Elizabeth Wallfisch - BOOKS_ARTICLES

1/24/2015 Elizabeth Wallfisch - BOOKS/ARTICLES

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I have written one small, and increasingly useful treatise concerning playing the'Baroque' violin, and several articles on music, musicians, the state of the art, asand when a bee gets under my bonnet.

Here is a selection of such, which I would be pleased to offer a visitor to this website.

The Art of Playing Chinoff for the Brave and the Curious, by Elizabeth Wallfischavailable here

Articles, which I would be pleased to send, if you ask on the contact form.

'Style in the Art of the International Violin Competition'

'The Great Divide'

'You do not have to be young to be brilliant!'

THE ART OF PLAYING CHIN OFF FOR THE BRAVE AND THE CURIOUS,

VERSION 3

PRIMARY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:THE ART OF PLAYING ON THE VIOLIN,by Francesco Geminiani

Whose clear pedagogic genius has been one of mygreatest inspirations. My personal thanks to: My students, past andpresent, who have been and still are my bestteachers.

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CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL 1992-2010

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The tyranny, inspiration and friendship of the violin, which demands at all timestotal focus and control, to find and to learn to express the voice within.

Discomfort and confusion, which were, and sometimes still are, leading me to asearching for understanding,

The fiddlers of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, the students at GeorgeWashington University, the fiddlers of Tafelmusik, Canada, and of the CarmelBach Festival Orchestra, all of whom consented to be my guinea pigs.Judy Tarling for all her help with this little book, and also over the years withher booksMy beloved family- my husband, Raphael and children- Ben, Simon, and Joey,who have suffered my absences, and my absences of mind when at home, andwhose love and support are immeasurable.

I now must also acknowledge the help I had in my twenties, from a small bookby Yehudi Menuhin, called

'6 Lessons With Yehudi Menuhin' which introduced me to my collar bone!

INTRODUCTION:Instructions for Use:

To be read, while from a music stand, violin in hand/s, with the Geminiani[1]

onanother music stand beside it.

Thisessay is

designed for those players who are already violinists, not actual beginners-although it has always been a curiosity for me to discover what the benefitswould be of starting out as a beginner on the violin, using this technique, asGeminiani would have taught.Whether accomplished in the areas of 'modern playing', or 'baroque playing' orany level/period in between, this may prove to be the help needed to gain agreater understanding of the concepts of style inherent in the expression of



emotion and affekt of the music of the 18th century and earlier.This can also be of immeasurable use, technically, to the conventional 'modern'player who is searching for a way to play without the discomfort, and restrictionsof the 'grip' between chin, neck and shoulder, and the physical problems that canoccur over time.This little book is NOT the answer, but perhaps the beginning of the questions….

The Quest

Part the First: PRELIMINARY:Stand easy, legs gently apart, soft knees, arms hanging, not slouching, not 'toattention'…Sway a little from hip to hip. Hug yourself! Yes do it! Nicely!Cradle baby/cat/roast dinner, i.e. arms in front of body, palms gently facing theceiling, elbows in to your side…photoArms down to side, very loose…Head easy, shoulders down loose, with no expectations whatever of holdinganything - let alone a violin!

1: Position of violin on the shoulder, and collar-bone.A: Whatever your shape/size, your collar-bone acts as a ledge.B: 'Props' ie: supports- for example: nothing, a wedge,** a roll,***a shoulder rest,

perhaps to fit the individual[2]

** To make wedge: Take one square of chamois leather,Fold, to make triangle, fold again to make another, and then another...Finally,roll last smallest triangle, longer corner to longer corner, tightly fasten withrubber band around the final result. Adjustable to all heights,widths,and size ofperson, comfort of individual. (The use of a 'prop' on the violin depends entirely on the physique of theindividual.)

Must be comfortable! Feel good. Feel secure, 'nested'! Yes…without any gripbetween chin and shoulder.

