Alternative approach to Exercise one
Lesson time: (1min 23sec)
Simon Fischer offers an alternative to the first exercise that keeps the bow even - using less bow on each sound point and building up. It also works as a standalone exercise.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course The Secrets of Tone Production Part 4: Final Fundamental Tone Exercises
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Approaching the Exercise for Bow Control
There's another way you can approach the exercise, which helps to make the bow very even. You can also treat this as a separate exercise.
Key Points
-
Less Bow for Easier Control: The less bow you use, the easier it is to keep the stroke even. This is obviously easier to control than using a larger bow.
-
Starting Off:
- Begin with little bow on each sound point.
- Build up from there.
Steps to Follow
-
Begin on Sound Point .5:
- As before, play very short strokes in the middle of the bow.
-
Adjust Speed and Pressure:
- Adjust the speed and pressure until the string is vibrating as widely as possible.
-
Gradually Move the Bow:
- Gradually move the bow further in each direction.
- This naturally increases the bow speed; adjust the pressure as necessary.
-
Continue Adding More Bow:
- Keep adjusting the ratio of pressure to speed on that sound point until you're using whole bows.
By following these steps, you'll build a solid foundation for maintaining an even bow stroke.
About the instructor
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. read more