Explaining High Tech: 35 Exercises (1-12)

Written by Eun Hwan Bai
Published: August 17, 2014 at 11:06 AM [UTC]

After Violinist.com editor Laurie Niles wrote about my lecture at the 2014 Primrose Competition about my High Tech Exercises for the Left Hand, many people expressed interest in those exercises. Here I have given links to sheet music for each of those exercises, along with an explanation of how to do each one. All the exercises are contained in three blogs. Click here for Part 2: Exercises 13-25, and here for Part 3: Exercises 26-35.

Be careful, and enjoy!

High Tech 35 (1-12)

Exercise 1 Sheet Music
Exercise 2 Sheet Music
Exercise 3 Sheet Music
Exercise 4 Sheet Music
Exercise 5 Sheet Music
Exercise 6 Sheet Music
Exercise 7 Sheet Music
Exercise 8 Sheet Music
Exercise 9 Sheet Music
Exercise 10 Sheet Music
Exercise 11 Sheet Music
Exercise 12 Sheet Music

* * *

Exercise 1 Sheet Music

This is considered to be "double stops", E notes should not be mistaken for symbols. However, "D string and G string only" tells you that you should thoroughly research and practice in order to fully understand the method. First, Hold the two strings with first finger continuously, and time to time, the shape of the finger, moving finger and fixed finger, will be changed in the double stops depending on the state of the stretch. Most of the time, one octave above the first and stretched finger is almost a straight line. In order to check the accuracy of the pitch, both strings should keep sound without stops and lined up in ideal comparison of the two notes which are forced to sound based on intervals. The efforts should be identified and comes automatic ,if you do make hard and painful pitches, it should not bother you to catch the wrong pitch sounds or impure intonations as you keep paying a little attention. So, the 1st finger is firmly fixed and the sound should not ever be shaken as much as it possibly can.
Most of the time, the state of finger stretch is almost strait lying down and touching the side of the fingertip.

In fact, here is an example of the application of each key, thereby literally holding the D string and E string which such notes are often acted as traffic cops to keep the pitch, but also act as the central pillars to keep your finger on the great benefits of a flexible core.

To maintain the degree of adhesion, the pressure of the bow need to continue to maintain the pressure constantly to the end of the bow, and the index finger should put certain the amount of pressure toward the end of the bow and must be raised progressively.

Bowing is more difficult to control more slowly. The speed and the pressure and the location are mainly needed to keep the certain balance that can be maintained to even the sound.

Pitch intonation and sound quality have to make the best possible and as much as possible by practicing slow and to make an effort, it should be practiced as listening through a microscope.

Practicing slow is difficult process, and listening hard really makes your mind and body tired. However, you can have a tidy through cleaning every corner in the advent of a patient. Training of the left hand has to come with your right arm moving very slowly, and your judgment becomes more accurate. Particularly, a good practice needs using a stretch slowly as possible and the inner muscle often occurs pain. So, in order to release the pain, you need to take frequent breaks.

Without the accuracy, the power and flexibility of fingers, you will not become an absolute master with few tries. The concentration and quantity of exercise, with through the innumerable failures as much as possible, get through the challenge manually, will be the way to the mastership.

Exercise 2 Sheet Music

This is a 'octave' practice. However, in reality, 'fingered octave' is more profitable.

First, by making constant building octave interval blocks, the arpeggio is naturally automatically shaped. The brickwork is formed automatically according to arpeggio, even the fingers hit each other, but the shape of fingers becomes fixed in accordance with the purity and accuracy of pitch . For example, the middle note of triplet acts as a bridge that connects the 1st and the last note of the triplet with even tempo and right pitch, at the same time, it gives the basic foundation for the present to next following.

In other words, it continues to ensure the notes that has to be right sound, therefore shifting is like a footprint, at the same time, it has the stability of the positive role of the safety pin when you climbing a mountain with the rope.

As it continues to connect, the shadow and footprint will remain a shape and distance as a map with arpeggio in your mind. So, this is like 'making a cloth', due to the automatic reflex in the shape of triplets, with a big picture of the connections drawn in your left hand which will feel a mole sense.