There is no need any longer to worry about the length of one's neck, as thechin/jaw does not need to connect with the violin. This technique is positivelygood for those with long necks.Please experiment! 'THE JOY OF PLAYING ON THE VIOLIN':I believe in the pleasure principle:I mean- That everything about playing the violin is a pleasure.The feel, how it looks, comfort, quiet strength and balance, beautiful sound, ease



of movement,facility…allthat. MAKEHAVINGTHEVIOLIN INPLACE APLEASURE.Unlike manyschools ofthinking andteaching,which askthat your leftfoot pointtowards themusic stand,a linebetween yourfeet may bedrawn that isparallel withthe ledge ofthe musicstand, thescroll of theviolin thenpointing alittle over tothe left ofthe stand.This meansthat yourhead andneck are notrotated to theside, and you are looking directly ahead of you. Chin-rest: At this stage it is better to take it off!In my experience, chin-rests, and the high-tech amazing shoulder rests invite youto grip the instrument between shoulder and neck, in spite of all best intentions tothe contrary!'My funny little chin rest', for later music, but still not for gripping.. The tailpiece of violin, 'the button' is best slightly to the left of the chin, whichmay seem unusual to many violinists.You can see clearly here the position of the tail-piece, in relation to thewindpipe and the U in the middle of the collar bone

Part the Second:HERE WE GO:2: Exercises without bow.TIP: LEFT ARM POSTURE-Place left arm behind your back, then, very easily, put your left hand on yourhip.A: (The violin is with/without 'prop')



With your right hand, hold violin in front of you, upside down, scroll to thefloor,f-holes facing away from you.I like to hold the instrument with my first finger hooked around the bout of theinstrument in this position, it feels safer.. Using your right hand put violin on to left shoulder, nesting place.'Nest', 'bury', the violin, keeping left hand on hip, using right hand to lift fiddle.Right side of the instrument must be tilted slightly towards the floor- NOT FLATlike a billiard table.(A 'clunk' on the collarbone can be your guide to the correct place)

Put violin down, again put on left shoulder,put down, up, down, up, down etc.

HINT 1: An open necked blouse/shirt means that the front of your collarbone isbare skin, and that the violin won't slip!(Chamois leather can be of help too, though I find skin is the best 'non-slip' thereis)The tailpiece, or if you prefer, the little button holding the tail-gut should be justto the left of the chin. Watch TV, look out window, walk around, stand on left foot, right foot, sway,chat to cat...Shake head gently, up and down, side to side.BE EASY, IT IS EASY!B: Violin up, with right hand as step A Heel of LEFT HAND to shoulder of violin, fingers totally relaxed, (Still holding fiddle with right hand).Left hand down,Violin down, using RIGHT handRepeat many times, (Go back to step A. Get comfortable!) C: Violin up,Heel of left hand to shoulder of violinDrop right handRight hand upDrop left handViolin down, using right handRepeat many times.

D: Violin up*Left hand to first position on neckRight hand downRight hand upLeft hand downViolin down.



Repeat many timesROUTINE, A PLEASURE!(5 minutes have now passed) 3: Starting to move.A: Violin upLeft hand to first position on neck of violinDrop right hand- DON'T PANIC, (people do- )Look out of window, free your head, shake head, stand on one foot, the other -Walk around roomLeft hand up to 4th position, heel of hand ONLY, touching shoulder of violin,fingers completely relaxed and free Right hand up to hold violinLeft hand downViolin down.Repeat the above many times! B: Violin upLeft hand to first positionDrop right handLeft hand up to 4th positionLeft thumb BACK, only as far as is comfortable on the neckThe above is too far….hhhm, so be warned, this is not IT.. However, below isIT!A gentle stretch across the handLeft thumb UP to normal 4th position place Thumb back, thumb up, thumb back,thumb up, as often as needed, to become familiar with the movement.NO ARM ROTATION AT THIS STAGE.(The thumb works a little like a windscreen wiper, though with a little bend asyour physique demands)Right hand up to hold violin with right handLeft hand downViolin downRepeat etc.TIP:It is very important never to practise in bad habits.When discomfort or imbalance of any kind occurs, stop.Go back to the very basics, even if it is every couple of minutes, and startagain.MAJOR! DIVERSION- necessary! A VERY IMPORTANT POINT!Look at left hand, first finger- base/lowest joint.See crease. Study crease! Feel the joint. See middle joint. See flesh in between.'press the flesh' with the left thumb C: Violin upLeft hand first positionRight hand downHeel of left hand up to 4th position



