[6] See footnote, page 3.
No. 9.
[Music: With the upper third of the bow.]
This étude is marked _allegro_. It is not so rapid a movement as to
interfere with a free forearm stroke. The _martelé_, or even a slight
staccato stroke, is not as useful as a broad, free bowing in the upper
half of the bow. The student will observe that while some modern
editions suggest the staccato, it was not true to the traditions of
Fiorillo’s time.
Begin with the upper half or upper third of the bow. A free swinging
stroke is desired. At the beginning of the sixth line play lightly near
the point of the bow and on the edge of the hair:
[Music]
We do not make string-transfers by tilting the bow from side to side.
We play on the edge of the hair, the long string-transfers being made
with a movement from the shoulder, if more than two strings are used.
Halir insists on the mastery of scale runs from the highest note of
the scale. The pupil must _think_ the tone at once, then he must take
his position without effort and remain in that position as long as
necessary.
[Music]
After we leave the third position, the thumb goes under the violin in a
horizontal plane. The fingers must fall well over the strings, without
unnecessary movements. One may rest the palm in the third position
or not, according to one’s physical limitations, but there must be
no pressure at the base of the first finger and no depression of the
joints of any finger in the positions. All fingers should seek their
places at once and remain fixed, unless one is playing vibrato. The
character and tempo of an exercise determine how it shall be played.
The first finger must always remain _near_ its original place, so that
the position may not be disturbed as a whole. Whenever the fourth
finger seeks a place, the first should fall at once into its position;
that is to say, the position must be mastered. In this étude the bowing
is varied, a sure test of mastery of several styles or forms of triplet
playing. One thing the teacher must insist upon: that the bow remain
usually on the outer edge, also that accents that fall with the up
bow shall be well defined. The closing chord, according to the tenets
of the Berlin school, should never be played like an arpeggio. Other
schools differ in this respect.
No. 10.
[Music]
This étude is similar in style to number nine. It should be played in
the upper part of the bow, _forte_. In taking the fifth position on the
last note, first measure, the first finger passes at once into place
and remains there. It is a very common fault, and entirely opposed to
a fluent left hand technic, to allow the first finger to be released
when playing in the higher positions. Note the Halir exercises for
sliding quickly from the third to the fifth position and back. One must
remember that the thumb does not _press_ on the neck of the violin,
also that it slides at once around the neck of the violin when passing
to the fifth position. One must never press with the fleshy part of the
thumb. The pressure point is below the joint, _on the bone_. Also, the
chin must relieve the thumb of all care as to support.
The fourth and fifth lines should be practiced near the point of the
bow, and memorized. After playing a run several times, the progression
is mastered. The player should play the whole passage mentally, then
place the fingers on the strings exactly as they will fall. I have
often asked my pupils to write down the arpeggios as an evidence that
they knew the musical content of certain études. Again we must insist
that all the fingers seek a new position at once. The strings should
not be pulled from side to side in the higher positions. This causes
false intonation. While a fairly free forearm stroke is desired, with
accentuated first notes of triplets, the staccato is not usually
practical. Too little bow gives no character to the work. Too much bow
causes a jerky movement of the forearm. Intonation is difficult in the
half-position, hence students must play such passages many times. The
fingers must be prepared for what is coming. In all étude work we must
read ahead and place the fingers mentally before we come to the next
passage. In the half-position work, fourth line, you will observe that
the note followed by two slurred notes may be played staccato lightly
near the point. A long stroke is dangerous to the freedom of the
forearm. We swing the forearm, the shoulder joint being free, the arm
following the wrist in passages like this:
[Music]
We also play near the point until the bow-arm is free. Single notes
are played staccato, lightly. Such passages as this, requiring slurred
notes, should be accented in this manner:
[Music]
The bow should be free, placed on the edge of the hair as much
as possible, with a slight undulating movement of the wrist, not
interfering with the legato. Contrasts of legato and staccato need not
be observed, the staccato being less marked than previously.
In passages like this:
[Music]
the legato must prevail, the proper note receiving its accent. Whenever
it occurs, keep near the upper third or point of the bow (the single
notes being sometimes played spiccato).
[Music]
The eleventh line requires some contrast between the staccato and
legato. Very short slurred notes should be played near the point of the
bow. (Play single notes spiccato.)
Now we come to one of the most difficult things in violin playing,
string-transfers, skipping one string. (For the development of the
bow-arm at this point, Sevcik’s _4000 Bowings_, Part II, Sections III
and IV, are very useful.) The arm moves freely from the shoulder,
the motion being away from the side. The bow remains on its edge as
much as possible. Accents, even when a note falls as a second one in
a slurred passage, must be observed. _The fingers should seek their
places simultaneously._ Keep near the upper part of the bow, the wrist
moving freely, not being under the plane of the elbow; the fingers are
relaxed, the fourth being on the bow-stick. As an example of staccato
bowing and the running legato combined, this étude is very useful.
[Music]