Based on the triplets, the bowing must be slowly used up to the end of the bow, including the vibrato and perfect intonation should be polished in the best sound quality.

The finger octave has the advantage of speed, so, you may speed up immediately when you just feel the octaves with certain familiarity or comfort occurs. Of course, it is impossible if there is no flexibility, speed and pitch of any to speak of accuracy. But, it is possible to grow flexibility by giving large twist your fist knuckles whenever you can. It is possible to change the direction of 360 degrees in the fist fingers, this training will influence the success or failure of the violin playing in your life.

You can become a high-level player if you maintain flexibility of the left hand by only practice; almost every day, like a habit, always stretch. Even in your sleep, this training will help; put your fingers crossed and put in your pillow, and your fingers will be automatically released.

The purpose of the triplet is evenness, the bowing has to be close to the bridge as possible, just above the bridge, while you bow slowly. If possible, keep a large volume and you should have the patience to continue all the way. Gradually raise the speed when you feel good and challenge yourself with making toward your top speed, You can maintain your ability when you always challenge for improvement of skills, for even the most difficult stuff.

Exercise 3 Sheet Music

This exercise is consisted of only the 3rd. But the main training supports 'the 5th down' internally while 3rd double stops move octave up and down repeatedly.

You need to get a new concept to catch perfect intonation on the basis of 'the 5th down' in all double stops as compared to be stable. The intonation and the color of 3rd will be very effectively improved with 'the 5th down' concept in double stops.

The first finger should serve as a pillar, also other fingers are compared to be 'modified' for the distance and you really need to learn to slow down for perfect adjustment. The triplets are main building format in this exercise and learn to use the fingering with 12, 23, 34,13, 24,14, followed by good sound with all six combination evenly.

Speed can be a little bit up gradually, only if naturally when the intonation of connection is somewhat not that difficult to connect. Until you are comfortable solving the intonation training, if possible, you should always keep using vibrato, sound quality oriented, better pitch, vibrato care, including better the sound.
If the speed going to be all right, the vibrato and sound will come together. So, from the start, you always have to practice slowly, vibrato and bowing, both are in close contact with the natural good sound quality with care.

I believe the function of intonation and sound quality depends on the perfection and completeness. However, you should be trained with the orientation of the bow which has the law to regulate the dynamics, feel of the sound. This 3rd arpeggio exercise is just a technology development and application of the Carl flesh Scale System rather than in any form. This arpeggio with 3rd can be made but also other applications are possible on different intervals. For example, arpeggio with 6th, arpeggio with 5th, arpeggio with 4th can be possibly made.

Finally, it's a good attempt that the octave arpeggio can go through this procedure. Even more, the best training can be made if you keep attempt with more stretched intervals to come up through. Eventually this process with chromatic scale will be the exercise that makes your ears familiar with all of harmonics.

I believe repetitious process of this kind can make delicate intonation pitch such as cloth making, and the interpretation of freedom is fully accomplished in music.

Exercise 4 Sheet Music

This exercise is consisted of only 4 octaves. Paganini discovered this exercise a long time ago, the invention of a descriptive way, but very few masters ever to fully mastered this technique. If you only to look at the score, four fingers consisting in between the octaves, it is a crazy idea. However, this training is necessary.

Also for the flexibility of the fingers, for the strength of the fingers, for the accuracy of the fingers, for the speed of the fingers, such self-control training is a great reference to endure when one passes through the process and will be very great reward.

"Many birds with one stone effect" can be obtained from such training. The truth is "pain is certainly a blessing". Stretch slowly and deliberately practice often. As a point, you are able to find, that even if the intonation is similar in the first position, you have to approach over and over again to get them confirmed in tune, then the result of training would be very excellent.

