Explaining High Tech: 35 Exercises (Nos. 13-25)

Written by Eun Hwan Bai
Published: August 17, 2014 at 11:13 AM [UTC]

Here is the second in a three-part blog series that contains my 35 High Tech Exercises, which are meant to challenge, stretch and strengthen your left hand. Here I have given links to sheet music for each of those exercises, along with an explanation of how to do each one. Click here for Part 1: Exercises 1-12, and here for Part 3: Exercises 26-35.

Be careful, and enjoy!

High Tech: 35 Exercises (Nos. 13-25 )

Exercise 13 Sheet Music
Exercise 14 Sheet Music
Exercise 15 Sheet Music
Exercise 16 Sheet Music
Exercise 17 Sheet Music
Exercise 18 Sheet Music
Exercise 19 Sheet Music
Exercise 20 Sheet Music
Exercise 21 Sheet Music
Exercise 22 Sheet Music
Exercise 23 Sheet Music
Exercise 24 Sheet Music
Exercise 25 Sheet Music

* * *

Exercise 13 Sheet Music

At first, the distribution of fingering should be understood. Because at first glance, it looks like several lines of chord distribution is drawn as a line, but in fact, you only stretch on G string, with 1234 4321 extends as training. Of course, all except the few notes in the beginning are played as chord. The in following practice, a line of chord is really drawing upward on D string with 2 octaves and will continue to try until you can afford to sound and the downward is also the same.

Third exercise is synthesized chord practice on G, D string and D, A string with 12, 34 alternately fingered sound. This also can be trained with a variety of different applications, it can be moved on each string and on each key. In fourth exercise, the 4 octaves is carried out on all 4 strings, and it was developed by maestro Paganini a long time ago, but the main goal of training is to be carried out in every position even in the 1st position if possible.

Here, because it starts from the 4th position, you can make the scales up and down without much of problem, but in order to challenge from the1st position in advance, you must, without the instrument, stretch fingers each day ceaselessly to make the flexibility and strength. Fingers can be twisted in many forms, if you put it under your pillow before going to sleep(of course released in the morning) in a few months, the effect will be great.

The following exercise is a method through twelve semitones up and down in one string with the training of all keys, this practice is to make a team action, that is, in 12, 3 groups are created to make four notes in a group, think of the 1st note of the group as a team leader and while upward or downward, encourage to move to make sure the team leader's report. Of course, you can make two groups with bunch of 6, or 4 groups with bunch of 3, but usually composers work in the form of 3 groups with bunch of 4, which is much more appropriate.

The following exercise is glissando, but without making sound, deliberately drag up and down like a siren and the your goal is to make a very slow slide from the 1st note to the last upper octave. Identify the difference in speed, different sense in every tempo, deliberately select the slowest tempo and raise the speed gradually. The following exercise is a method by applying the double stops with glissando up and down on each key, so, a number of exercises can be made by themselves.

Exercise 14 Sheet Music

In this exercise, you will know how to practice. But, in fact, when you are repeating the same note many times, each shifting finger is absolutely necessary to have 'know-how' to become smooth. Of course, to be waiting for the next in line between the fingers with slowly shifts (^ ^), wait for the stand and give the replacement as deflected into the place to fill. The problem is that there is no empty space in between the notes, if you do not create a vacuum state, other noise will be heard. In order to prevent such a noise, you can really make the vacuum phenomenon at the moment of replacing fingers, so, keep contact very close and almost come in between the tight fingers and stick to the waiting fingers deflected.

It is hard to explain in difficult words, some of very few moments make a sound really deflected but it should be recognized as arbitrarily unavoidable natural phenomenon. In other words, a tree upon a tree, when we build a house with a technique use of the connection called, 'DoveTail', it is literally shaped like a dove's tail feathers, so the wood does not fall out with each other, so, it is a 'never to weave' technology. As usual here, it is good to have in a very tight connection as much as possible, while preparing, make wonderful hand shape in the state of a standby, line up with full force with feeling of little tight feeling on each four fingers. Particularly, toward high position, the replacement of fingers will cause 'replacing sound' heavily.

