravity Response, the Violin Hold and its Relationship to Bowing According to Snende and Nemessuri (1971), the range of pressure applied to the bow by the player is anywhere from zero (for mezzo forte at the frog, the weight of the bow is sufficient) to 120 grams for forte playing. Rolland writes that the self weight of the bow is about two ounces at the frog and dwindles to an ounce at the tip. The player must apply about two pounds of pressure at the tip to make up for the loss of an ounce of bow weight (Rolland 1974, 35).
But bow weight and pressure are only part of the considerations of sound production. What of the surface that is being bowed against? A firm, stable bowing surface is an essential ingredient for producing large, full sound. Alexander's description of [certain principles of the Alexander Technique] "The Doctrines of Antagonistic Action and Mechanical Advantage" could well be a description of the mechanics of string playing:
In the process of creating a co-ordination, one psycho-physical factor provides a position of rigidity by means of which the moving parts are held to the mode in which their function is carried on.This psycho-physical factor also constitutes a steady and firm condition which enables the Directive Agent of the sphere of consciousness to discriminate the action of the kinesthetic and motion agents which it must maintain without any interference or discontinuity.
The whole condition which thus obtains is herein termed "antagonistic action," and the attitude of rigidity essential as a factor in the process called the position of "mechanical advantage" (Alexander 1908).
The "position of rigidity" for a string player would be the stability of the instrument. This is not to infer that the instrument is held rigidly, but rather that the support system upon which the instrument rests (the player himself) provides a subtle upward thrust, thus creating the antagonistic action between the string and the downward pull of gravity on the bow. The thrust comes from the ground up and occurs when the legs are connected to the back and neck in a way that, taken as a whole, the components are functioning as a united column of support.After locating the fulcra and power of the most important levers in the arm, it becomes obvious that the whole limb is fundamentally governed by the body. Another system of levers supports the body, i.e., the legs, so that in tracing these levers back we shall finally discover the true source of support to be the ground on which we stand (Hodgson 1958, 8).
A way of understanding this principle is to discuss what happens to a player and their sound when this principle of "rigidity" is absent. All string players are taught to increase the amount of weight going into the string through the bow to make a larger sound. However, there must be a corresponding increase in the resistance of the violin to the increase of weight or pressure. If there is not sufficient support of the instrument, as is the case with many players, the increase of weigh through the bow will actually force the violin downward. The violin is then actually moving in the same direction as the bow, thereby eliminating any possibility of resistance or "antagonistic action." This is analogous to trying to saw a piece of wood while the wood itself is moving in the same direction as the saw, rather than being firmly supported and stationary.
Many players may instinctively increase the support of the instrument as they increase the weight through the bow. This is often accomplished by clamping down on the chinrest with the head, causing over-tensing of the neck muscles; drawing up of the left shoulder, requiring relatively vast amounts of energy; or using the left arm as a rigid support beam, thereby impeding the left arm movements necessary to playing the violin or viola. A given player may exhibit a combination of any or all of these tendencies. A lucky few will accomplish the necessary increase of instrument support in response to increase of bow resistance through the use of the leverage in the largest muscle groups of their body, those of the back.
Here is where being able to direct a lengthening of the back and torso can be of great assistance. As the body lengthens and widens, the upward thrust of the hold of the violin increases the antagonistic of the bow to the string. The player must make the necessary adjustments as the bow reacts to the increase in antagonistic action. He is not only trying to increase the amount of weight on the string with bow, however, he is also increasing the resistance of the string to the bow. Instead of trying to accomplish a larger sound through the increase of weight on the string (which chokes the upper partials), the increase in sound is achieved through resistance between the bow and string. In his 1934 study, Motion and Bowing, Percival Hodgson states:
The volume of the sound is decided by the amplitude, or width, of the vibrations. An increase in power is therefore achieved by adding to the pull or push exerted sideways on the strings. Downward pressure in itself tends to prevent free vibration, and thus strangles the tone. It is only used comparatively slightly in order to pull the string, and will obviously need to be proportionate to the sideways force employed at the time (Hodgson 1958, 150).Thus the action of producing a large sound is accomplished with the largest muscle groups of the body possible, those of the back, as well as with the least amount of perceived effort. Correspondingly, less sound can be achieved by lessening of the upward thrust of the player's body.