Even from the beginning, you will eventually stretch of the first code, but in the future, as long as you do not give up the violin, you expect sometimes 'grabbing repeatedly' effect can be very useful. 'Flexibility', 'accuracy' and 'power' will not occur over a night, but if you have enough patience and unremitting efforts, just like the dust collecting for big mountain, building a 'life long skills' can be expected.

With all kinds of key, with all kinds of bowing, and with all kinds of tempo, you need to create your own applications for exercise and method which is a natural requirement.

All the scale scores eventually communicate with the configuration of sound made by only a composer's ideas which are parts of. The use of a metronome; Do not use it often, but I need to use it for not only to raise the tempo for gradual chromatic scale training but also for the method when you want to get even sound, sometimes getting help with machine is needed.

Exercise 5 Sheet Music

This scale is made up with 'triplet'. The reason is, for the sake of the note's evenness, which identified as the triplet listed, notes are done spontaneously automatic because triplet beat evenly. If four of the lists is done mainly it become sixteenth notes, but in this case, thanks to the three listed as triplet, helps to pick and force the tempo evenly and at the same time it leads the beat evenly. After all, even if you play any tempo triplets consecutively, it has tendency to be a long boring because in reality the nature of songs, mainly four note setting is used more to raise the speed.

However, for the purposes of training, so that a continuous sequence of notes are purpose to train, the three notes setting, the triplets are very helpful. In this particularly case, for each key, one by one for each start-up note and the last note, they formed part of the same design, because the purpose is, they are made ??of natural connection between the keys. Triplets are mainly focus on the purpose of adjust, but if you are looking at the left hand vibrato, due to laziness you do not vibrate much.

So, start slowly and deliberately vibrate, so that triplets will have the vibrato evenly and gradually speed up, this habit always must apply to the scale with 100% sure.Vibrato has to have the value of no limit of the tempo until there is no need to continue to keep the injection. No matter how fast pieces represent anything, even when the difficult passages emphasize the group's technique efforts, vibrato should sound even more impressive when it vibrates.

The accuracy of the note always depends on checking with open strings, even in this comparison, at least check the keynote in every octaves. And 'perfect 5th note' dominant has to be checked each time, so the sound is good when it arrives.

Exercise 6 Sheet Music

This practice is continued to use the two-octave sound using the G string and E string line to the high position in scale up and down, at the same time, the bow move is very effective study.

For speedy flexibility exercises, the right elbow preferably fixed against the wall, so, the right hand wrist is forced shaped the circle motion by moving the ones(samples), the bowing must be understood until you feel the effects of exercise.

Of course, the accuracy of the intonation is the issue, because you need to move at the same time, but for the instantaneous sound of the chords, you have to continue to memorize the pitch and move fast and quickly hear the sound of two octaves as much as possible so that you instinctively raise the accuracy.

Like a railroad line, 1st finger and 3rd finger need to be fixed to ensure the stability of the pitch as if both fingers are just in next sidebars which should be fixed to perfect 5th with 1st finger holding with D string and the 3rd finger is holding on with A string grabbing two lines to make the security of intonation.

Next, there is a unique practice of drawing, all four rows of perfect 5th, which the chord is formed to create a fingers to lie down as much as possible. Like Classic guitar, in order to make each finger to cover the fingerboard, the left hand has to lie on the side of fingers and it must be guitar shaped most of the time lie down.

Four strings are meant to be covered, and by doing this, because the cover action is also very inside of the left arm, the elbow will be entered into the deep stretch exercises, which are very helpful.

Particularly, in this way, even 4th finger has the 'training of 4th' after picking up the perfect 5th, especially, as part of the Paganini Caprice No. 24 Finale, inevitably the power is very beneficial.

Twisted lines are displayed on all four strings of perfect 5th notes, although all the notes are not drawn, you need to confirm the names of the notes of the commandments.

Particularly, in high position, notes should be deliberately known until you are familiar with the commandments and memorize them and even if the notes are listed loosen, the ear should be accustomed to release and speak the notes automatically.

So If you imagine to jump the 5th interval in one string, the note could be easily found and identified, along with shifting it is very helpful to increases the accuracy of the pitch.

