· Created Date: 10/1/2009 12:15:34 AM
Transcript of · Created Date: 10/1/2009 12:15:34 AM
IN PRINCIPLE VIOLIN PEDAGOGY THROUGH THE AGES
aspects ol plavin€i! recommending a practical
method but recognising the importance of
t-lexibility, naturalness and the promotion
of the utmost musical and technical
cler''elopment in each individual.'Ibnal
sonoritn accurate intonation ancl rhythmic
control are funclamental.'I'he traditional parallels betrveen
perlormer and orator are drarvn, r'l'ith
Galamian aligning the speaker'.s r-os'els
r.ith a sinfiing tone that has a smtnth
beginning ancl ending, ancl consonants
rvith the performer's percussive or accentual
elements. Spontaneitv and inclividualit-v
are openlv encouraged, along u.ith the
adjustment olvolume, tone quality,
projection, tempo and articulation to
the acoustic ofthe perlormance venue.
Galamian stresses comfbrt and elficiencv
of posture, and his left-hanil position lal-ours
a high positioning of the scroll. The fingers
should determine the placement of the
elbor', rather than vice versa, and the left
hancl should adopt a natural position so
that the octave B on the A ancl E strings
sets its'fiame'.He distinguishes tu'o principal categories
of shifting: the 'complete shif-r', rvhere
Lroth the hand ancl the thumb move intcr
he books by Joachim with
Nftrser, Auer and Flesch,
discussed in the past trl-o instalments
ofthis series (see ln Principle,
December and Januarv), r'r'ere just the tip
of the iceberg in terms ol zoth-century
instructional material fbr the violin.-lhe century witnessed an explosion
in Lreginners' methods lvith, fcrr example,
Erich and Elma Doflein'.s rgjrDa-r Geigenschulaerk and u.orks bv
Nlaia Bang, Samuel Applebaum, I')ta Cohen
and Sheila \elson. Acld to these Csaba
and Olza Szilvav's Colourstrings method,
Paul Rolland'.s emphasis on relaxation,
control and coordination in Tltt Tlu/ting oJ
Action in String Pla1ing (r9741 and Suzuki'.s
inf'luential method of instruction fbr pre-
school chilclren (see box on page 6o), ancl
the v.ealth and diversitv ofpedagogical
materials fiom the period becomes evident.
\/iolin pedagogy for advancecl plavers
took on a new dimension in r88r u'ith the
publication of Sevtik'.s treatise ,lchule der
l'iolintec/tnik op. r, a comprehe nsive
teaching svstem that had resulted from
his technical and phi'siological analysis
ofviolin playing (see box on page 6j).Amadeus von der Hova (Die Grund/agen
THE STRAD TFE I]AI]Y 2OO8
6:GALAMIAN AND FISCHERln the last of a series on important violin instructional methods,
ffi##$ru ST'#WffiilL examines lvan Galamian's Principles of Violin
Playing and Teaching and Simon Fischer's Basics
der Ticltnik de.r Violin-rpie/s of r9o4 -5)
and Demetrius Dounis (r'vith his rgzr
The Atristi 'Iichnique oJ liolin P/a:tiryop.rz
and numerous other related publications)
essentially continuecl rvhere Sertik left
off, u'ith Hova designing a system of
chromatic fingerings to overcome the
increasing clemancls of contemporary
music. Other pedagogical literature
intended to assist the performance
of developing 2oth-centuq/ tastes
and styles includes lvan Galamian ancl
Freclerick Neumann'.s tgo--"'olume
C0ntem?aront 1:;s/i2 'l)6/1.2ique ( t966).
