How To Play The Violin

Written by Helen Baxter


Continued from page 1

Pizzicato

To play pizzicato (often abbreviated to pizz.)repparttar right thumb should be placed underrepparttar 109780 fingerboard andrepparttar 109781 index finger used to pullrepparttar 109782 string quickly upwards and across. For faster passages,repparttar 109783 bow can be held while playing pizzicato, still usingrepparttar 109784 index finger but withoutrepparttar 109785 support ofrepparttar 109786 thumb. In more complex and advanced pieces, a small cross aboverepparttar 109787 stave indicatesrepparttar 109788 fingers ofrepparttar 109789 left hand pluckingrepparttar 109790 strings.

Fingering and positions

As there are no physical aids such as frets for violinists as there are for guitarists, accurate tuning comes with immense practice. On a full size violin,repparttar 109791 tones are roughly two centimeters apart, but this is difficult to judge when playing since you are seeing from a different perspective. To aid tuning, it is very helpful to have a piano or other keyboard instrument when practicing.

The fingers ofrepparttar 109792 left hand are conventionally named first (index finger) to fourth (little finger). When playing notes other than open strings (G, A, D and E), these fingers must press down hard, so thatrepparttar 109793 string is shortened convincingly for a higher pitch. The standard intervals taught to beginners is tone, tone, semitone, tone (ie. G-A-B-C-D, D-E-F#-G-A, A-B-C#-D-E, and E-F#-G#-A-B). Of courserepparttar 109794 notes in between can be played by rearrangingrepparttar 109795 hand position.

This is known as first position, whererepparttar 109796 first finger plays up to a tone aboverepparttar 109797 open string. The next position usually taught is third position, whererepparttar 109798 first finger playsrepparttar 109799 note a perfect fourth aboverepparttar 109800 open string (so, for example, third position onrepparttar 109801 A string would start onrepparttar 109802 D). All positions from first up to anywhere around tenth can be thus played, and two octaves on one string are considered fairly standard.

Looking for information about the violin? Go to: http://www.mrviolin.com 'Mr Violin' is published by Helen Baxter - The Complete A to Z Of Violin Resources! Check out more violin articles at: http://www.mrviolin.com/archive


How Shall I Practice the Piano?

Written by Emily Sigers


Continued from page 1

8. Begin by practicing slowly at first, so as never to be obliged to stop. Always play strictly in time: rhythm and time must never be neglected for want of patience or energy. Sounds without rhythm have no more meaning than single letters ofrepparttar alphabet.

9. Duringrepparttar 109779 rests, do not removerepparttar 109780 hands fromrepparttar 109781 keyboard, but rather utilizerepparttar 109782 time, if necessary, forrepparttar 109783 next position. While one hand is playing, it is quite easy to preparerepparttar 109784 other for its part to come, if you are only quite clear in your mind what it has to do. Hence, such parts as require a change inrepparttar 109785 position ofrepparttar 109786 hand should be practiced alone, untilrepparttar 109787 hand has learned to assumerepparttar 109788 required position and to do its work unconsciously.

10. Aim forrepparttar 109789 highest, so as to attain something worth attaining. Overcome all fear or dislike of finger-exercises. Convince yourself that they are as absolutely indispensable and essential as arerepparttar 109790 words and rules of grammar which must be learned by heart beforerepparttar 109791 knowledge of a foreign language can be acquired.

11. Be patient and persevering. Want of patience will spoil all; perseverance will overcomerepparttar 109792 greatest obstacles and difficulties.

12. Be glad, if you can give others pleasure by your playing. But do not seek to excel by brilliant technique, which can never berepparttar 109793 object ofrepparttar 109794 true artist, whose aim must rather berepparttar 109795 acquisition of a thorough musical education. The ambition which incessantly urges on toward perfection isrepparttar 109796 natural quality peculiar to those gifted with great talent and a strong character. Pride and vanity ignore, or know nothing of,repparttar 109797 ideals of true art, and arerepparttar 109798 outcome of small minds.

This article, written by Karl Zuschneid, was taken from the November 1922 issue of magazine "Etude Musical Magazine." This article is featured at http://www.thepianopages.com, along with free piano lessons, sheet music, products, and lots more.


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