Prior to the ear to such training, due to the natural habit of moderately pressed 5th, it is identified as a very weak sound, so, you need more effort to put the perfect 5th firmly to make complete catch and pure sound.

Especially, for use of high notes with 4th fingers, you need to keep good sound quality even with these efforts, and there is no absolute success without expecting this training.

Always you have to try the better sound quality and more accurate pitch.

Of course, on a daily basis, it is important to keep a variety of training continued with each key combination, with all kinds of bowing.

Exercise 7 Sheet Music

This is for 7th Exercise. By coincidence, training 7th is at No.7 exercise.^ ^

In Harmonies, the role of the dissonance is as important as general ones. The world of all things is made of the Major and Minor. Notice even in ancient time, under the sun, in the role of the shade and shadow, wise men's invention of the sundial is based on all the basic elements. Because of dissonance, regular harmonies fully shine. However, in general, training scale is completely focused on regular ones.

In "3rd, 6th,10th, and octave" your ear is accustomed to regular ones and it is not too difficult to discern them definitely in tune or not. Of course, training for the exact perfect intonation is also another issue, but it is not so difficult to discern the higher and lower pitch. However, without training, it's hard to hear dissonant 2nd, 7th, 9th, because your ears are not sensible to hear the high and low state.

First, in order to get acquainted between harmonies, relate to dissonance, you need to listen repeatedly. So until you get used to dissonance, continue to do the scale 7th only with 7th until completely satisfied, continue to do the scale 2nd same way, and the training should be repeated separately.

In fact, good ear is not a joke until you really should cultivate patience, you do not hear well because you give up easily on the painful sound, practically confronting the dissonance which is usually the reason. But the fact is speaking to any hurts, there is no torture physically, no harm is done to your ears.

Just accept the fact that you are accustomed to consider the pain a little patience, and consider this as the restorative. Dissonance is really pretty, if you get somewhat familiar with the sounds. So after you do intensive 7th training on No.7, you will really have the Master's ear (^ ^).

As you can see, the scale is based on Carl Flesh system centered of the A key to all the arpeggio even included the chromatic scale intensively. Particularly, the keynote was focused and displayed in black for understanding the notes. Double stops must be trained by all of the six combinations using 12, 23, 34,13, 24,14. Particularly, bowing must be trained in triplet, attempt to put maximum number in one bow, at least, literally it aims to maximize the training very effective

Exercise 8 Sheet Music

Hopefully you realize and understand that black rectangular shape pillar shown here is the basis to the intonation. This allows very accurate pitch and speed that you can own high technique which shows the primary key components of power and speed.

It is a car shifting function; shifting in position movement , and 1st finger as reinforced role in the movement are absolutely critically needed for other fingers' movement. So it is shown here to remember the basic scale with 'building brick walls' more detailed shape. Just simply apply to each key, and you must be careful as much as possible, the 1st finger must not move except the shifting movement.

You do not feel the need of vibrato because it moves quickly and also because it moves more notes in one bow. Because, the1st finger is being held, even when you want to know the accuracy of the pitch with trying to slow down, keeping the 1st finger fixed is helpful for training. Of course, the 1st finger can be lifted in slow speed for natural vibrato if you are playing a popular melody line. Perlman, sometimes, his 1st finger is turned back down fully, when he focuses on vibrato with his 4th finger. For that reason, in performance, normally only if you have the 1st finger as a fixed pole, the technical part of the scale is stable and reliable, so speed can be raised.

In the first attempt, the open string and the fixed 1st finger, drawing both together will make the effect of double stops, and for sustaining of the bow which allows two rows, put maximum pressure on the bow to ensure the health of the sound. In fact, all the basic scale has to play forte while maintaining the volume, if possible, slow down the speed of slurred bow while the left hand notes are more busy, which means, raise to the maximum.

Particularly, sustaining the fingers continued in two strings in a high position can be very difficult, but, need to overcome and make it familiarize yourself, so the advanced technology can be obtained. Even at top of the fingerboard, with fingering 1234, with all four fingers holding two strings at the same time comfortably, this is the highest level of technology of Paganini Caprice, and it is a key element of the technology to become absolute master.