Balance, yes, balance violin on that flesh just above where the first finger meetsthe hand, at the base joint.(This is the only time I ask you to balance) NOTE: It helps at this stage to swing the elbow out to the left as far as youdare.It may also help to hold the violin slightly higher than horizontal, as you balancethe fiddle.Come back to normal 4th position left hand.Balance fiddle, then back to normal, repeat this swing often- it gets easier... Thumb backThumb up to normal (the windscreen wiper)Right hand up - etc- Repeat the above oftenTHROUGHOUT ALL THE EXERCISES-SOFT KNEES, SOFT SHOULDERS, FREE HEAD, WALK AROUND THEROOM, SHUT EYES, WATCH TV-THERE IS NO NEED TO WATCH THELEFT HAND INTENTLY AS THIS CREATES TENSION IN THE NECKAND SHOULDER!! D: Violin upLeft hand to first positionRight hand downLeft hand to 4th positionThumb back

SQUEEZE neck between thumb, and first finger just above base joint.Thumb to normalThumb back... THEN…… still squeezing..(gently)Bring wrist away from body of fiddle, (the movement will be led by the wrist)The left wrist is the lead role in the movement backwards, thereby freeing thewhole hand from the neck of the fiddle.Draw left hand back to roughly first position using thumb as your anchor, yourfirst finger as the moving part, the base joint squeezed against the neck of fiddleIt helps to raise the fiddle a little above the horizontal for this movement

When back to roughly the first position, put one left hand finger down, (any onewill do), bring thumb back to join the rest of the hand.Thumb where comfortable. This will be different for everyoneTo start with take your time to get comfortable)



Up to 4th position.Thumb back

Squeeze, (1st finger, above base joint) then downThumb to join hand……..wait for it!Up, thumb back, squeeze, wrist back, down, thumb joinUp, thumb back, squeeze, wrist back, down, thumb joinUp, thumb back, downUp, thumb back, downDONE IT!!!This is a pivotal moment in your playing life.Repeat for the rest of your life, every warm up!All of the above will become second nature, and you will be able to shorten it allto a few quick movements, automatically Moving on:E: Violin upLeft hand to first positionRight hand downLeft hand to fourth positionThumb backStop a note with second finger (no bow yet), on the A or D string, to beginwith.. the E and G are more difficult

Slide down to first position, using thumb and second finger gently squeezing theneck as you move

The base joint of the 1st finger, is far better away from the neck as youmoveTIP: It helps to form something like a circle/oval, between finger-tip and thumbfor the move.I love to feel the friction between the fingertip and the string!

F: As E:Use each finger of the left hand in turn until it feels easy, and you start to gainfluency -SUMMARY-THE SUPPORTERS of the Violin-



THUMB, COLLAR BONE, FLESH ABOVE THE BASE JOINT OF THE 1ST

FINGER, THE FINGERTIP OF 1ST OR ANY OTHER FINGERTHERE MUST ALWAYS BE THREE POINTS OF CONTACT WITHTHE VIOLIN.DO NOT EVER ATTEMPT TO USE 'BALANCE' AS THE 'SUPPORT', itdoesn't work….

(This is one of the chief reasons violinists give up their attempts to play 'chin-off').TIP: as above, a reminder.It is very important never to practise in bad habits.When discomfort or imbalance of any kind happens, stop.Go back to the very basics, even if it is every couple of minutes, and startagain.

Work through Part the first a couple/three/four times.

