Books › A Practical Guide to Violin-Playing, 1913 › scan 25
Scan 25
A Practical Guide to Violin-Playing, 1913
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 7. See the scan on archive.org.
1The student should first find out carefully what mistake has been made, and must at least think whether a down or up bow is required, then the whole phrase must be repeated at a much slower pace, yet keeping good time, and as a rule with a bigger tone-volume—and not using any vibrato, but bestowing at the proper moment concentrated thought on the point of difficulty. Then a repetition may truly be called "practising." A great many pupils, knowing something has been wrong, repeat with the best intention a passage (often at an impossible speed); yet instead of reducing the number of faults, they often add fresh ones, generally playing softer (which makes them believe things sounds better) or adding numerous accents equally ineffective for radically correcting the various shortcomings. "Savoir travailler est un talent," said Baillot.
3Very little need be said about selecting a suitable violin, as this is best left to the careful judgment of the teacher or instrument-maker. Unfortunately there are very few good small violins in existence; one that has had some use is preferable and the bow should neither be too heavy nor too long. It is of no little importance that the pegs should be in good working order, for only by these means will the child be able to learn, at an early stage, to tune the instrument for himself.
5It is quite remarkable how little care is bestowed upon keeping the violin and bow in good trim. Very few violinists can boast of having the pegs in such good order as to turn them safely and easily with the left hand. The tuning of the violin senza arco (without the help of the bow) is never quite satisfactory, although owing to want of strength a child will have to adjust the pegs with the right hand; even then the pizzicato must be done in the most unobtrusive manner. Attention has also to be paid, when putting on a new string, to turn the G and D from the left to the right side (one twist only) and the A and E from right to left; only then will the strings touch their respective sides and remain firmly fixed.
7Unless the violinist be engaged by the Shah of Persia, who likes the actual tuning best, the violin should be tuned as inaudibly as possible, only just loudly enough to be heard by the player: the tuning should begin with the A and the D strings, D and G should be taken next, and finally A and E. Great care should be taken by the student not to make the least break at the change of bow. By the manner in which the violin is sometimes tuned one can almost guess what the player is like!
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