Various books by Szigeti, NIenuhin,
Yampolsky and other violinists alstr
incorporate valuable commentary on
special technical, interpretative, aesthetic
or phvsiological issues. Kato Havas
(A Nett Approach ta l'io/in P/a1in.g, r96t;Tfu Tite/t:e Le.rson Crturce, r964), \Ienuhin(Six Lu.;an-r uith Ii:/tudi llenu/tin, r91t),
Rcrbert Jacobv (l'ia/in Tichnique: A Practita/
Ana/ysi-r.lar Pcformen, t98l e.nd
I{uggiero Ricci (. Lef t - Han d l'io / i n Ti: c h n i q u e,
r988) have contributed more specialist
treatises. One particular publication,
Galamian'.s Print'i1/es of lialin P/afing
anrl Taaclting(.r962), rvhich was actually
rvritten n'ith his approval by Elizabeth
Green and o\.erseen by others, is arguablv
the most comprehensir.e and enduring.
Galamian (r9oj-8r) taught countless
distinguishecl violinists, including
I)orothv De[,av (u,ho rvas to become
his assistant lor about 2rl vears atter the
Second \\brld War), Pinchas Zukerman
and ltzhak Perlman. Betu.een r9r6and rclzz Clalamian rvas a stuclent of Auer'.s
disciple Konstantin \Iostras, and he rvas
rl.r, intluence.l lrv hi: sturlics in Iq:: '{u'ith Lucien Capet, the authot of La teth.-
nique supy'rieure de /'archet (ryfi). For(lalamian, the hey to technical proficiencv
is 'correlation', or mental control over
ph.vsical movement. In Princip/e.r he deals
broadlv u,ith the physical and psvchologicalFor lvan Galamian, mental control was key
I
I
ENample 1 And example of a'half
Allegro non troppohb4
Example 2 Four kinds of shifting
IIIII III3
Example 3 Three types of portamento:the'overslideithe'underslidel and
shift; where the thumb does not change the point of contact with the violin
Concerto in D major op.77, Brahms
Fit\f movemPnf
III3
Fxample z[ Two examples of treeping fingeringi with downward extensions on the first and second fingers
Allegro ma non troppo
a combination of the two
III(3) 3
III3
III(3)_ 3
Concerto in D major op.77, Brahms
First movement
and shifts involr-ing open strings, 'cleaner'
chromatic fingerings, new types ofextensions out of 'the frame', and also
'creeping fingering', which is based on
extensions or contractions and designed
to introduce inaudible shihing (example 4,
in which two alternative fingerings u.'ith
don'nr'vard extensions are given, on the first
and second fingers, and example 5, in rvhichx represents half-step shifts, t an exiension
and * contractions). \\hen considering
lingering, students are consistently
encouraged to strive lor contextual
appropriateness, independence from
set patterns, and spontaneitv.
Galamian recommends the use of finger,
hand or arm vibrato, or a combination ofo
Example 5 Half step
Allegro non
shifts (*), extensions (t) and contractions (+)
troppo
2
the new positic,,n, ancl the 'half shift'(exanrpie 1), n'here the thumb retains its
contact point r.ith the r.iolin neck but its
flexibility allorvs the fingers to straddle
pc,,sitions. \\-ithin those categories there
are also four kinds ofshifiing that concern
the linger (example 2): shifts rvith one and
the same finger; shifts beginning r.vith the
on-string finger and concluding rvith the
finger of arrival; shifting rvith the finger ofrrrir rl: and c\lqnding a finger into r ncu
hand position and subsequently moving
the hand in compliance. The speed of the
shiti should relate directly to the tempo,
accorcling to Galamian, and the borv mav
eliminate some of the potential sliding sound
via slor'ver and lighter strokes. Three types
of l)oftamento are also diff'erentiated
(exanrple 3): the'overslide', as laroured
by the French schor-rl; the 'underslide',
as prei'erred by the Russian school; and
a combination of the tr.vo.