(There will come a time very quickly when you can go immediately to violin upcomfortably on collar bone, and then- 'UP, THUMB BACK, DOWN') "A note written by Peter Wallfisch 1924-199.., to his grandson Benjamin, 1979-"What is technique? It is the ability and art to be able to programme your actionsat will.Always treat the instrument as if it were priceless , drawing the sound out.In my opinion, the best purpose of so called technical work is to stimulatefriendly sensations in the various muscles, joints, tendons etc, to transmit the kindof pleasant messages to the brain that the ear and eye do constantly. A COMFORTABLE felling when performing means that you have managed toestablish this state of affairs: Harmony all round: You will find to your key after a time that your playing parts, will be as receptivethence as dependable as your ears are.Dependable because a corner of your brain will RECOGNISE the PHYSICALFEELING and be able to plan what is correct at the time, and what you knowyou have intended as being good. So, the best effect these exercises can have is not to drill but to open up allkinds of happy sensations and through regular repetition, call them in to beingtime and time again and finally memorize them so well ( all by themselves) thatall your actions have become as assured as sleepwalking, so your realconcentration can be on emotional feeling and intellectual thinking music andlistening to it, which after all is the goal of it all. You really become the perfectmirror...You can talk to me whenever you like, I wish you luck and contentment andremember:



All prescriptions warn: DO NOT EXCEED THE STATED DOSE (and keep awayfrom children)

Part the third:THE SYSTEM...The work really begins now.Essential Primary Source MaterialFRANCESCO GEMINIANI:THE ART OF PLAYING ON THE VIOLIN- 1751 This book makes very entertaining reading, but.... not at bedtime!Please have your wits and your violin about you when you open this wonderfulbook.So that everything you read you will translate immediately into action.In this way -you will remember it!Read Geminiani's commentary, for each example, many times, referring to hiscorresponding musical examples. Efsempio 1

A: Please read, with the mind of the beginnerB: Geminiani says: 'The Violin must be refted just below the Collar-bone, turningthe right hand Side of the Violin a little downwards, fo that there be no Neceffityof raifing the bow very high when the fourth string is to be ftruck'I am not sure at all about 'below the collar-bone', where he exactly means.But, he is absolutely right about the right side of the violin being a littledownward! C: Read- Enjoy the beautiful instructions. (4a, 3a etc denote which string)Especially pay attention to the use and expression of the bow, as stated in B:'One of the principal Beauties of the Violin is the fwelling or increafing andfoftening the Sound; which is done by preffing the Bow upon the Strings with theFore-finger more or lefs. In playing all long Notes the Sound fhould be begunfoft, and gradually fwelled till the Middle, and from thence gradually foftened tillthe End.'Whole bows, with fwells, er..swellsHE IS RIGHT ABOUT THE THUMB NEEDING TO GO BACK AS YOUGAIN THE HIGHER POSITIONS in these exercises.(Please do not over-do this! Some players have long thumbs, others not. Becareful to go with your hand-type, not beyond)The point of this exercise is to learn that the thumb can be another independentdigit, as the fingers are, with its own role to play, not just as a support.TIP:

In each position, and on each string, the left hand must be comfortably over thefingerboard, neither too far, - raised high above, nor too close, - with any feelingof cramping(As you go from G string to E string the left elbow may gently move outwards,



back under the violin)

NOTE:

All these exercise must be practised both up and back, which means reading thembackwards! The commas at the ends of the bars indicate the reversal.GEMINIANI: The fingering, indeed, requires an earneft Application, and thereforeit would be moft prudent to undertake it without the Ufe of the Bow. A Tricky point to watch! If you have been used to preparing your thumb under the neck of the violin, forall your shifts UPWARDS, it may be confusing at this stage, with your chin 'off',to move up the violin.It is better to just simply move upwards, the hand all of a piece, taking as littlenotice of the thumb as possible, certainly NOT preparing it for the upward shift,by bringing it under the neck of the violin in advance of the shift.The hand becomes confused in the 'chin-off technique, and loses it way, if thethumb is moved up in advance of the hand.

Then, on the note before descending, pause/ prepare, put the thumb backdeliberately.