In fact, the difference between strength and power is just only a concept, real technology is using a law of power with no power. There are two forces, one; like a fool to waste power unnecessarily, force to force, two; indeed without any power, relative force (induction), use the forces of nature (gravity, elasticity) as a result of seeing the best effect wisely, of course, the latter is the true power.

Exercise 9 Sheet Music

Just by looking at No.9, most of you may think the fingerings and the black square symbols make no sense. But the basic idea is fundamentally through the arpeggio of 'brick building' (term coined ^ ^), preferably, at the same time, you will get the consistency of tone and color (even color picked out in a string) which is a very good training. So, the open string sound is painted in black rectangle, represents a whole note effects.

In other words, due to continued drone notes, it's a verification process, of brick building of arpeggio in the bottom or above. Because, while raising the accuracy, space of intervals, chords and double stops, even rhythm are forced to speak with open string.

Most of fingerings are unusually using stretches (^ ^), but the combination can create much more than this. For example, 123 123 123 432 432 432 may be simplified manner, 124 124 124 431 431 431 stretch and contraction may be used together. Fingerings posted here are only brought out one by one, because it is a little confusing. Anyway, feel free to use the fingerings, which is possible to find a creative color.

Noise occurs when you draw two strings, first, when you draw bow, when you change fingers, when you change the strings, the unwanted fundamental noise happens, so, silence (soundless)is the best way, not to make any sounds. Because, simply noise is a bow touch by unnecessary animation or the left hand's touch on strings by another unnecessary cause, so, if you want to make a silence, your left and right hand must not move any strings or bow.

To explain again, if you understand the "art of waiting" (words made up ??^ ^) which has the sense of there should be no unnecessary urgent motion or the brink of moving or reducing the movement of the left hand and bow, it is very helpful technically or musically. Even when you change your bow at the frog or at the tip, wait in advance without bumps before next note.

And also if the fingers before the following notes (double stops must be ready in advance) move around, rhythm can be broken and you may create unnecessary different notes. You must seek the basic of the pure sound quality only.

Exercise 10 Sheet Music

As you can see, the reason No.10 is carefully drew up on every scale one by one (^ ^), is intended to describe accurately. The explanation includes there is no fingering difference in between minor and major scale. Of course you can also choose to be different on purpose. But here explained reasoning, all of the key's fingerings are the same from the start to the end to simplify on purpose.

Once you start, all except open string in G minor, G major scale, at the beginning of the keynote, 1st finger is used consistently up and down to the base note. The reason why not bother to show the rhythm is you can create odd number with the triplet rhythm also create the even number with four notes per group.

While understanding the concept of rhythm of even, odd situation, you can actually perform accordingly and able to change freely. The changing various key and fingerings are free. But first, the basic fixed fingering is needed (!) and gradually nurture and cover the ability to all the rhythm and speed with flexibility.

One bow up and one bow down in slurred on purpose, of course, the tempo in one bow can't be slow. So at the beginning, you have to start slow to afford to put enough number in one bow for resolving weakness, gradually get used it and preferably it is helpful to practice to include bunch of multiple notes in a slurred bow. After all, no matter how difficult in the left hand, even a lot of notes are in the bow, you must not give up the volume, the degree of adhesion of bow and keep the even sound; that is the most advanced technique.

Double stops are also the same, always evenly draw the same concept of patient and degree of adhesion to the maximum, that is, must be attached near the bridge. Heifetz played the most so close to the bridge and in the maximum adhesion, it is almost as cool as sushi knife, owing to its degree of adhesion, such as martial arts, such as a laser beam, it is the highest level of bow skill.

Heifetz method is the best , he has the best bow technique and the best left-hand without a question. In Heifetz class, all this in addition, you have to practice the slurred staccato scales (down, up); Eugene Fodor said.

