Approaches to
Violin / Viola
Pedagogy
Models for
Interval Practice
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December 27, 2008
Stopping
fingers often need to act independently of
the bow arm and the independent count. The
effectiveness of an intervallic approach
will be enhanced if an "anchor finger"
remains planted while the new finger is
placed. In this way, the muscles will
experience the interval span. And the
muscles soon will remember the distance, in
the same way the driver of a car remembers
the movement from the accelerator pedal to
the brake. Holding down anchor fingers -- or
guiding fingers -- is important. But this
technique has a downside. It can produce
excess tension. Also it inhibits vibrato.
Therefore it is essential, particularly at
slower tempos, to learn and to drill the
release of the stop -- raising the finger
independently of the start of the bow stroke
and the sound.
The
models above show how this is done. In B, on
the same string, when the second finger
falls, the new pitch sounds -- the second
finger is placed simultaneous to the
second-quarter-count. But 1st finger -- the
anchor or guiding finger is maintained. It
is raised only after the new sound is
started -- practice doing this action on the
"and" of the count. In the descent back to
E, the new 1st finger is to be placed ahead
of time. The new pitch sounds when the 2nd
finger is removed. In A) which involves
string crossing, the second finger
anticipates the new pitch -- it must be
already in place when the bow reaches the
new string. The 1st finger acts as the
anchor or guide as in B. In A, at the
descent, the 2nd finger remains planted
until the new pitch on the new string is
already sounding.
The
triple aspect of the models is important.
When the repeat is observed, the changed bow
direction relates differently to the left
hand and to the bridge's curvature.
Note: If you would like to copy this
interval training material and post it to
your site please give me a link back -
http://heidenmusic.com
Go to previous lesson -
An
Intervallic Approach
Charles Heiden and