However, despite all of the notes, other noise must be waterproof. Especially, if order to have the safe waterproof production in moving different notes, it need to be concerned with the balance of the bow, string changes, bow direction movement with smooth movement as a part of the music like a melody line, are imagined and practiced. It is a very good method to keep repeating it many times without moving the note until it sounds easy.

Exercise 15 Sheet Music

The first line is just like Bazzini's 'Round of Dance', which is fun and very good practice for jumping ability, stretch, and flexibility. For a while, because of Heifetz's great performance, almost nobody had challenged the piece until the child prodigy, the 'genius' Menuhin came along to play the piece, whom received a rave review. Since then, almost all of the great performers favored 'fairy dance' as their 'Encore', and the part of reason is the lines look like a circus and spectators are watching and enjoy the scene.

In fact, the culmination of great technique, commercially successful, startled by Paganini's visionary art was so advanced that he planned to have a recital for the first time in music history to try and he wowed all Europe. Since then, younger musicians, composers were copying, Bazzini was one of them. W. Ernst also wrote the popular 'Last rose','ErlKing', and he gained the popularity and fame in circus art. Eventually the 'master of technique' is the best way. All roads lead to Rome, but in return, you must raise the skills of the circus in order to be, in a way to be a 'Master'.

Then next 3rd, at first glance, this looks like a regular 3rd, but in fact, this is a very different 3rd exercise that I have developed(Paganini might have tried). The sound is just like regular 3rd, but it has the role of the opposite fingering, totally opposite to normal catch. If you look closely, fingering on the D string is in fact on the G string, which would be very surprising to the fingering required. The role of two strings, using a huge stretch to the contrary with this fingering is one of the extreme trainings. This is also a kind of circus with the stretch, and after the training, you can see the ears development as well as the left hand is very flexible enough. In the bottom, at a glance, the double stop of 2 octaves is almost hard to imagine, so huge stretch. This is not my invention, Paganini made this exercise that he already had tried that method a long time ago.

"This is a Pinky Zukerman's favorite exercise method", a famous musician said, told me directly; (But of course he could not stretch^ ^) since then, I think of that whenever I try to stretch sometimes.

Exercise 16 Sheet Music

At first sight...you will feel right away...it's a good exercise. In fact, the idea is so simple but in practice, actually you will feel the left hand touch is very insecure. Jascha Heifetz made sure, and emphasized to his students that the warming-up of touch exercises with sensitive hammering is important. This approach is emphasized several times, that the students do not have their own application to practice, but if you lead, let the imagination happen, it becomes much more effective exercise and interesting method.

In addition, endless development of rhythms can be even more creative, so students can reduce the boredom. The most important thing is the touch, because the pitch is always open to liable to anxiety, so it does not need the string touch is much too hard or any longer. It is helpful that if possible, the finger motion in the air can be landed to short a distance of catches, and the shifting must be focus on the distance.

As opposed to the action, you can learn to select the rhythm and the skills of balance by deliberately, stay for a long moment in the air, and touch the fingerboard very briefly. If possible, try to stabilize the pitch in a high position, it is the best effort until it is good. In application, it is a very beneficial practice to all the keys and left open to the possibility in all the strings, and all the arpeggios. It must be noted that the bow pressure control can be unstable due to anxiety of intonation, but you need to train the two part of brain can prevent and help each other no matter what the pressure of the bow adhesion is or how difficult the left hand is.

If possible, a long bow is deliberately used at the same time, out loud with many notes in a bow, this makes the best bow technique and the best left hand training. More than 100 notes, clean and fast in a bow, with complete perfect intonation can be made, and this effort is absolutely necessary. With all keys, very slow speed, you can set goals to digest in a bow to sound as much as you can and start with a small number and gradually increase the number, then eventually, more than 100 notes can come to digest.

