Wednesday, 17 December 2014

Having The Correct Violin Wrist Position Is A Must

By Lucia Weeks


The fundamental basis for skillful string music is a necessity. This begins with having the ideal viola or violin wrist position. Failure to find the right position can instigate severe faults. A buckled wrist pulls the musician's fingers into an incorrect alignment and places extreme strain on the violinist's tendons, potentially initiating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It is best for the wrist to remain straight and for the fingers to be curved.

Mastering this modus operandi is essential for musicians wanting to become accomplished. Many all-time classic musical pieces depend greatly on a gifted string section. Renowned composers including Mozart orchestrated much of their greatest work with violins at the forefront. "A Little Nightmusic" (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik) by Mozart is uncomplicated and graceful.

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".

One more example of a wonder-child whose music broke traditional moulds thanks to her idiosyncratic approach to using this instrument is Britain's Vanessa Mae. Not long afterwards, she chose to record her own unique fusion of musical styles, regularly being seen in rather scanty, raunchy attire in her promotional videos. Vanessa surprisingly uses two extremely disparate manners of instruments; an antique, acoustic Guadagini (reportedly costing her parents 250,000 pounds for their ten year old daughter) and the modern, rocky Zeta Jazz electric variety.

All violinists need sound technique to properly play the brilliant music for strings by composers such as Dvorak, Shostakovich and Bach. It is crucial to become skilled at correctly positioning one's left hand, thumb, wrist and fingers. Tone, vibrato and intonation are all affected by correct posture and the way that the right hand holds the bow.

Different stances for playing when seated or standing may be just as significant for beginners as wrist position. Accurate hand position should be built up by the practise of using the pinkie finger to tap and strum. Correct instrument size is also crucial for youthful violinists.




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