This page includes a number of exercises, studies, and suggestions that will help to develop your violin playing.

1). Position Playing


Which position to play in is a matter of personal choice. Sometimes, the composer/arranger will give a concrete suggestion:

Sul G, for example, means "On the G String".

Here are some things to consider as you develop a personal style:


-- In orchestral passages where there are lots of repeated 8ths or 16ths which require string crossings, you can move to second position (or another one) to avoid the string crossings.


-- Sustained open strings generally should, instead, be played with a stopped note so that you can provide vibrato.


-- If a passage requires jumps across several strings, another position might allow you to play the passage on two adjacent strings.


-- Anticipate a passage which absolutely requires a high position by moving into position early and land on a secure note ... e.g. move to third positon when you've got a nice quarter note on the "D" even though you don't really *need* third position for another 1/2 measure, for example.


-- Consider moving through several positions with nice, reliable steps rather than leaping from first to 4th, or 5th, for example. E.g. take the A and B in third position then do the C in 5th position on the E string rather than jumping directly to 5th position.


-- Avoid ending a piece on an open string, if you can ... and if it's not inappropriate.


-- Stay in position rather than following a descending passage down to first only to have to be back in position 2 measures later.


-- Use the open string as an opportunity to bridge to the higher positions in fast passages.


There are two types of fingering considerations: technical fingering and expressive fingering. You make a technical fingering choice in order to ease playing a passage, or because you need to shift in order to reach a certain note. You make an expressive fingering choice because you are looking for a particular tone color, or you want to hear a slide at a certain place. Most fingering decisions will take into account both of these factors.


Everyone has their own concept of what is an "easy" fingering, based on their physique and their technical strengths and weaknesses. People with large hands often find it easier to "extend" instead of shifting; rather than keeping the hand/fingers in a single "position", they stretch their fingers to cover two, three, or even four positions at once (without the movement of the entire hand that would normally accompany a "shift"). Some people like to stay off their 4th finger, especially on sustained notes (since it's harder to vibrate on the 4th finger), and finger accordingly.


Many people find that it's easiest to shift between two notes that are a half-step apart, such as going from a 2nd-finger, 3rd-position B on the E string, to a 1st-finger, 5th-position C on the E string. The half-step allows close judgement of exactly where the next note falls. Some players favor several small shifts instead of one large one; in general, very large shifts (more than four positions) are risky. Fingerings that leave the hand with no "anchor", such as two shifts in a row, are extremely risky. Fingerings that work well in practice sometimes collapse under the stress of a performance; similarly, fingerings that work well at slow tempo do not always work well at fast tempo. Experience is needed to get good at sorting out what isn't likely to end up working (and what feels awkward right now but will actually work very well with some practice).


Intonation plays a part in the choice of fingering particularly in the choice to avoid open strings.


Expressive fingering is even more personal than technical fingering. Portamento (shifting with an audible slide) appears to be back in style, though there are still limits to what can be done within the boundaries of what is presently considered to be good taste. A good guide to where to use portamento is to sing the passage. If you find yourself inserting a slight glide between two notes, it's likely a natural-sounding place to insert an expressive shift. Downward shifts can be a nice way to end a phrase, as well -- a very light glide down with a trailing-off of the bow pressure. (A good example of this is the end phrase of the opening of the Tchaikovsky concerto's violin solo; the last bit goes A-G#-A-A#-B A-G, and is generally fingered with a 2nd-finger, 3rd-position D-string A, with a light slide down to 3rd-finger, 1st-position D-string G.)


Never get caught up in the "this edition shows X fingering, and therefore I have to use X fingering" trap. Use the fingering that works for you, subject to technical leanliness and expressive reasonability. (The exception to this are etudes, where a fingering might be specified in order to get you to practice a certain difficult pattern; on the other hand, it could also be an editing choice that you can throw out. Teachers are useful for sorting out that kind of problem).
 

2). Vibrato

Facts About Vibrato:


1). Vibrato is modulation of pitch. In contrast, tremolo is the modulation of volume.
2). Vocalists using vibrato tend to average a rate of 7 cycles per second, although this can range from 6 to 8cps. The average pitch range of vibrato for vocalists is around a semitone.
3). The average violin vibrato is around 6.6cps, although it can range from 5 to 10cps. The average pitch range of vibrato for violinists is around a quarter of a tone.
4). Pitch, intensity and tone have a bearing on the way we perceive vibrato. The larger the pitch and intensity and the richer the tone, the more we underestimate the true extent of the vibrato.

Suggestions on beginning to play vibrato:


1. Vibrato must be controlled and measured in rhythmic units. There is nothing that sounds worse than an uncontrolled vibrato (with the exception of an unsteady bowhand).
2. Begin with the 1st finger on each string.
3. Use a metronome. Set it on a slow tempo.
4. Check your left hand position.
5. Now rock the first finger SLOWLY back and forth. You will get between a quarter-tone and a half-tone, preferably the former, from your standard 1st finger pitch. It is essential that this "rocking" be rhythmically correct. The rhythm is your control element.
6. This will NOT sound pretty. It is not supposed to yet. Please be patient with yourself and your fingers. It's a new motor habit we are talking about forming here. It comes with practice.
7. Keep a steady slow speed.