Books › The Violin: How to Master It, 1880 › scan 35
Scan 35
The Violin: How to Master It, 1880
6 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1violin. The broad end of the violin is placed on the left collar bone, and as deep in under the chin as possible, the reason for this being that, after moving up the left hand to command the upper notes—technically called "shifting"—it is necessary to grip the violin firmly with the chin before the hand can be brought back to the first position. If this were not done the violin would come away with the hand, and the performance come to a sudden and possibly disastrous conclusion. How to bring back the hand with ease and grace I shall show in another chapter, but here I may distinctly lay down, that the left shoulder should at no time approach the back of the instrument. This ungainly and uncouth habit while shifting is only too common, even among professional players, as any one may see by getting to the left side of the violins at a public concert. This is not easy in regard to the first violins—unless by getting into the orchestra among the singers—as they sit with their right hand to the audience, and the second violins do not generally shift so much, but enough will be seen to bear out what I have here asserted. Only one here and there brings back the hand with a swift and all but imperceptible jerk of the wrist, while the majority will be found bringing up the left shoulder in a sneaking way at the critical moment, making the movement not only ugly, but painful to behold.
3Aids to Holding the Violin.
5Nature is not always kind to the violinist; giving some small collar-bones, as she gives some sweaty hands, but no one need get into this clumsy habit. If no amount of practice will induce the bone and chin to do their work, we may assist them in two ways; but before noticing these I may state that constant practice does a deal—the collar bone through time actually appearing to become more prominent, just as the lips of a cornet player when "in form" always look as if he were preparing to kiss some one. If the student be a gentleman, he may make a little pad or cushion of wool, or any soft substance, to be buttoned onto his undershirt immediately below the collar-bone, and inclining towards the shoulder. This pad should slope in the same direction as the lappel of the waistcoat, and generally take the place of the thick collar of the every-day coat, when this is cast aside for the thin one of the full-dress swallow-tail. If this be
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.