Bow-pressure & pitch
With
Simon FischerSimon Fischer shows how excess bow pressure bends a string's pitch, which means many intonation problems actually come from the bow hand, not the left.
What's in the course
11 lessons (0h 42m) · 1 free
01. Introduction
0:49
02. Four ways to approach the exercises
2:14
03. Five soundpoints
Free lesson4:39
04. The bow-hair and the string
5:18
05. Bow-pressure & pitch
You are here0:48
06. Bow-pressure & string length
2:13
07. The tilt of the bow
4:14
08. About Resonance
3:15
09. Not following the line of least resistance
2:24
10. Quality of sound: upper partials
2:14
11. Proportions
14:04
Lesson transcript
Understanding Bow Pressure and Its Effects on Intonation
There's another reason why excess bow pressure is something to be avoided:
- Changes Pitch: Overpressing changes the pitch of the string, which leads to intonation problems.
It's very easy to demonstrate this concept. You can hear very clearly the way the pitch bends.
- High Notes: When I play a very high note, the string is very short. This situation is particularly dangerous for overpressing and can cause serious intonation issues.
But the same principle applies in low positions.
Listen to this: Often, we blame the left hand for a note being out of tune when it's actually the bow's fault.
11 lessons
0h 42m of structured video lessons
Advanced video features
Slow down, loop a passage, follow along
Mobile, tablet & desktop
Practise wherever you are
100% satisfaction guarantee
30-day money-back guarantee
Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Simon Fischer enjoys a distinguished and wide-ranging career as a performer, educator and recording artist.
He has performed worldwide as a recitalist, and committed three Brahms Sonatas to record, a recording that received high praise in Gramophone Magazine.
Simon is recognised as having a place amongst the world's elite teachers. He is a professor at the Guildhall School of Music, and has held positions at the Yehudi Menuhin School, Wells Cathedral School and the Purcell School, and for 15 years was a visiting professor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. Having studied in London with Yfrah Neaman, and in New York with Dorothy DeLay, Fischer's approach unites the best elements of the French, Russian and American violin traditions.
Fischer's published work greatly influences the teaching of the violin. Having written for The Strad magazine since 1991, his monthly articles have attracted a worldwide following. Published by Edition Peters, his technique books Basics and Practice (translated into Korean, Italian and German), Scales and The Violin Lesson, and the DVD The Secrets of Tone Production (now available to stream via MusicGurus), have become standards on many continents. His book and DVD Warming Up was described by The Strad magazine as "23 pages of pure technical gold".
In 2014 Simon Fischer was awarded the European String Teachers Association prize "In celebration of a lifetime contribution to String Teaching".
In his four-part Secrets of Tone Production course, Simon guides you through getting to know your instrument and then working through his fundamental tone exercises step by step, so you can produce a richer, more controlled and more beautiful sound on the violin.