Exercise 17 Sheet Music

At the first, of cause, you may think that you play the arpeggio in mix of two strings. However, the high-tech is the based on the ride in one string. That is, if possible, line of the note must be in one string for the full scale of their connection to the melody, so it can be resolved in one color. In other words, the performers take turns instead, so, the vocal line is changed by the bass, tenor, elto, soprano, by turning the song one string at a time.

However, at first, on the basis of the first phrase, one singer has to sing the line in one string to naturally start to become a singer, rather than changing strings, and even though it's little too difficult, if the melody of the violin perform on one string, it's much more impressive. So it became generalized in interpretation of the music using the slide or shifting as description of vocal line.

You should not use the shifting too often, because direct fingering without shifting is the most advanced fingering, so, here is the advanced exercise. All fingerings except the open strings, you must put in the order of 1234,4321, and next order is automatically set for the shifting of the range because it leads much easier. So, attempt to try in all strings and move around in all keys. Range of movement is available in the shape of the arrow, only displayed the bottom and the high note, so, it becomes easier to understand, and medium part is optional, but all the arpeggio must be prepared in any scale type might be.

If you use the perfect 5th using the application in the same way, after the training, the formation of the left hand will become in group form which is very effective. Especially in a very extreme rough representation, try to be a line of each octave is allowable to find a place until each string's top line(where the bow draw) to try to use some representation of arpeggios of four-octave jumping.

Although such a practice is a huge technical training, but after the polishing process, all the scales will become so easy and play it by itself, all due to the training.

Exercise 18 Sheet Music

At first look, it seems difficult to understand, but it is actually a very simple thing. When you create a range of the hands, X-shaped configuration is formed. That is, in the concept of the position, on the first basis parallel line creates to use two extreme points of the G string and E string, than also, when depicting the concept of catch, the sound is very helpful to the understanding of the stretch. In other words, according to the direction of stretch of the 'muscle pain stretches' (^ ^), on the basis of two different lines of G string stretch relative to the other lines making of E string, is completely different feeling. Rather, when you expand, first, the top of the stretch, put the fourth finger down, and other fingers must stretch backward becomes much easier practice.

So in some cases, once the 1st finger turns almost look like a straight line, the index finger is placed next to almost at the side of the fingertip. Here is the case, with all four fingers while picking up all the possible places of the fingers, should be used for the next two strings, so naturally catch the two notes even without sound, feel the perfect 5th internally, which it is excellent to catch. In this way, X box, (named) it is using the each position and each range of the distance of each 2nd,3rd,4th,5th,6th,7th,8th positions diagonally, this method of exercise feels very excellent.

At first, especially when the dissonant pitch is coming chaos by the pitch to the pitch,which makes you uneasy, but, do not give up, continue to unrest and continue to use the uneasy sound to practice the dissonance for the formation of color, eventually, later the intonations will become rather easy to listen to. If you train with stretch exercises as a group for each position, then you will realize one day, you feel the fingerboard comfortably like one position. So, because of the constant training, the music of all the masters, is in very comfortable feeling of the freedom, due to the masters have been highly stretched for the perfect intonation.

By continuing training, you must try to the maximum limit of the perfect intonation, it certainly seems to be endless, but you can not deny the fact, truth is, each level is made depending on your efforts.

Exercise 19 Sheet Music

If explaining briefly, this training is for instinctive jump skill development. The ability to test the limits of human potential, momentarily instinctive reflexes is the easiest to test. If somebody suddenly throw stuff towards your eyes, at the very moment, at least either avoid the stuff, at the same time, you will close or blink your eyes for sure. So, the instinctive action is to avoid the risk.

If you are slightly scratched a bit, even it hurts with a little blood, after a few days the skin will comes back to original normal state. Indeed, even if your flesh is badly torn, the skin will be sawed and mended, so, the flesh will be turned instinctively stuck each other in recovery function which revives the muscles.