Excessive finger pressure should be
avoided in clouble-stopping, suggests
Cialamian, and the fingers should not be
litie,l roo high inr rrills. Fingcring, rir.rirshould involve musical and technical encls,
but considerations ofsound and ex1>ression
should never be sacrificed for ease and
comfort. \\hile recognising the expressive
funcrion of porrrm.nto, Galamirn
acknowledges lefi-hand developments
such as increased playing in the even-
numbered positions, more semitone shifts
tEBRTIARY 2008 THE STRAD
,%q-: ffi q-j fftu $ -
ru ru'$" F*'$.$-€ # g*Observing that small children master their native language throuqh listeninq, imltating,
repeated exposure, practice and participation, 5hin'ichi Suzuki (1898-1 998) concluded
that this innate natural learninq ability could be deve oped at an early age in instrumental
playing, given a suitably relaxed environment. Suzuki's'mother-tongue' approach is
dependent on the triple collaboration of the child,the parent(s) and the teachet builds
upon a secure aural base and comprises three strands: listening for musical sensitivity;
'tonalisation'for tone development; and playing for technical and artistic progression.
Like Koddly s'mother-tongue'method, Suzuki\ includes eurhythmic games and movements
and introduces technical elements gradually.The teaching of reading is delayed, and emphasis
is instead placed on aural development, muslcal memory and easy, Ielaxed movements.
Children generally receive a short individual lesson and a group session weekly,all
with parental participation. Repertoire is initially slmple, but comprises'real music';
playing from memory, stage manner, posture, tone and intonation accuracy are
constantly emphasised.Ten books of graded works allow pupils to progress gradually
from Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star,lh roug h Bach's Concerto for two violins BWV1 043, to
violin concertos by Mozart.The principal goal of this'Talent Fducation'is to cultivate
artistic appreciation in studenis in their formative years, allowing them to develop
thelr artistic potential simultaneously with technical skills.
ozo
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7
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According to Galamian, teachers must be good
psychologists, practise flexibility in their teaching
and encourage independence in interpretation
all three accorcling to the context, therebv
ollering a n.icle range ofcokruring (especiallv
r.hen the vibrato is combined l-ith sPeed,
r.jdth and intensitv ancl aclaptecl to the
d-vnamics of the borr'). He aclr-ocates
rribratc.r practice regimes, ancl er-en inclucles
a 'simulated' fingertip viLrrato, and aclvises
opting ft.rr the flatter sicle olthe pitch rvhen
introducing vibrato.
Linsurprisinglv, given his reverence fbr
Capet'.s instruction, (ialamian discusses
bor'ving technique jn the greatest cletail.
He relers to its basis in 'a svstem ofsprings'
that is partlv artiflcjal (the resilience oftlre
Lrou, hair and stick) and partlv natural (the
joints ofthe shoulder, eLbou', l'rist, fingers
and thumLr). His ideal bos. holcl allorvs
the iieest plav olall the springs involr-ed in
terms oftheir interaction and coordination.
His 'natural' bolr'grip (shou'n above)
stresses comfc.rrt and fieetlom. but it is
subject to constant modification according
to the bow division emploved. clvnamic
changes ancl the tonal qualitv clesirecl.
'l'he funclamental straight bow strohe
is analvsed bv Galamian in three stages.
He ilescribes the movements c.rfthe arm,
hancl ancl fingers ancl recognises the need
tor inclining the bou'to preser\-e a straight
stroke; compensatir-rg lbr the natural
increase of bow r,,,eight ancl pressure on
the strings at the frog; and contributing
llexibilitv to the ri'rist action. At the fiog,
the arm ancl the instrument lbrm a
triangle; at about the midclle of the bol',
thjs becomes a square; and at the point,
the arm is stretched out almost straight.
The tonal aclvantages of inclining the
bor. slightlv 'in the clockwise direction'
are acknorvleclgecl, along x'ith avoidance
of raising the u'rist excessir-elv l'henapproaching the fiog.
Galamian cliscusses the interdependence
ofthe borvl speed, pressure ancl contact
point ancl the importance of skilful bolr'
tlir,'ision ibr optimum tone production.
