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The
job of the right arm is to rub the bow on the string in the
right place (1), in the right direction and at the right
speed (2), and with the necessary pressure (3).
The
main job of the arm is to ensure that the bow remains as upright
as possible, without any lateral deviation, so as to form and
maintain a right angle with respect to the vibrating string.
In order to achieve this, the hand holds the bow near the frog,
and the index and second and third fingers rest on the stick
while the thumb presses on the underside of the frog. The little
finger is slightly spaced from the ring finger, which is slightly
curved. In this position all the finger joints are ready to
balance and compensate the larger arm movements; the
palm of the hand is almost parallel to the stick.
The
speed of the bow is essential for the dynamics of the sound.
The faster the bow, the louder the sound. Thus subdividing
the bow plays a major role in violin technique, and in the manner
of striking the string with the bow lies every violinist’s
capital means of expression.
The
passages between two neighouring strings are carried out by
raising or lowering the wrist. The movement of the hand in rubbing
the bow on the string, does not follow a straight line, but
rather a horizontal figure eight; thus there is more
pressure on the bow at the head than at the frog. The movement
that leads from the frog to the head is designated by
the term "pull" ( )
and the contrary movement, from the head to the frog,
by the term "push" ( ).
The
chords are obtained by combining 2 double-strings;
in some cases, one can, by a slight rebound of the bow, hold
a third note! Plucking the string with the index, the second
finger or the thumb is called a pizzicato.
To
conclude, let us point out the scope and the richness of
the technical means available to the violinist in expressing
his feelings before the listener. Thanks to the eloquence of
playing styles that have evolved along the centuries, the violin
shall remain an instrument with an amazing faculty of adaptation
to the muscial trends of each period.
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