If the violin training exercise of the use of this technique which makes full healing of reflexes of instincts, it is very effective. One of the most easy note to identify the pitch, is an octave. However, it is hard to visually verify the jump from one string, also it is even more difficult to understand if you calculate the position. If you use unconditionally, with the octave shifting and glissando techniques, it is rather easy to find the note and place.

Shifting, there are only two kinds, way of playing, the French and the Russian. Of course, the attempt to exercise both sides, so, the weakness must be avoided and keep the balance. In particular, if possible, in the upward shifting of the natural movement, the tone of the scale is preferably unchanged, and also when you inconveniently change the strings to move the position, it may cause the noise which must be avoided.

So, the bow must be slightly, carefully up lift, so, you can get rid of the uninvited noise fundamentally. As you move, start from a new string, climbed up to the high position as much as you want, and then fall back positions with changing string at the same time. In order to prevent the inconvenience and confusion of the movement of position and changing of the strings,
the exercise must be very slow and deliberately pick the moment and focus on that practice and repeated.

The next practice is a 'high level' exercise for using same two strings to stretch fingering only 'octaves and 5th'. 3rd and 4th finger are hammering in the air, in the role of pre-prepared to deal with, pitch accuracy and flexibility, and speed, so, this training is for 'your ability is in good hand'. Then next practice is the same, two strings with bottom perfect 5th, and trills with 4th finger octave above, so, this training is a really good medicine.

The last, 5th arpeggio with using simple fingering, 123 123 scale to simplified 5th as double stops is for the horizontal, parallel intonation relationships, shifting, and speed. Certainly you can become a master, if you train with all the strings and all the keys in this way.

Exercise 20 Sheet Music

Many years ago, at the time of writing this exercise, I have a special memory of live internet broadcast.

Every day, I wrote this exercise about 30 minutes before the broadcast, because in a hurry while writing, I scanned it directly to the system which showed no type or philosophy of exercise. Just an instant information was explained in the commentary. Please understand the funny signs, such as wrinkles, it means the chromatic scale. Even there is no such scale is written here, but there is no limit of the string(bow drawing area), if you can try to go up to your best ability, this chromatic scale can be very effective.

In addition, you must use the speed, with the vibrato and the glissando in two ways, both upstream and downstream of all 12 semitones in an octave. In the beginning,12 can be little too hard, but you can divide the groups in six, in four, or in three, so, you can master it. But the best approach is to create groups of 3 with 4 notes, all groups of 3, are in the same place, identified as upstream and downstream station, to serve as a confirmation of the move.

This method can be effective in almost all the songs for glissando. If you train this exercise with perfect 5th in two strings, it is much more effective, and better.
Particularly, the reason of this bowing exercise is to help to sustain the two strings, and give control of perfect sound of the two strings, because the pressure of the bow and the bow is catching constantly milling direction (figure 8 characters).

Hold the perfect 5th on the basis of two strings, and it is very effective to try the scales of chromatic, diatonic, minor 3rd, major 3rd, perfect 4th, diminished 5th, perfect 5th, minor 6th, major 6th, minor 7th, major 7th, octave, minor 9th, major 9th, minor 10th, major 10th, proceeding up ward. Theoretical scale and practical training course can be different, but if you can repeat it up to '2 octaves'(!), it can still exist. The such scaling method is drawn here and described in the scale. You must always keep it in your mind the application, 'knowing one and get to know ten', is the way of study.

Exercise 21 Sheet Music

It is a little hard to understand it at first, but if you look it closely and you will catch the system. Mainly the bottom part is drawn with music notes and other part is drawn with symbol figures on the top. The symbol is described in brackets in the middle of the exercise of the method displayed. The first string of the 4 octave chord is first, for solving one of the finger exercise, it can be symbolic, but before you try the rest, if possible, stretch them as warming up.

