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Friday, 12 December 2014

Having The Right Violin Wrist Position Is Vital

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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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