D: NOTE: (ESSENTIAL FOR ALL EFSEMPII!) (And for life)FOR EACH DOWNWARD SHIFT, PREPARE THE THUMB AT THE NOTE or2/3/4 BEFORE THE SHIFT!i.e. Move the thumb back and partly under the neck of the violin.Then, gently squeezing the violin between the base of the first finger, if you areshifting on an open string, OR the finger stopping the note...and the thumbcreating the counter-pressure/anchor-Shift Down.Tips: To start with, change the bow whenever you change the string.Also, remember- it is very helpful to make a little fwell with the bow, on everychange of position.Note- this may mean one, two or three fwells per bow stroke. TO SWELL OR NOT TO SWELL,That is a question... WHY do it? LEOPOLD MOZART:'A TREATISE ON THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPALS OF VIOLINPLAYING'(Translated by Edith Knocker)Chapter V, *3.'Every tone, even the strongest attack, has a small, even if barely audible, softnessat the beginning of the stroke; for it would otherwise be no tone but only anunpleasant and unintelligible noise. This same softness must be heard also at theend of each stroke. Hence one must know how to divide the bow into weaknessand strength, and therefore how by means of pressure and relaxation, to producethe notes beautifully and touchingly.' Some other answers:1: To support the shift.2: To use the bow to help stabilise the instrument, when shifting.3: To use the expression intrinsic to the expression of the period when 'chin-off'



(in violin playing) playing was the norm/fashion?? (Another book!) (Up, thumb back, down)Remember to play each exercise both up and down- i.e. reading forwards andbackwards.(I have also practised these exercises, disregarding the commas, and going all theway up, and then all the way down again-very challenging indeed) A QUESTION OFTEN ASKED: What is the best position for my thumb in the first position? Answer: Whatever is comfortable and free.It may poke up the side of the neck, the neck resting in the crook of the hand.Your thumb may be too short for this however, and may be simply lying on theside of the neck, or in fact ANY STAGE in between these two.However a pinched, closed hand is not desirable under any circumstances! Start!

E:Geminiani gives us great challenges here!With a little patience, and practice, this efsempio can be mastered.

Tips:As before, bow change with string change, and fwells with position changes,forwards and backwards.

IMPORTANT:These are very big shifts, simply to gain mastery. You will hardly ever encountersuch fingerings in real life!Remember to take the time and make the effort to bring the thumb back on thenote prior to the shift, and then, to make your move. This will become secondnature after a very short time!This will speed up! You will eventually not even think about it! Efsempio iiAs before: (Read commentary)Up, thumb back, downI do like to vary the bowing here.Start with 2 slurred, up and down, (note values in 1a, i.e.; quarter notes/halfnotes, denote semitones, not the rhythm)Then 3 slurred, up and down.4 then 6, then 8, then the whole thing in one bow.Start to gain speed.ATTENTION:Swells to the middle of each slur (not each shift) here!

Point:



The bow is an essential stabiliser, not only the source of our expression.Use some force on the bow hair against the string, without drawing a sound.At times this can really aid the shifting. Efsempii- iii-iv-v-viiii: Diatonic scales, simply. Each one has alternative fingerings at the top of thescales, so it is worth working up, and of course down, with each of thosefingerings. ( the 1's, and 1/2s under the notes denote tones and semitones)iv: Up and backv: Up and back, also using the alternative fingerings shownvi: Up and back Efsempio viiAnd now for something completely different!Here you are challenged not only in the areas of intonation, position changing,but, in the use/misuse of your bow.(It is all those string crossings that create the challenges)GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO BEGINNING OF HOLDING THE VIOLIN-up,thumb back, down, several times. Begin this efsempio using separate bows, in the middle of the bow, very easy,no intensity, gently.Repeat, two slurred.Again four slurred, then eight slurred, then sixteen, gaining speed, and expressionon the way.(Forget not the fwells)Do each of the sections in this way. BEWARE:You may find that the string crossing in numbers 5a, 6a, 7a, and 8a, etc., willslow you down as you add notes under slurs, and increase speed.NO WORRIES!Allow it to be slower as you maintain control at all times.

