Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Having The Correct Violin Wrist Position Is A Must

By Lucia Weeks


The fundamental basis for skillful string music is a necessity. This begins with having the ideal viola or violin wrist position. Failure to find the right position can instigate severe faults. A buckled wrist pulls the musician's fingers into an incorrect alignment and places extreme strain on the violinist's tendons, potentially initiating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It is best for the wrist to remain straight and for the fingers to be curved.

Mastering this technique is a must for musicians who want to become maestros. Some of the all-time classical music pieces rely heavily on a talented string section. Famous composers such as Mozart orchestrated some of their finest works with the violins to the fore. Mozzart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (A Little Nightmusic) is simple and elegant.

Another enduring classic arranged with violins to the fore is "Symphony No. 7 in A Major" by Ludwig van Beethoven. The grand and extraordinary Beethoven symphonies are regarded as being amongst the most important ever illustrations of the artistic creativity of the Western world. Samuel Barber imbues passion and pathos into his "Adagio for Strings"; the most poignant segment of his "String Quartet, Op. 11".

The incomparable melodies of the strings add so much to the sophistication and opulence of "Symphony No. 1 in C Major" by Johann Brahms. Countless wedding ceremonies would miss the special atmosphere created by Johann Pachelbel's Baroque-style violins for his "Canon in D Major". The soulful Romantic era melodies of "Serenade for Strings in C Minor" feature the delights of viola and string music characteristically composed and arranged by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky.

Nigel Kennedy, the famous modern English musician, first entered a recording studio to play on Edward Elgar's "Violin Concerto" and helped enormously in bringing new audiences to appreciate classical music through his interpretations of Vivaldi's magnum opus "The Four Seasons" (with sales in excess of two million) as well as Elgar's Enigma Variations. Kennedy's talent on the instrument transcends musical fields; his instrumentals have also figured on the outstanding "Baba O'Riley" track from the album "Live at the Royal Albert Hall' by rock legends The Who. He also came together with the talents of Kate Bush for her song "Experiment IV".

One more example of a wonder-child whose music broke traditional moulds thanks to her idiosyncratic approach to using this instrument is Britain's Vanessa Mae. Not long afterwards, she chose to record her own unique fusion of musical styles, regularly being seen in rather scanty, raunchy attire in her promotional videos. Vanessa surprisingly uses two extremely disparate manners of instruments; an antique, acoustic Guadagini (reportedly costing her parents 250,000 pounds for their ten year old daughter) and the modern, rocky Zeta Jazz electric variety.

All violinists need sound technique to properly play the brilliant music for strings by composers such as Dvorak, Shostakovich and Bach. It is crucial to become skilled at correctly positioning one's left hand, thumb, wrist and fingers. Tone, vibrato and intonation are all affected by correct posture and the way that the right hand holds the bow.

Different postures for playing while standing or seated can be as important as wrist position for beginners. Correct hand position can be developed by practising tapping and strumming with the little finger. Instrument sizing is also vital for young violinists.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment