Violinist.com

The Well Aging Fiddler – Living with Mutes - Metaphorical and Genuine

October 18, 2020, 1:44 PM · As an adult violin student, in the midst of my fourth year, I’m finding the violin and my weekly lessons are a refreshing link to sanity. Working on scales, arpeggios, double stops, and my somewhat painful-to-the-ear vibrato, takes me away from our current situation. It’s like meditation with a focus, and after a while it everything that is going on disappears. Keep reading...

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V.com weekend vote: How will COVID-19 affect the future of large-scale orchestral performances?

Laurie Niles

October 17, 2020, 9:02 PM · The Violinist.com discussion board came alive last week when the following question was posed: Do you think COVID will wipe out large-scale orchestral performances? Responses reflected the true geographic diversity of the community. Dimitri Musafia let us know what’s happening in Cremona, a place that was once the epicenter of the outbreak. Jean Dubuisson gave a glimpse at concerts in Belgium. Paul Deck weighed in on the U.S. regional orchestral situation, while Karen Allendoerfer and others talked about the community orchestra scene. And while many commenters disagreed about the outcome, all were hopeful that orchestras can return to their former large-scale glory. I can’t help but wonder about the future of our orchestras, and I want to hear from you. Please choose the answer that best fits your thinking right now, and then share your thoughts in the comments.

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How to Apply Bow Weight to Create the Best Sound

Paul Stein

October 17, 2020, 11:27 AM · Even though violinists have a harder job playing a single note than a pianist, they still have something in common with each other – the delicate use of weight on the key and on the string. It’s a technique which grows in the mind from, when you’re younger, “one motion is loud and the other one is soft”, to developing it into a storehouse of shades and subtleties.

Violinists think of the weight of the bow, the bow arm, and varying the bow’s depth into the string. To keep all the details and memories in a convenient file in your head is one of the challenges facing a musician. Some keep file cards, which wouldn’t be such a bad idea. A checklist, though, would be more convenient. Keep reading...

Violin Technique: Exercise to Activate the Bow Wrist

Laurie Niles

October 16, 2020, 2:28 PM · A violinist must cultivate flexible fingers and a loose wrist in the bow hand, in order to have good bow changes and to be able to perform more advanced bow strokes such as fast string-crossings and sautillé (fast off-the-string strokes). But how? And how do you get really loose with the bow hand, without dropping the bow? I've come up with a little exercise, away from the violin, to help bridge the gap between the wrist motion and the finger motion. This will help translate your finger flexibility into something you can use in the context of wrist motion.

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