(Maybe do some mixed rhythms, with and without slurs, AND some slurringacross the beats to increase fluency.) Efsempii viii, ix, xiii are not concerned principally with position changing, as thistiny treatise is, so I am not including commentary here.BUT, when there are changes, use your skills, decide your fingerings and thenwork on fluency and ease of movement.Do not revert to old habits, at any price! Efsempii x-xi- xii -xiv:These exercises can all be practised with the specific view to improving yourposition changing. ATTENTION!



METRONOME, (I use it all the time).Metronome, that 'taskmaster' of an invention can become your best friend.For those who are not accustomed to using a metronome:Start by using the metronome at a slow speed, gradually increasing, as youbecome more fluent, with the position changes.

A TIP:I like to take the speed up gradually, until it is JUST too fast, (only just though,mind you) to be able to play the whole thing in one go.I.e. You can manage a couple of bars, and then stumble.

Then leave it!

Next time you will find that your fluency has increased, as if by magic!

THE RESULTS OF THIS KIND OF PRACTICE ARE ASTOUNDING

Part the Third: There is More......SCALES!

Yes, that is what I said. s(Please forgive me if I sound patronising)We need them on the Baroque violin too...The mastery of scale practice is one of the cornerstones of a violinist's technique-Chin 'on' or 'off'.We need them more than ever now. 1: Let's get organised.The key circle/cycle of fifths is our friend here.Start with:

C Major, then a minor, (down a third) to F Major, d min, Bb, g, Eb, c, Ab, f,Db, bb, F#, d#, B g#, E, c#, A, f#, D, b, G e and here we are back at thebeginning.

2: Fingering:The easiest to understand (and the best for me in this area,) are Carl Flesch, andhis Scale System, and Sevcik, op 1, no 3.For the purposes of this technique, start with the 3 -octave scales- NOT the scaleson one string. They can come later…His system of fingerings for all keys is clear, logical and beautifully set out forthe person with the L-plates on.

Melodic and harmonic minor scales, plus arpeggios, dominant and diminished 7thsare also on the menu.Double stops are the dessert!



HOWEVER: be warned!You are now adept, fluent even, at playing 'chin-off'.So-Pay attention to the minutest detail of every shift, DO THEM RIGHT,EACH ONE!Take the time to make sure you are confident enough to move on to thisadvanced level, incorporating your new skills in your scale practice. NO COMPROMISE! BOWING:You must be vigilant, and imaginative in your use of the bow, and your choicesof bowings with which to practise your scales.I would recommend that you do as you were on the Geminiani.I.e. Separate bows, then 2 slurred, 3 slurred, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 24, etc.Changing the rhythms is very helpful in developing speed and lightness, Each bow stroke having a lovely fwell. POINT:Please stay within the expressions demanded by the concepts of style that areintrinsic in this new learning (i.e.: Performing 17/18th century music) even if youare using the exercises of the much later periods.no martelé please. TROUBLE SHOOTING: (in no particular order) a: Holding on to old postural habitsDo not underestimate the strangeness of this technique at first.I find it is very important never to hurry from step to step.It helps to:'act as if' you have never played the violin before,imagine you are a beginner,Don't forget that when you are attempting this new skill, the instrument you arelearning to play becomes new to you.Your new skills all become natural in a surprisingly short time.

b: Fear of droppingAnd therefore holding on for dear life as if an abyss is open beneath!CALMLY: Go back to the very beginning.Check the violin is as if in a nest (see d)See page four of this little book, and go over all the details of your position atevery step.Do not proceed from one step to the next until you have discovered you arecomfortable and free.