If you some how get used with the stretch, try one by one as described the following lines, then first, try to understand the sign in parentheses. Arpeggio is the bottom note which is literally the main note of bottom of the keynote, then, try in one string (G string) continuing 1234 4321 fingering, using the method of stretching. Then move the notes in the same way of the main keynote, So, it is a natural formation of the the away with 1234 4321 fingering, it is also the kind of movement that continues to the rule of the connectivity in scale.

And you can use the chromatic scale of 1234 4321 fingering with semitone relationship from the same formation of the stretch except this would be a contraction. However in the case of minor 3rd, in the same way of 1234 4321 fingering, the distance of the fingers will create the minor third interval relationship which is very familiar to the ears of the scale practice. The major 3rd follows the same way, and also the diminished 5th is just like the same way.

This octave Scale is very special, because, one by one, increase the distance of notes eventually really falling octaves of the distance, which is a great stretch exercise for very good ear training, particularly, for very good jumping ability.

Finally, the glissando scale, which you can apply the glissando to all scales above, slide all the way to the top of the scale with speedy vibrato, with using only one finger, 1st finger, 2nd finger, 3rd finger, 4th finger only,
with glissando and vibrato effects with full speed which therefor it is really the extreme exercise.

Heifetz's playing 10th scale using the glissando technique in Paganini 24 caprice, it is absolutely possible.

Exercise 22 Sheet Music

The symbols are also used here but in the end you will understand the symbols soon. Fingering 1234 4321 is stretched away with arpeggio for how to climb. Of course, the first look at this exercise, others may not know what it means,
but if you try other etudes as you can look at the arpeggio of the way, you will see the geometry of the method. And, you soon understand that 'apply together with perfect 5th', is the way.

Be sure to go to the vertical position each string, and first, master each requiring position vertically and horizontally so that the interval lining is just like a checkerboard pattern, or just like a fabric weaving machine, so this program is very helpful to the confidence of the intonation. Double stops, as well as other practice, this also you can just try with vertical and horizontal exercise, if possible try at the same time with you always need to create your own exercise program.

Of course, until where to find the good looking point of the fingerboard, has no limit. Even you have to draw the line in the part of 'the wiped area with alcohol deliberately', you will capture the point(^ ^)to find the good intonation. Particularly, the pitch point of the E string, just below part of the line of the bow drawing, is almost hard distinct the pitches among the high notes of the high-pitched sounds, the result is almost like sand sound, but you can find them through by 'imagine the pitch of your thoughts' of the high notes.

Theoretically, the human speed has limit, but you must try to speed up to the maximum. Even though, you do not use it in the performance, but for the training course, you are required to practice your maximum speed to see just how far you can handle. And if you can control it, that is a success.

Bottom sign is the same reason but using the trill, the pitch distance of the fingers and the fingers will be well trained, over and over again. Trill has also the maximum speed limit, but for overcoming the limitations your practice, try your best stretch, accuracy and speed of the notes, so, these efforts are the basics of inner power. The last line is a special exercise, of perfect 5th between the notes and the note of each fingers are in arpeggio format.

First, try trill type of exercise and slowly try 1234 4321 way. Until speeds up, you can sensitively use the jump some extent, but if you are comfortable with the speed, you have to stretch as a group and role the 4 fingers in a box almost at the same time.

Exercise 23 Sheet Music

This is a very beneficial method, of the state of 'perfect 5th', through the 'stretch' and 'glissando', you will also get up to the speed. In order have a good trill training, first, while using agility and elasticity of the fingers with maximum comfort, you need to lead and reflex it smoothly, and evenly like a motor, with a light touch automatically. To do so, as the first line of the example, you have to train the contrary rhythm of the fingers each other at the same time, to pursuit a good rhythm and space.

Especially, If you put an unnecessary power with the fingers, that is causing slowdown in the speed, preferably so, you need to put efforts to have the instantaneous elasticity with the relaxed muscles. Once you have comfortable relaxed trill movement: try the trill with stretches to connect to the sound, subsequently you will conquer the fingerboard. Then that is why the next training is very suitable, which is to stretch out with arpeggio, and also if you practice with holding the 2 strings with perfect 5th, the effect of exercise will be twice as much.

