12/20/2014

Having The Correct Violin Wrist Position Is A Must

By Lucia Weeks


Learning anything starts with some key steps. The key to great string music is having the perfect viola or violin wrist position. Failing to get the correct position can cause severe problems. A collapsed wrist will pull the violinist's fingers into the wrong arrangement and place extreme stress on the player's tendons, potentially leading to carpal tunnel syndrome. Ideally, the wrist remains straight and the fingers are curved.

Mastering this technique is a must for musicians who want to become maestros. Some of the all-time classical music pieces rely heavily on a talented string section. Famous composers such as Mozart orchestrated some of their finest works with the violins to the fore. Mozzart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (A Little Nightmusic) is simple and elegant.

Symphony No. 7 in A Major is another eternal classic which has violins at the heart of Ludwig van Beethoven's characteristic composition. The magnificent and amazing Beethoven symphonies deserve their reputation as being illustrative of the utmost artistic creativeness the West has ever witnessed. Samuel Barber instils ardour and tragedy into his poignant "Adagio for Strings"; regarded as the most emotional section of his "String Quartet, Op. 11".

The intricacy and sumptuousness of "Symphony No. 1 in C Major" by Johann Brahms is much in debt to the inimitable sounds produced by the strings. Lots of weddings would not have the same atmosphere without the Baroque-style violins within Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major". The Romantic era's "Serenade for Strings in C Minor" composed by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky is melodic and soulful, featuring the delightful characteristics of violins and violas.

The English violinist Nigel Kennedy made his debut in the recording studio performing Elgar's "Violin Concerto" and did much to bring classical music to a wider audience with the 2 million selling version of Vivaldi's masterpiece "The Four Seasons". Kennedy's skills transcend musical genres, and he has featured on The Who's "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" album on the phenomenal "Baba O'Riley" track. He also joined Kate Bush on "Experiment IV".

Another child prodigy who has traversed musical restrictions with her distinctive approach to playing the instrument is Vanessa Mae. By the time she was thirteen, she had cut discs playing the solos on both Tchaikovsky's and Beethoven's concertos. Soon afterwards, she decided to release her own trademarked-style pop music, frequently appearing in rather raunchy, scanty outfits in her promos. Vanessa famously uses two very different forms of instrument; the Zeta Jazz electric version and the acoustic Guadagnini instrument which cost her parents 250,000 pounds to buy for the 10 year old Vanessa.

All violinists need sound technique to properly play the brilliant music for strings by composers such as Dvorak, Shostakovich and Bach. It is crucial to become skilled at correctly positioning one's left hand, thumb, wrist and fingers. Tone, vibrato and intonation are all affected by correct posture and the way that the right hand holds the bow.

Different stances for playing when seated or standing may be just as significant for beginners as wrist position. Accurate hand position should be built up by the practise of using the pinkie finger to tap and strum. Correct instrument size is also crucial for youthful violinists.




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