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The
fingers of the left hand should press down on the string
forming a slightly acute angle torwards the front; the rapidity
with which the finger presses down on and then releases the
string determines the clarity of the sound (in accordance with
the laws of vibration). The fingers move not only vertically
but also laterally, so as to produce, whether they are held
closely together or separated from the other fingers, the half-tones
and the full tones of the scale. Double strings, used
for producing chords, are obtained by pressing down on two strings
simultaneously and by rubbing them with the bow.
The
violin technique numbers the fingers from one to four,
the index finger being the first and the little finger, the
fourth.
Changing
the finger positions rapidly and smoothly constitutes a
major difficulty in violin technique, the mastering of which
greatly depends on the strength of the chin and shoulder,
for they allow a "free hold" of the instrument and the hand
to slide easily along the neck. The muscles should be supple
to avoid any impediment in movement. For the higher notes, the
position of the hand and fingers on the fingerboard is modified,
and the spacing of the fingers to obtain a tone, considerably
reduced - in accordance with the laws of physics - in relation
to the first position (starting position, near the nut).
The
changing of position serves, on the one hand, to widen the
sound span and therefore responds to purely technical demands;
on the other hand, it plays an important role in conveying expression
and consequently should be appreciated from an aesthetic point
of view. As the notes of a same frequency sound very differently
on the various strings, changing positions influences the timbre.
The choice of fingering is indeed a fundamental means
of expression in violin technique to present the various musical
figures!
A
slight oscillatory movement, the vibrato, enriches
the sound by a very slight modification of the pitch of the
note; it is a means of expression typical of violin playing.
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