Books › Grove's dictionary of music and musicians, 1916 › scan 67
Scan 67
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians, 1916
35 lines. Read by computer on 6 September 2026. Printed page 49. See the scan on archive.org.
1fore there are but twelve of them. Arpeggi of diminished sevenths belong more properly to the minor keys; there are twelve of these.
3Scales of broken thirds in three octaves.—The principle of fingering is the same through the twenty-four keys; the shift is always made on the second finger both ascending and descending. All scales of B, F, and D must start in the second position.
5Scales of broken sixths in two octaves.—Several scales require an extension of both the third and fourth fingers.
7Scales of broken octaves through all keys.
8Scales of broken tenths through all keys.
10Chromatic scales, three octaves compass.—These need only be worked as high as D, in chromatic order of keys from G. Add the third octave to those already given in two octaves.
12EXTENSION.—This subject is an important one, as the extension simplifies many passages that otherwise require much shifting, for instance, those that lie between first and third positions.
14EXTENSION FORWARD.
16The extension of the fourth finger is indispensable in the high scales; the fourth finger thus employed easily takes the minor second at the top perfectly in tune, otherwise it is almost an impossible interval, even for the smallest finger-tips, owing to the closeness of the notes. The extension is needed in nearly all the three-octave arpeggi. Backward extensions of the first finger are also frequently used.
18EXTENSIONS BACKWARD AND FORWARD.
20EXTENSION BACKWARD.
22Double scales in thirds, two octaves compass.—The fingering follows the same principle through the keys 1 2 3 4', shift, 1 2 3 4', shift, and so on to the top. Reverse the order for the descent. Some scales require an extension. A few chromatic scales of thirds should be worked.
24Double scales in sixths, two octaves compass.—The same principle of fingering throughout, 2 3 1 2', shift, and so on to the top, where, in most cases, the third and fourth finish the scales. Reverse the order for the descent. Some scales require an extension of both third and fourth fingers. An awkward cross movement of the second finger prevents sixths being played very rapidly, especially in the lower octave, but in the second half of the second octave they may be played quite rapidly by keeping the second and third fingers on the string and moving the whole hand in short jerks forward; the fingers then merely adjust themselves to make the sixths major or minor. A few chromatic scales in sixths should be worked out entirely on the first and second strings in one octave. Two fingers are placed upon the strings stopping a sixth, the hand goes forward in little jerks, making this small, strong movement for every semitone perfectly in tune. The same thing can be done on any two strings. It should be worked in thirds, sixths, and octaves. An extraordinary rapidity can be attained on chromatic scales from the highest note downwards, and is much used in compositions by Vieuxtemps and Wieniawski, and composers of the brilliant school. It may appropriately be called left-hand staccato.
26Chromatic octaves, two octaves compass, should be worked through all keys; and in one octave compass up and down each pair of strings.
28Double tenths, two octaves, in chromatic progression of keys, beginning on G and working up to F with the same fingering as broken tenths, the lower ones are the more difficult owing to the wider stretch.
30Double scales in fingered octaves are used rarely, and only for rapid ascending scales; they require long fingers and a strong hand.
32Double note scales are an important feature in modern violin technique, as their practice strengthens the fingers and shapes the hand.
34They should at first be taken very slowly, striving always for an ideal intonation, giving each double stop a whole bow, with very even pressure
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