Interview with Paul Reynolds, Violist, Teacher and Inventor of the Wrist Rascal

Written by Zlata Brouwer
Published: October 1, 2014 at 8:08 AM [UTC]

Do you know what a Wrist Rascal is and how it can help you to improve your intonation, vibrato and position play?

In this episode of Violin Lounge TV I interview Paul Reynolds, violist and inventor of the Wrist Rascal. He couldn’t stand the collapsed left wrists of his students anymore, so he invented this tool to help him and them. 

A collapsed wrist is very natural for beginning violinists and violists, as students are afraid to drop the violin or viola.

Lots of violin teachers start their students with exercises with the hand against the soundboard, which is roughly the third position. Beginning students have support on the violin and don’t collapse their wrist. A great solution, but we have to switch to the first position for our first songs.

When learning vibrato, most students start in the third position. That’s why vibrato is learned relatively late, after learning the third position.

The Wrist Rascal brings the third position to the first position and is a reminder for students.

Most tools shape your hand or arm in a certain position and make you dependent of this ‘aid’.

The Wrist Rascal shouldn’t be used all the time, but from time to time. Your hand shouldn’t lean against it: touching the Wrist Rascal is a reminder that your wrist is collapsing. This means that you develop your muscles and gain independence. 

In this interview Paul Reynolds and I talk about:

• why the Wrist Rascal is made,


• how one should use the Wrist Rascal,


• what the results are of using it,


• what makes it different from other tools.

We also talk about the advantages in group lessons, where teachers have to split their attention. The Wrist Rascal can prevent students from developing bad habits.

Often lots of technical habits need to be corrected when a student switches from group lessons or orchestra lessons to private lessons.

We talk about the wish of lots of students to learn vibrato early and about how it’s possible with this new tool.

Would you like to order your own Wrist Rascal or just read some more information about it? Go to www.wristrascal.com. Please e-mail Paul directly if you have questions.

Is this useful to you? Please let me know in the comments below!

Love,

Zlata

PS: Have you invented a product or service that violin and viola players can benefit from? Have you invented an accessory (mute, chinrest, case, teaching tool, whatever), written a book, recorded a CD or made something beautiful that serves violinists and violists? Just e-mail me at info@violinlounge.com.

If I think your product or service is interesting for Violin Lounge TV audience, I might invite you for an interview. Being interviewed on Violin Lounge TV will get you visibility and sales. In this way I hope to support innovation in the area of violin and viola playing.

PS2: Take a look at more interviews I did here!

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