Clockwise and Anticlockwise rotation: a key rule for violin playing

November 9, 2007 at 3:21 PM

Today I was at violin class and my teacher was teaching to a beginner the rule that is fundamental for a correct and physiologically sane way to play, day by day I get a confirmation on that.

Clockwise and anticlockwise rotation of bow can be identified in this way:

if you have to play on two adjacent strings and

1) lower string has to be played down
2) higher string has to be played up

the rotation of the bow has to be performed with the arm as still as possible and just with a combined movement of fingers (closing and opening) and wrist (bent fingers on the lower string and relaxed on the higher) and the rotation is clockwise from the point of view of the player. THIS IS THE PHYSIOLOGICALLY MORE CONVENIENT CASE

Otherwise if you have to play

1)lower string up
2)higher string down

the rotation has to be performed with the aid of the arm and the rotation is anticlockwise.THIS SITUATION IS LESS PHYSIOLOGICALLY CONVENIENT BUT IS VERY FREQUENT IN THE LITERATURE.

One of the most helpful etudes summarizing the theory expressed above is the etude n°2 by Rode in which we can apply both the movements.

At the base of this patterns there is once again the precious movement of fingers/wrist which is at the basis of mechanism of forte and piano production (vd previous discussions).

Day by day I guess that who learns these movements has just learned to walk...

From Laurie Niles
Posted on November 10, 2007 at 2:53 PM

I would say this concept is the entire secret to learning the Bach E major Preludio. It is so easy when you know which crossings will require the anti-clockwise movement of the arm and which simply require a clockwise circle of the wrist.

From Antonello Lofù
Posted on November 10, 2007 at 4:56 PM

Sometime we play without beeing conscious of the movements we are doing so sometime it is better to give some postulates of physiology

This entry has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.

Clockwise and Anticlockwise rotation: a key rule for violin playing

Subscribe

Laurie's Books