Exercise 11 Sheet Music

It should be noted, in practice, rather then the unconditional movement of the fingers, one by one, while with feeling in the note's change in the number of vibrations of the sound, it should be confirmed that up and down of the sound need to be together with the tip of the fingers movement.

In other words, the effect of the glissando of bel canto, singer's singing sound is like a very gorgeous decoration of arbitrarily kind of technique, also the sliding (^ ^) seems to handle the great tone, as well as, along with supporting the back phrase, is one of the fundamentals of violin playing.

When you play the melody mainly, with this technique, it represents one of the expression of emotions, but if possible, too much glissando (a kind of shifting) may be rejected, so, you should try the proper amount of the sensitivity and feeling of the material in order to suit the atmosphere. As you can see, of course, the symbols are in a straight line, but in accordance with its own, the tempo and bow can be very different moves. So at first try, almost as if as the semitone scale, the intonation must to be evenly raised in a chromatic scale(in fact, the frequency of sound).

If possible, find the confidence to speak the vibrato is recommended when upon the target of one octave has arrived. All scales, "In fact, must be included with vibrato", makes a true master (Henryk Szeryng claimed ^ ^). All the scale means all double stops, up to all including even the 4 octave code, because of that, we always think of the broad concept of scale whenever we (^ ^) will need to be prepared for a challenge.

As you can see, the wavy arrow is a method of the distance of twelve semitones, using glissando with vibrato technique in use. In other words, with a good understanding of vibrato to the motion itself, you must use the recoil of the up, down movement made in ??full. This technique is featured in Wieniawsky, Tchaikovsky, Paganini, so, it is favorite colorful essential skills for advanced cone technique of performance, so, you have to naturally practice the octave into 12 quickly, accurately counted by 1/3 or 1/4 or 1/2. In other words, 12 = 3x4, 12 = 4x3, 12 = 2x6, 12 = 6x2, you must be aware how it is calculated and how it is distributed at any time, with any notes, in your head for your performance.

Mainly you may practice, groups in three, groups in four,(Carl fresh way), but generally in the practice, playing Bach Partita in G minor, Presto, the final movement is thought to be distributed in various approaches. Each time you are emphasized, with all keys, with all arpeggios, with all combination of the fingering can be trained according to your own choice.

Exercise 12 Sheet Music

Uh oh...if look at No.12, it becomes chaos. But look closely to discern the sign of the form, as it means, one with empty note(whole note), one with full note(quarter note), at the same time, they are painted as double stops, but that's the intentional display for ease of division. Throughout the complete No.12, starting to stretch with the perfect 5th to the 13th, promote (^ ^)every line one by one. However, if possible, you have to practice only up to your limitations that how much you think it is good to try.

Glissando, up to more then 10th, can be so hard that you should be careful, so, it is better to wait until your sensitive fingers becomes flexible. In Paganini Caprices, 'wide-open 13th' often emerges in places (No.3, No.12 Caprice). So here, 13th is trained, but it is not the only one to catch, that continues to slide up and down, using a chord with up and down can be very intense training, and it is fearless , because you must have a tuff practice in spirit of 'Sparta Training'(^^). In fact, if you do this, you sleep well at night, because you do a highly technical training of the violin.

So, when your fingers in fact suffer from difficult experiences, your mind and body state is just like you ran whole day of a marathon. So, through 'hand acupuncture' (put needles in hand), it can be a way of curing the body. Yes, once I experienced this several times, hand acupuncture, which (like porcupine needles in both hands for about 30 minutes with hundreds of sets) the memory of the effect was very good one. Thanks to many masters who have the training of strings in deal with the left hand to exchange for a long life, are well known.
It is also seen here virtues with cultivating patience.

Of course, at first time, you should not give up at all for the concept of patience, but once you try, try until it worth the effort, so, itself makes a very valuable skills and also ensure the unmistakable add with the depth of inner power. For the accuracy, the pitch, the ear improves by opening, obtaining the ability to discern the tone easily, and it is not possible to easily distinguish the notes from the birth without all the hard training. That is why you have to overcome, like even

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