This upward thrust, combined with the downward pull of gravity on the bow, is the vertical form of the bi-lateral motion advocated by Paul Rolland. Rolland believed that bilateral movement (in which the bow is moving in the opposite direction of the body) is an essential element of string playing. Perhaps the upward thrust of the player combined with the downward pull of gravity with the bow could be termed "bi-vertical." In essence however, this phenomenon of movements in opposite directions is a three-dimensional entity. The spiraling mechanism of the human structure, explored in the next section, facilitates bi-lateral movement (movement in opposite directions) in both the vertical and horizontal planes.
The Double Spiral Arrangement of the Human Musculature and its Relevance for String Players
String players traditionally speak of left hand and right hand technique as if they were entirely separate entitities. When an understanding is gained of the spiral arrangement of the musculature, such terms should become only a means of designating the specifics of the tasks each hand performs. The hands themselves are the ends of a unified process that involves the brain and entire human structure of the player.
Raymond Dart identified and drew attention to the double spiral arrangement of the human musculature (Carrington and Carey 1992, 113). Dart, Australian by birth, emigrated to London after graduating from medical school in 1917. He was appointed Professor of Anatomy in Johannesburg in 1923, retaining the post until his retirement in 1958. For many years, Dart was dean of the medical school at University of Witwatersrand. Dart enjoyed a varied career, becoming famous for anthropological investigations, as well as for his work in anatomy. Dart and his family had Alexander Technique lessons with Alexander's assistant, Irene Tasker, in 1943. Dart had a single lesson with Alexander in 1949, but maintained that Alexander influenced him for the rest of his life (Dart 1996, 26).
The spirals of the human musculature are mirror images of each other. Designating the right side of the pelvis as a starting point, the muscle sheet of one of the spirals travels diagonally around the side of the torso, crossing over the front mid-section to wrap diagonally upward to the left side of the torso, where the road of muscle makes a "Y," one avenue junctioning with the muscles of the left arm, the other avenue snaking its way diagonally across the back, continuing on its diagonal journey across the neck to hook onto the head behind the ear in its original hemisphere of the right side (Dart 1996, 69), (figure 5).
The diagonal pull of these spirals of muscle accounts for the flexibility and upright capabilities of the human structure. These diagonal pulls may be likened to pulling on the bias (diagonal) of a piece of cloth. There is much greater flexibility in the cloth when pulled on the bias than when stretched on the cross grains (vertical and horizontal grains). The effect of an individual lengthening and widening his back is to activate the anti-gravity muscles (extensors) by causing a greater stretch on them. The Alexander Technique, mistakenly called a "relaxation" technique by some, is not about relaxation at all.
The pelvis and the head are connected not only by the bony, vertical structure of the spinal column, but also by the winding diagonal ribbons of muscles that make up the voluntary musculature of the torso. It is because this musculature is under voluntary control by the human nervous system that difficulties arise in an individual's use, and consequently, potential exists for improvements in an individual's use. Voluntary control should not be confused with conscious control. It is the unconscious control of voluntary musculature that gets one in trouble. By definition, voluntary muscles have the potential for being under the control of the individual. For an individual to have voluntary control of his voluntary musculature, he must be conscious of how he is using it. The essence of the Alexander Technique is learning to exercise conscious control of the voluntary musculature.
Anatomists have traditionally divided musculature into various muscle groups. This is useful for identification purposes but not useful for understanding the working whole of human movement. Because of the large "sheets" of muscles that form spirals around the human torso, the simple act of raising the arm to place the bow on the string cannot be made without involving the muscles of pelvis. The act of turning the head and placing it on the violin affects the musculature in the lower back, conversely, the muscular condition of the lower back affects the act of placing the head on the violin.
Support of the violin with the head involves both sets of spirals and the support of the whole back. It is when violin support is taught as a localized task of the head and shoulder that holding the violin becomes a "posture." When the spiraling action of the human musculature during movement is considered, from the smallest movement of putting a finger down on the string, to a larger movement of shifting, to even larger movements of using the whole bow, any action involved with playing becomes an affair of the entire torso and total body.