CAREFUL:I see some people leaning back, gritting teeth, tensing every muscle in theirnecks, and other signs of great struggle in the effort to move...and the fear ofdropping the violin.Not necessary…It slows down the process of learning if, by trying too hard, going too fast,'horrible habits' jump in!

c: Pain in thumb/ shoulder/ neck etc.Change in even the most subtle of ways can bring into play different use ofmuscle groups.If the body has adapted to one position, then the new can initially bring someproblems.One of the benefits of this type of technique however is to alleviate the tensionsand injuries brought about by 'gripping' the violin between shoulder and chin.Some habitual movements can remain, such as:Raising the left shoulder,Looking to the left at the left hand,Bringing the head down as if to hold the violin,Twisting the left of the body towards the music stand, instead of remaining in aneutral and straight posture, with the head and shoulders facing the stand, and theviolin 'aiming' to the left of it.Feet together? This can cause the whole of the upper body to somehow 'freeze'…Knees locked? Same effect! Violin too flat?The left arm may be having to swing too far across the body, in order for thefingers to reach the lower strings.That really hurts me! The left thumb;Is it working too hard?Holding on too tight?'Pinching' the neck?Remember that the thumb is one of three or even sometimes four points oncontact/ support of the instrument.It never has to work alone.It is worthwhile to practise making the thumb work for you in all itspositions...wherever your left hand is on the violin.For instance:In EFSEMPIO 1, (C) of Geminiani, the playing in one position, from First toSeventh Position, practise each postion FOUR times, each time with the thumb in1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th position, regardless of which position the exercise is in. This will mean that if your thumb gets tired being in one position for too long,then you will have the confidence to be able to move it subtly and not losecontrol in your playing. All muscles tire if held in one position too long.Subtle changes of grip/support are as necessary when playing a musicalinstrument, as they are when holding a tennis racquet.

d: The wobbles



Some movement is essential- 'movement is life'If the wobble is excessive though, there is something wrong in your basic supportposition on the shoulder/collar-bone.Please check: wedge/pad/chammie/shoulder rest/ position on collarbone etc.Does your violin feel 'nested'? Snug? Horizontal? I mean, to the floor, not toitself! Drooping fiddles feel very uncomfortable!The right side of the violin (fingerboard facing) must be tilted slightly towards thefloor.NOT flat like a table!

e: The bow cannot find the right string to play on! It only needs a little time for the right arm to find the strings again.A sense of the new space is needed, but the body is astoundingly quick to adapt.Do no be tempted to LOOK at the bow, as your head posture will suffer! (It isoften helpful to close your eyes…) f: VibratoThis can be a very serious worry for some players.One is used to the 'freedom' that holding the violin between chin and shoulder can give to the left hand.It can feel as if the whole 'mechanism' of vibrato is stuck when the thumb isused as one of the support structures in the playing.THE BIG, and the only real DIFFERENCE IN VIBRATO TECHNIQUE IS:The left thumb and the finger stopping the note, and of course the collar-bone/shoulder, are the only three points of contact with the violin.

So…

PERHAPS THE KEY to mastery:Begin by making a circle between the thumb against the neck of the fiddle, andthe finger stopping the note...The base joint of the first finger MUST BE AWAY from the neck.Your usual vibrato technique can come into play in this position..Try it!

Stay cool, relaxed.

The knack of it is there, in your previous training, waiting to come to life in thenew-found freedom.

Part the Fourth: FURTHER READING-PRACTISING: SEVCIK OP 8Position changing, from the beginning, with special care in the use of the bow.Instructions: Start at the beginning, number one.1: Slowly, bars divided into 2 bows, 4 bows, whatever it takes to be in control ofevery shift.2: Every bow must contain a small fwell of expression, at every shift, up anddown.