His sun-ev of bor,strokes and their
various technical challenges tahes in
!:l:Tr::: ::l:i:l ?:v.g:f .
legato, the various ddtachi strokes,
portato, fbuettd, 'simple' ancl 'sustainecl'
marteld, colli, spiccato, sautilld, staccato)
t1r ing .t;rt t;it,, ln.l f1r inq tl'it t;1t,,.
ancl ricochet.'I'hree types ofborr attack
are categoriseci: one l'ith a smooth,
vou el-like beginning; a clearlv cleflnecl
ancl consonant-like attackl and the more or
less strongly accentecl attack. Smooth bo*'
changes depencl on clecreasing the Lrorv
speeil ancl lightening its pressure betbre
the change.
Harmonics rreed a tairlv long ancl
hcJ\\ strlkcrnLl r r,rt)tJcl 1','i1tr ncrr
the bridge, savs Cialamian, r'ith natural
harmonics requiring less pressure than
artitlcial ones. His discussion of chordal
plavir-rg involves: chorcl spreacling,
ll,ith firur-ncxe chords normallv tahen
tr,o b-v tr-o (example 6) - though not
rr.ithout excePtion; unbroken chords,
r,ith the preterrecl atrach being'from
the air' fbr optimum depression of the
nrrclclle string to bring the neighbouring
strings into plav; and musical plaving
ot'tun)ed' th,,r'J. in ur(l.r ro su.lJin
the important melodv note
ancl to preserve the rrrice-leacling in
polvphonic music (exarnple 7).
'lhe flnal chepter cf [trinrz2lu:sfocuses
on the imlxrrtance of regular and efllcient
practice. (ialamian recommencls that o
Fxarnple 6 Chord spreading, two-by twowritten played
lxample 7 Exceptions to speading chords
two-by two
ru givilgK-ru giffi $ fl .$ -,,k:'9"&
$ $i Flgq{ }S ;&ruH} ,{i{ }ruSLike the pedagogical works of Henry Schradieck (1846-1918), the majority oftheouol tal onsbySevrrkr852 9J4r'r-otabl) ^is5rhuledct\/ialintechnikop.l. 38l:Schule der Bogentechnik op.2, l sg5; and Violinschule op.6, 1904-8) comprise dry
and exacting mechanical drills for fingering and bowinq.There is a particular emphasis
on chromatic 'inger.ng'. \trengLne,'li'lq finger and arfi' n'. rLles dro rne oeve opn er-t ol
coo d:narion oelween lhe lefi a^cr rioht ranos.Th.re \^ort eler( se5 reouce Lechn qu.ro its sn a lest con"por-erl\ d1o \pdwn seve.al difrerent bowing..with varidnt5
rntroduced oy. or e/amp,e ternpo charqe or LtsinQ d ffe.eql pa'ts o'the bow.
Many viol'n'sLs have.rit ci:eo Lre drills subo.d.nation or m*sical and arti.tir values
ro 'n'nute techr-ical 66ss l. tlerch ackrowleoged the value and pitfal 5 6l .ho pxc1q .s5
describinq Ihen' as a neoic ne wh ( h, dc(oroinq to the :ize oI it: doses. kiil. or cures.
Mental alertness is essential and can be
maintained by varying practice patterns
prractice Lre rreatecl as the continuation,'f I lcr.,,n. nirh rlrc.rrr,l.nr irrrrginirrg
that thc teacher is present. ,\Iental alertness
is essential ancl can be mair-rtainccl bv
varving prractice patterns. A balance
betueen technical, interpretatir-e ancl
peribrming objectives should be achievecl.
The importance of ear training, scales
and.rc,n.fi/y' (slo1,,' practice s'ith long,
slou, bou' strokes) is emphasised, along
rr-ith 'sPring exercises' such as C)apet'.s
rrtu/y' (v'hich invol'" es roJJing the bor.r-
betq.een the tingers cluring the stroke
so that the stick inclines alternarelv
tor,vards the fingerboard and towarcls
the bridge, ancl rotating the forearm at
the frog). (lalamianls closing remarks are
addressed to teachers, q'hom he savs
mu.t lrc a.oorl |rr. holngists. 1r;1.1i..flexibilitv in their teaching and encouragc
o in,lt ltsn,lap6a itt interIrrt:rt i,,n.
