Books › The Violin: How to Master It, 1880 › scan 44
Scan 44
The Violin: How to Master It, 1880
4 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1The Work of the First and Fourth Fingers.
3Before analyzing further the management of the bow, it may be well to impress upon the student the important parts played by the first and fourth fingers. The bow is held between the thumb and the second finger, aided by the first and third, and balanced by the fourth. The first finger lies easily on the stick, a little in advance of the principal holding members, and has for its work chiefly the graduation of the pressure of the bow on the string. If a note or passage be wished soft, the first finger merely assists the others in a subordinate manner to draw the bow smoothly and lightly across the string; but when a swell or a loud note is required, the pressure of the first finger is increased, the result of which is that the hair of the bow, which, owing to the turning out of the first joint of the thumb, has been touching the string only with its outer edge, is now forced flat on the string like a broad white tape, and so grips more of the string, and causes a stronger vibration and louder tone. The first finger, indeed, is sole master of all the pressure applied to the strings, and for this reason must lie so easily on the stick, that when a long down bow is drawn, the stick moves from the first joint of this finger nearly into the second. The fourth, or little finger, in turn plays the important part of bearing on its point the whole weight of the stick, and is thus an important ally of the first finger when a soft tone is required, as by pressing it strongly on the stick—the thumb being the fulcrum or centre of leverage—the bow may be all but lifted from the string. The beginner, then, must be particularly careful (1), that the thumb is kept opposite the second finger, and close to the ferule of the nut; (2), that the first finger lies easily on the stick, and, in taking long bows, allows the stick to slip from the first to the second joint of the finger, and vice versa; (3), that the point of the little finger lies on the top of the stick, leaving it only when the extreme point of the bow is used; (4), that the fingers lie slightly apart on the stick, sloped gracefully towards the heel of the bow; and (5), that the first joint of the thumb be turned out till the edge of the hair touches the back of the thumb, close to the outer corner of the root of the nail.
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