3: To avoid boredom…never stay too long on one exercise, move on one, andleave one behind each time you practise these.4: Maybe do three of them at a time, and finally the end is in sight, and masteryis there!SEVCIK OP 1 NO 3As the above Sevcik:For the more advanced, confident and speedier'chin-off' player.This is all reinforcing the techniquesdescribed. Kreutzer Etudes:(I have the edition in which there are theoriginal 40 studies, so I will describe the ones I mean, in the hope you can findthem, as in modern editions there are 42)FABULOUS!Please feel free to choose which of the studies you feel suits your needs best.I love the following-Number 11: The triplet study in E major.Please start your practice with 3 notes to a bow, THE FIRST GROUP ONLYBEING 4 notes to the bow, which leads to crossing the beat under the slur.This means that you can fwell on each shift, as a support.Then 6 notes to a bow, then 12, 24...etc(though, please start the study each time with one extra note to the bow. I mean,7 notes, when you continue with 6, etc.)Number 14: In Bb MajorStart without the trills!When fluent without, then add them, GENTLY! Remember fwells etc.Please use the middle of the bow, not a martelé stroke.

Number 18: D Major, trill exercise, dotted rhythms.Start without the trills, and then add them, when fluent without.MIDDLE BOW! Easy articulation, light hands,Number 20: D Major, in triplets, trills on the beats.No trills to begin with, then add, as before.Mid bow, light bowing, no martelé….

Part the Fifth: MAKING MUSIC, and the relevance of the above to all violinists.



A THINKING POINT:This skill is nothing of itself!It is not a trick learnt for the sake of having the skill, or for simply 'beingcorrect'.NOT AT ALL! It has its truth in the performing practices on the violin of an earlier time.It was described in detail and taught by the great masters of the violin of ourpast, and for me this is enough to pique my curiosity.These players were there.They spoke the musical language of their time.They, and their teachings can teach us to understand those languages ofexpression, and emotion.Attempting to create a sound, a world of expression and AFFEKT- of learning tospeak the rhetoric intrinsic in the music- simply BEGINS with the learning of theskill of playing without gripping the violin between chin and shoulder.

Finally- and fundamentally

THE RIGHT ARM IS LIBERATED, TO SPEAK AND TO SING.

Bibliography:Carl Flesch, SCALE SYSTEM, Edition, RIES and ERLER / BERLINGeminiani, 'THE ART OF PLAYING ON THE VIOLIN'(Published in facsimile by KING'S MUSIC)Kreutzer, Etudes published by C.F. PETERS(I have referred to the edition that contains only 40 studies, not 42, but I hope itis clear which ones I am referring to)Leopold Mozart, ' A TREATISE ON THE ART OF VIOLIN PLAYING'(Translated by Edith Knocker, published by OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS)Sevcik, op 8, Position Changing (published by BOSWORTH)Sevcik, op 1 part 3, Scales and Arpeggios (published by BOSWORTH)Yehudi Menuhin, '6 LESSONS WITH YEHUDI MENUHIN' (published byFABER and FABER)



Elizabeth Wallfisch has reached the great age of 53, in 2005.She has played and later taught violins of all persuasions, for about 44 years.She grew up in Melbourne, Australia in the 50's and 60's in a large family ofeccentric and creative characters.Her grandfather was the very celebrated conductor, Albert Coates- father, mother,wonderful step-mother, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts were, and are all musiciansof note, er, notes.Libby, ( as she is universally known) was fortunate in that she had enormousencouragement, fine teaching, and wonderful organisations in all areas of musicalstudy.Of course a lot of water, and notes have flown under many bridges since then:studying in London at the RAM, then marrying Raphael Wallfisch, (one of the 11people in my family who play the cello) three wonderful, warm-hearted andtalented children following- Ben Simon and Joanna- four beautiful cats in thefullness of time, the garden…She has travelled the world, as a 'baroque' fiddler, 'classical' fiddler, and as a'modern' player, and continues to do so each year, working as chamber musicplayer, concert-master of many orchestras, soloist, director.However-It is always wonderful to come home to South London and open that bottle ofAustralian wine!

photo Suzie Maeder



[1] The Art of Playing on the Violin -Published by King's Music

[2] It is of concern that those players with narrow shoulder, most often the female of the

species, are often not able to achieve the 'chin-off' playing they desire, because the violin isplayed with nothing to steady it, keep it securely resting/nesting in a position that is tiltedgently towards the floor, as Geminiani states in his treatise.

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