Scan 46
Chats to violin students on how to study the violin, 1895
10 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 30. See the scan on archive.org.
1and single harmonics) startled and amazed his hearers more by the strange and weird effects thus produced, than by any other of his achievements, the production of such unusually high sounds whilst the hand remained in the lower positions, seeming something supernatural. Paganini was the first to introduce harmonics into solos.
3There are two sorts of harmonics, called the "natural" and the "artificial." The former are formed by lightly touching the string instead of firmly pressing it down to the finger-board (as when playing ordinary notes). Three of such harmonic notes are found on each string, occurring on the octave, fifth of the octave, and double octave.* The effect of these notes is startling, but in tone they are almost equal to ordinary notes; certain effects can be produced by them, and by no other means, and they are used by all truly artistic executants without hesitation.
5Artificial harmonics are formed by stopping the string firmly with one finger (replacing the nut thus, and forming a fresh terminus, thus getting notes not really natural to the violin), and touching the same string lightly with another finger. Although freely used by the highest masters among violinists, they are considered by many musicians a little clap-trap and tricky.
7There is perhaps nothing more difficult in the way of
9* This is, of course, following the rigid lines laid down by Spohr and others of the "old school." Vieuxtemps, Wieniawski, De Beriot, etc., make frequent use of the natural harmonic found on the third, the sixth, the tenth and the octave of the tenth. Some modern players go still further and include the one found on the minor third, but to produce this well requires strings much too thin to have a rich tone in passages of firmly stopped notes.—ED.
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