Sunday, December 21, 2014

Every Beginner Must Learn The Proper Violin Wrist Position

By Lucia Weeks


Learning anything starts with some key steps. The key to great string music is having the perfect viola or violin wrist position. Failing to get the correct position can cause severe problems. A collapsed wrist will pull the violinist's fingers into the wrong arrangement and place extreme stress on the player's tendons, potentially leading to carpal tunnel syndrome. Ideally, the wrist remains straight and the fingers are 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.

Symphony No. 7 in A Major is another eternal classic which has violins at the heart of Ludwig van Beethoven's characteristic composition. The magnificent and amazing Beethoven symphonies deserve their reputation as being illustrative of the utmost artistic creativeness the West has ever witnessed. Samuel Barber instils ardour and tragedy into his poignant "Adagio for Strings"; regarded as the most emotional section 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".

Another child prodigy who has traversed musical restrictions with her distinctive approach to playing the instrument is Vanessa Mae. By the time she was thirteen, she had cut discs playing the solos on both Tchaikovsky's and Beethoven's concertos. Soon afterwards, she decided to release her own trademarked-style pop music, frequently appearing in rather raunchy, scanty outfits in her promos. Vanessa famously uses two very different forms of instrument; the Zeta Jazz electric version and the acoustic Guadagnini instrument which cost her parents 250,000 pounds to buy for the 10 year old Vanessa.

All players need solid technique to do justice to the work of brilliant composers like Bach, Dvorak and Shostakovich. It is essential to learn how to correctly position the left hand, fingers, thumb and wrist. The right hand and proper posture effect tone, intonation and vibrato through the way in which the bow is held.

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.




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