Of course, even if you can not expect the accuracy of the intonation from the start, but preferably, try to make a clean and full use of the tidy intonation. Application of all kinds of double stops is possible, with glissandos with all the exercises with each strings with each key to catch away with every stretch of this arpeggios with 2 strings. If you do this exercise, 'the fingerboard conquest is possible', but if you only give a few tries, you can not absolute master it.

Much the same with an old saying, 'if a drop of water continues, it will get through the stone.', so, the steady training and practice will lead the way to become a great master. This type of exercise, the method requires maximum difficulty and maximum patience at the same time, but you must fight against your own spirit.

The road cost that much, but once you master that level and win the battle against the world, then, all things will come along with the rest. So, it takes 'patience, perseverance and persistence' to master it, but, the results is 'You are a Master' of the most valuable technology you can not exchange with anything in the world.

Exercise 24 Sheet Music

In between the 2 octaves, a chord for all possible combinations of the four strings is enclosing which is a very good training exercise. A chord with 4 strings, the first vertical grip is not easy, and the 4 string chord has to move to up to the high positions and downward to the level which is a very difficult course. However, as if the cement hardens in a mole, from beginning, you have to carefully make a form of four vertical strings firmly, so, the chord to the shape is giving quite a bit of the power of the chord, and the brain must remember the effort.

Most of the people, give up the grip of 4 strings at the same time, but somehow you must be able to create a job. In fact, actually, nothing is impossible to catch right here. But, only four fingers are vertically stretched to have a fixed interval in 4 strings, which must be fixed, because the fear of slipping will keep it unreliable. In order to prevent an error, the same notes are played among the bottom and the top in two octaves, so, that was deliberately created.

In the meantime, you have to carefully fix and hold in between pampered harmonies, that must be set in octaves, or in relationship with 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, so, the four basic harmonies must be evenly distributed to all together. In other words, if the 3rd and 6th are at the same time of the notes, the middle note must be satisfied both sides evenly with well tempered intonation. That is, 3rd and 6th together make an octave harmony, so, the 2 octaves also make just same formation of harmonies between notes.

Therefore, if you are ready to control the intonation of 4 vertical chord notes, you will gain and master at least 50% of success. Horizontal movement is so formidable, but if you try with 2-3 notes in groups, it will probably be helpful.
It narrows down toward the top of the climb which is not so easy, but you must control of the intonation. But still, have the patience with 4 fingers, very carefully and slowly, when coming up and down they must moved at the same time.

That requires very intensive mental training but once you pass it, it is very helpful to master the Paganini Caprices No.1. In fact, at that time, Paganini himself has mastered his amazing technique, by working through this kind of exercises, and it was composed in such a subjective conviction by all means.

Exercise 25 Sheet Music

This exercises is very helpful discipline for harmonic stretch and flexibility and at the same time, to study the accuracy. In order to have this much of stretch, the fingers need to build a gradual inner strength to become a significant advance of training for the stretch. From the beginning, you may not be ready for a big stretch, so, first, try to stretch of your own limit from the significantly high position, and slowly come down backward one by one.

If you want to start a stretch from the first note for a challenge, like you have to warm up as much as possible before the first pre-swim, put your the left-hand against the wall or floor, and suddenly spread across each fingers in node status to try to stretch for more than 5 minutes, and endure it, this will turn up a good looking practice . The distance from bottom note and one octave harmonic in 1st position in one string(G string) means that a string length in one octave distance is a half of the note in string distribution.

So, the natural harmonics of the sound is possible, and it is called 'artificial harmonics'. The bottom not is deliberately fixed with the 1st finger, then the distribution of note is used for a various sound of mathematical basis of all scientific reasoning for the the technique, and the application of the technique is already used by Paganini in his several pieces

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