Books › A Practical Guide to Violin-Playing, 1913 › scan 40
Scan 40
A Practical Guide to Violin-Playing, 1913
14 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 22. See the scan on archive.org.
1CHAPTER V.
3SCALES.
5Throughout this book the Author has purposely avoided giving his ideas on fingering, considering the subject to be too important and complicated to be included in this short guide-book to the study of the violin, and preferring to leave it to the master to use his commonsense and discretion in giving his pupils sound instruction in the different rules and exceptions.
7With regard to the fingering of scales and arpeggios, the writer feels the necessity of dwelling at greater length on the importance of arriving at some definite system. Long before his Scale Manual appeared* many books on the same subject had been written, and it was therefore all the more gratifying to him that his attempt to bring this question to a more practical issue was so warmly received throughout England and the Colonies. Yet since there are no two hands alike, methods of fingering will of course have sometimes to be modified according to the individuality of the player.
9Scale playing is at once the foundation of a sound technique and good musicianship. For this very reason it cannot be begun too early; in fact, as soon as the beginner is able to place his fingers correctly on the strings in the first position he should be set to play the scales of C and D major in one octave and G and A major in two octaves. It need hardly be said that a very slow pace must be adopted at first—the bow being used in its entirety, without the slightest suspicion of a break. At the same time attention must be given to ensure the utmost smoothness and flexibility of the wrist, both at the nut and point of the bow.
11The advice given above applies to correct tone production.
13* Augener & Co., London.
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