Percival Hodgson, in his 1934 study Motion Study and Violin Bowing, made the discovery that bowing motions themselves describe arcs and spirals. Through the use cyclegraphs ("a photographic record of the track covered by a moving object"), Hodgson was able to photograph the bowing paths of artist players (Hodgson 1958, 58).
Dart himself believed in "the universality of spiral movement."
I recalled an elderly otologist named Miller, 30 years ago in New York City, demonstrating by means of examples ranging from the spiral nebulae to the human cochlea, and from the propagation of sound to the propulsion of solid bodies, that all things move spirally and that all growth is helical (Dart 1996, 57).The Asymmetrical Placement of the Violin and Viola Violin and viola playing have usually been defined as using an "asymmetrical posture" because of the placement of the instrument on the left side of the body. Richard Norris, an M.D. writing on injuries endured by musicians, states:
Over months and years, such asymmetrical posture can result in muscle imbalance, with the muscles on the left side becoming shorter and stronger than those on the right. Muscle imbalance can lead to joint dysfunction and so on (Norris 1993, 24).
This is a scenario that describes many violinists and violists after years of playing. The above excerpt reflects the mind-set of string playing as a set of postures, rather than a system of continuous movement. No account is made of the fact that the bow is an "instrument" and much of the time is moving in the opposite direction away from the support of the head and neck (described by Rolland as bi-lateral motion). Frederick Polnauer in his article "Biomechanics, A New Approach to Music Education," put forth the idea of whole body mechanics in playing in 1954 when he wrote:
It is insufficient to look at bowing as a mechanical-physiological problem of the bowing arm only. The needs of a highly perfected violin technique require that bio-mechanical functions of the entire body be included. The older concept of the arm performing the bowing is being replaced now by the concept of the body performing this function. It seems to us more useful not to think any more in terms of a "right" and "left" hand technique, but rather of an "entire body" technique. (Polnauer 1954, 254).
Polnauer was a proponent of bi-lateral movement. Paul Rolland used the above quote in his book The Teaching of Action in String Playing. Polnauer's ideas was a source of verification for his own principles of movement in string playing. Rolland's description and teaching of bi-lateral motion in string playing may be used to address the problem of "asymmetrical posture."
In the Project, the weight shift is introduced with a simple exercise, the "Flying Pizzicato," in which the movement of the body in bi-lateral (in the opposite direction to the bow stroke). Bi-lateral movements benefit strokes of fast or medium speed. Polnauer recommended bi-lateral movements exclusively (Rolland 1974, 34).When viewed from the perspective of relationships of the bow arm to violin support system, the placement of the violin does not seem so asymmetrical.
That one can learn to use one's neck and back for greater strength, agility and coordination is not part of our cultural or educational heritage. Learning this "use of the self" is fundamentally a kinesthetic experience. Musicians have come to the Alexander Technique because their use of themselves quickly manifests itself through the playing of their instruments. Frank Pierce Jones sums it up in his article to musicians titled "Awareness, Freedom and Muscular Control":
There are musicians---some say there were more of them in the past---who get as much pleasure from a performance as they give, who always perform easily and well, and who use themselves so efficiently that their professional lives and their natural lives coincide. There are others, however, with equal talent and training, to whom performance and even practice are exhausting, and whose professional lives are cut short because they lose the mastery of the skills they have acquired. They put forth more effort in solving technical problems than the results warrant, and ultimately discover that they have used up their reserves of energy. If they understood the use of themselves as well as they understand the use of their instruments, such breakdowns would be far less frequent...I have not meant to suggest that a primary knowledge of the primary control can take the place of natural talent or eliminate the need for technical training and practice. But as a complement to professional study, the musician will find it invaluable. Over a period of years I have watched the progress of musicians who have learned to use this new approach to their problems, and have witnessed the increasing gain it has brought them in ease of performance, lessened fatigue, and the confidence that comes with a true self-knowledge (Jones 1976, 184).