5 ll-re inspiration firr Simon F ische r'.s
o 1,.,,k nt .tou r\cr( i\r\ rrrJ 1,rr, ti, c
$ ,outines, Basics 11997), ancl his monthlr.
I Basics articles in 'I /te ,9trrd, \\.as the ser
o63 Example I Srirt witl' l^getr ' e"r',0 ou"t
=t=o+z&
ofyiolin exercises devisecl bv his teacher
rrttrI firlrmirtt'. clrtrr hilc l:sist;rnr1,
I)orothv f)el-ev. IIant' erercises hale
Lreen aclapted f}om traciitional rnethocls,
but some har-e been inspired bv otherprcclaqogues: fbr example, Fischer refers
to ()alamiar-r-tvpe tone proiluctiolr
erercises, the finger tapping in F leschis
I r.rtur/)t:n.fir |:io/int,ieriik- or Henry
Schradieck-like finger patterns, ancl the
shiiiing and tingcr action of l)ounis.
His crercises ma-v be usecl flexiblv
Jr'rr'1,1jpg tu tcthttitrl ncc,l.
The first section of Fischer's lJt.rit.-r
fircuses on the right arm ancl hancl
anc'l deals u.ith bou'qrip, Lros'changes,
the application of'r'eight' on the string,
arm firovelnents, plaving long, sustainecl
bou,strokes, bou'inq prarallel to the bridge,
;rivcxing an.l strinq-crossing. Tbn e
prc.rcluction is considered in the seconcl
section, n'ith sonre general contact
exercises as u'ell as different kinds oflrou rllrr'k. rnrl I- i.r'hrr cr.lrninq.
corrtacrt points and their interrelationshilr
r-jth bol'speed and pressure. In thc
t,,ll,,u inl scr tton. th. kt r l'.u irrg.
, lctl, hc.,.,llc. mlrtclc. .t J!!IIu. \l)i( ( Jr{,
an,l rhc t rri,,t t' .1 rf inging h,,rr i ngt rrcdi:, u..c.l t.gcthcr u ir h l','u ing 1t111qrnr
and chnrdal plaving.
'I-he firurth l)ert intro(lllces the lefi hancl.
F ischer r.r'ites alrout thumb anrl tinger
l)rcssltrc! hancl ancl finger placernent,
irngcr action and pressure, tlills, ertensions
anrl contractions, ancl inclucles ccxrrdinetion,
\\ ilrlll ulr rn,l othcl tclcr lnt .1.r, i....Part tlve conccrns shitiing ancl the
m' ,\ cmcnr , rl rlrt rtm :rn,l tingcr..
l ischer discr-rsses several shifts: 'classical'
((ialanriani'overslide' ),'romantic'( ( lalerr-r ian'.s'unclersliclc' ),'combination'(also called 'cornbination' bv Clalamian)
anci'erchange' shifis. The last inrtrlves
the fingers 'crossing cx'er'cluring the
'hitr 'evampleBr. )cr ti.n 'ir,'tt int,'nrri,'nprececles the section on vibrato, u'hic1-r
inclucles relaxation ancl tlexibilitv exercises
and attends to r-ilrrato speecl, n,idth
ancl continuitv, as u.ell as equalitv u,ith
ell the tingers.
F ischer's zoo.1 publicatictn j\'atittertenrls thc principles articulatecl in ]Ja.;in.
It ., 'tn1t1-ir.r 2.qo -lrp-lr1-sral'Itrr, ri. c
meth(xls, oiien eraminccl in phvsical
,lrrril. ln,l ,ltrn. u1',,11 l iilr-r'rnging
eramples trom thc repertoire.
Ga/atniani ond f'i.rtrtu-l; look-r art awti/uh/c[r,,tt, r/r, (}t1,/1, 11., lh,,i, .:4"1::i;jrieu'it.jr?h ru.t ln u.; i r.t h o p t otn o r ca //+1lrl7r8roq11.
Simon Fischer: inspired by the pedagogical greats
Faai.l;;" ,iiil THE STRAD