Thursday, December 18, 2014

Having The Correct Violin Wrist Position Is A Must

By Lucia Weeks


Learning a musical instrument is nice. The elemental basis for adept string musicians begins with learning the model viola or violin wrist position. Severe faults can follow from a failure to master the precise position. A buckling of the wrist pulls a musician's fingers out of the correct alignment, placing extreme tension on the tendons of a violinist and has a propensity to instigate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Curved fingers and a wrist that remains straight are essential.

Mastery of this formula is indispensable for any musician wishing to become proficient. Many unparalleled pieces of classical music hinge on the talents of the string section. Celebrated composers of the stature of Mozart orchestrated some of their ultimate masterpieces with prominent violins. Mozart's "A Little Nightmusic" ("Eine Kleine Nachtmusik") is understated and poised.

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 complexity and richness of Johannes Brahms' "Symphony No. 1 in C Major" owe much to the unique sound of the string section. Many a wedding would not be the same without the atmospheric Baroque violins within "Canon in D Major" by Johann Pachelbel. "Serenade for Strings in C Minor" by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky is a soulful, melodic Romantic era composition which features the beautiful qualities of violas and violins.

The English violinist Nigel Kennedy made his debut in the recording studio performing Elgar's "Violin Concerto" and did much to bring classical music to a wider audience with the 2 million selling version of Vivaldi's masterpiece "The Four Seasons". Kennedy's skills transcend musical genres, and he has featured on The Who's "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" album on the phenomenal "Baba O'Riley" track. He also joined Kate Bush on "Experiment IV".

Another child virtuoso who has crossed musical boundaries with her unique style of instrument playing is Vanessa Mae. She had recorded both the Tchaikovsky and Beethoven concerto solos by the age of 13. After this, she went on to record her own brand of pop music, often appearing in quite raunchy, skimpy outfits in her videos. Vanessa is famous for using two different kinds of violins; a Zeta Jazz electric model and the Guadagnini acoustic instrument which her parents paid 250,000 sterling, when Vanessa was just ten years old. At the tender age of thirteen, she had already played the solos from concertos by Beethoven as well as Tchaikovsky on best-selling discs.

Every violinist needs thorough technique to play exceptional string music by superb composers including Shostakovich, Dvorak and Bach as it deserves to be heard. It is vital to become adept at correctly locating one's left wrist, hand, fingers and thumb. Intonation, tone and vibrato are all influenced by correct bearing and the manner with which the right hand grips the bow.

Different deportments for performing when sitting or on your feet may have as much significance for learners as violin hand position. Precise hand positioning should be bolstered by following the training technique of strumming and tapping the strings with your pinkie finger. Accurate instrument dimensions are also important for beginners.




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