Sound Point Exercise: A Step-by-Step Guide

When doing the exercise for the first time, sound point five is often the most challenging. This might be due to the delicacy required at such a soft point on the string; the weight of the bow alone is enough.

Getting Started

• You don't need to add extra weight, as you do when playing nearer the bridge.
• You may even have to lift some weight out of the strings.
• Glide the bow across the string with an almost entirely horizontal feel.

At first, because it's resting so lightly on the string, the bow may seem difficult to control.

• Keep a feeling of following the bow so that it leads the hand rather than holding it and trying to move it.
• This technique allows you to draw a completely even, seamless stroke on this sound point.

Experimenting with Sound Points

You may want to:

• Turn the bow towards the fingerboard, onto the outer edge of the hair, and play on one hair of the bow.
• Experiment with more and less pressure as well as faster and slower bow speeds until the string vibrates the widest.

Observing the Width of the Vibrating String

• Look at the width of the vibrating string; you don't want to see it getting wider and narrower.
• Try to hold it at one width. When the width is steady, it means the speed of bow pressure and sound point are remaining absolutely even.

Once you're sure the speed and pressure are exactly right, add vibrato.

• Don't immediately move away from sound point five.
• Enjoy it for a moment, listening to the throb of the vibrato and continuing to adjust the exact weight and speed as you search for the widest and most even vibration of the string.

Importance of Mastery

If you move to the next sound point too soon, it's like practicing a phrase over and over again:

• Each time with a mistake, until finally getting the phrase right but then immediately moving on to the next thing to practice.
• You might have played the phrase incorrectly 19 times and only once correctly.

Instead, continue refining your technique until you achieve 19 good repetitions to 1 not good.

Transitioning to Sound Points

You don't want to spend 30 seconds finding the right proportions of speed and pressure, and then only a couple of seconds actually enjoying them.

Moving to Sound Point Four

• Move to sound point four and start again without vibrato.
• Find the new balance of speed and pressure that makes the widest string vibration, and then add vibrato.

Sound point four already feels a lot easier than sound point five.

Advancing to Sound Point Three

At sound point three, it begins to feel safe to play quite deeply into the string since the string has enough resistance to maintain continuity.

Here's how you can do that:

• Pull in nearer, heavier.
• Listen to the difference: "The difference between what you're doing and what I'm doing is that I'm using about a hundred times more weight than you."

Can you do that? Sure you can!

Practicing Deeply in the String

• "Sound point three. Here we go. Heavier."
• "Well done, Olivia. And vibrate. Excellent."

Techniques to Use

1. Breath: Bravo.
2. Use all the bow.
3. "Hold on, hold on. Because that's sound point three."
4. Understand the subtle differences in bow speed and weight as you move between sound points five and four.

Now, move to sound point three:

• Non-vibrato. Stay right in the center.
• Go deeper into the string.
• "Heavier, but stay on three."

Exploring Sound Point Two

Now try sound point two:

• Really heavy and really slow.
• Go deep into the string, and add vibrato.

Remember, the great cellist Pierre Fournier used to say, "You should have a feeling of pulling the bow through thick mud."

Mastering the Soft Touch

• Sound point one again can be a challenge.
• Try even lighter and faster. See what the limit is?
• "Even lighter. Now go too light."

This exploration helps your sound develop:

• "That was barely softer, but it's more ringing, resonant, and freer."
• With the string doing this freely under the bow.

Final Tips for Refinement

1. Carry on without stopping into sound point four: Non-vibrato.
2. Stay right on four, a little faster.
3. Try a little lighter, and add vibrato.
4. Bravo!

At sound point three:

• Go deeper in the string and make the string go wide.
• Transition to sound point two with vibrato.

Finally, as you approach sound point one:

• "Much slower. Half the speed. Well done. Add vibrato."

Remember, many people get the speed, pressure, and sound point right, but then change the balances when adding vibrato.

So, having found the sound, don't change anything when you then add the vibrato.

Conclusion

• "Go slow. If you hear that sound, go slower."
• Deepen the string and vibrate slower.

Bravo! Keep practicing and enjoy the journey of mastering your instrument.