Learning to use oneself well, both in everyday living and while playing an instrument, is not a simple matter of being told (or telling oneself) to "stand up straight." A direct sensory experience must be gained of the directions that Alexander gave to himself and to his students: "neck to be free, head to ease forward and up and back to lengthen and widen." Those who worked with Alexander in his later years assert that, for the most part, he abandoned giving those verbal directions, as the words were descriptions and not the experience itself. Alexander instead gave the student the sensory experience through the use of his hands. The foregoing chapter is a simplified description only of some of the mechanics involved between the player, his instrument and the process of producing sound. It is not a substitute for the direct sensory experience of the psycho-physical mechanisms that are discussed.
Copyright 1996 Carol Porter McCullough
Reprinted courtesy of Carol Porter McCullough
ReferencesAlexander, F. Matthias. 1995. Articles and Lectures. Ed. Jean M. O. Fischer. London: Mouritz.
Alexander, F. Matthias 1932. Reprint. The Use of the Self. Los Angeles: Centerline Press. Original edition, New York: E. P.Dutton & Co., Inc. (Page references are to reprint edition).
Carrington, Walter. 1994. Ed. Jerry Sontag. Thinking Aloud. San Francisco: Mornum Time Press.
Carrington, Walter, and Sean Carey. 1992. Explaining the Alexander Technique: The Writings of F. Matthias Alexander. London: The Sheildrake Press.
Dart, Raymond A., 1996. Skill and Poise. Ed. Alexander Murray. London: STAT Books.
Garlick, David. 1990. The Lost Sixth Sense: A Medical Scientist Looks at the Alexander Technique. Kensington, Australia: by the author, the University of NSW.
Hodgson, Percival. 1958. Motion Study and Violin Bowing. Urbana: American String Teachers Association.
Jones, Frank, P. 1976. Body Awareness in Action. With a foreword by J. McVicker Hunt. New York: Schocken Books Inc.
Jones, Frank, P. 1997. Freedom to Change. London: Mouritz.
Norris, Richard, M.D. 1993. The Musician's Survival Manual: A Guide to Preventing and Treating Injuries in Instrumentalists. St. Louis: MMB Music.
Polnauer, Frederick F. 1952. Bio-Mechanics, a New Approach to Music Education. Journal of the Franklin Institute 254, No. 4; 297-316.
Rolland, Paul. 1986. The Teaching of Action in String Playing. Revised edition. New York: Boosey and Hawkes.
Szende, Otto, and Nemessuri, Mihaly. 1971. Translated by I Szmodu. The Physiology of Violin Playing. Budapest: Joint edition published by Collet's (Publishers) Limited and Akademiai Kiado.
Excerpts from The Alexander Technique and the String Pedagogy of Paul Rolland:I. IntroductionII. The Life and Discovery of F. M. Alexander
III. Fundamentals of Upper String Playing and the Alexander Technique
The complete text of The Alexander Technique and the String Pedagogy of Paul Rolland is available from STAT Books and AmSAT Books.
About the AuthorCarol Porter McCullough holds advanced music degrees from Florida State University and Arizona State University where she studied viola with William Magers. She was on the music faculty for five years at Illinois Wesleyan University, where she taught viola and was Director of the String Preparatory Department. She has played in numerous orchestras, including the Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Peoria Symphonies, the Arizona Opera Company and Sinfonia da Camera in Urbana, Illinois. She has participated in music festivals across the U.S., including the Luzerne Center for Music, where she was a member of the Luzerne Chamber Players. Carol is a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, completing her training with Joan and Alex Murray. She has conducted workshops for the Alexander Technique for string players, musicians in general and other performing artists.
Carol resides with her husband Brian (also an Alexander Technique teacher and musician) and two children in Minneapolis. Carol and Brian teach the Alexander Technique at the University of Minnesota. She is active as an Alexander Technique teacher, musician and string teacher.
Contact the author Carol McCullough
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born in the mountains, climbed the mountain, tilled the rocky soil, heard the song of the hollows, and learned the names of the stars on a cold clear winter night on my favorite ridge, 'everyman's' chapel.
