Tip #1
Four Strings = Four Different Vibrations
Think of it this way, you have four very thick ropes suspended loosely between posts in front of you. The one on the left is the thickest and each one to the right of that is slightly thinner than the one before. Now imagine trying to make the ropes swing back and forth–which would be the easiest to swing? Well, the thinnest one, right? It’s the same with the violin/viola strings. Compared to the G string (C string on viola), the E string (A string on viola) does not need as much pressure or speed exerted on it to make it vibrate correctly.
Intermediate players can improve their sound quality immensely by experimenting with how much pressure and speed is ideal for each string on the instrument.
Intermediate players can improve their sound quality immensely by experimenting with how much pressure and speed of the bow is ideal for each string on the instrument. After all, that is the most basic thing you are doing with the bow: creating vibrations to create different kinds of sound. As you experiment with different pressure and speed on each string, allow your ear to listen to what comes from the instrument. You will soon judge which sounds are unpleasant, which are ok, and which are ideal!
Once you become familiar with how each string responds, then you have to apply that knowledge to your repertoire. For instance, in the last section of Vivaldi’s Concerto in A minor for Violin, 1st Movement, the same motivic pattern is repeated first on the E/A strings, then on the A/D strings, and finally on the D/G strings. If you play with a “one size fits all approach” when it comes to the pressure and speed of the bow in these three phrases, you will end up with at least one if not all having less than ideal sound quality. Each phrase should be practiced separately to determine the exact speed and pressure needed. Then, the player must be able to change the speed and pressure as they move from one phrase to the next.
Take a more advanced example from the repertoire. There is a passage of triplets in the opening of the first movement of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. These triplets are not all played on the same string, thus the player should give careful attention to how he will attack the triplets on the E versus the A string, etc. The tendency here is to hyper-focus on the left hand because it requires some quick fingerwork and care in intonation. However, if the same general pressure and speed of the bow is carelessly applied to all the triplets, the tone will be “meh” at best. Constant sensitivity in the right hand is key to rising above a mediocre sound quality.
Tip #2
Each separate string can produce five basic sounds (vibrations)
We just discussed needing to become aware of the speed and pressure needed for each individual string. However, you can improve your sound even more if you also pay attention to how different parts of each individual string respond to different pressure and speed.
Let’s go back to rope illustration from before and let’s just focus on our D string rope. It’s rather thick and needs a little extra coaxing to get it to swing (“vibrate”). However, now imagine how different it would be to try swinging it if you tried holding onto the string right next to where it was tied to the post versus a few feet out from the post. It would feel tighter and more sluggish the closer to the post you got.
The same is true with the violin/viola string. Playing very close to bridge (“post”) requires the bow to really slow down to get a good sound and maintain control. More pressure is also needed to counteract the tension of the string that close to the bridge. The further away from the bridge and the closer to the fingerboard you get, the less pressure and more speed is needed.
The area between the bridge and fingerboard can be thought of as equally divided into five “sounding points.” I have also heard it described as five “lanes” of traffic which can be a helpful illustration. Sound point 1 is closest to the bridge, and sound point 5 is closest to the fingerboard.
Beginners are rightfully taught to generally play only in sound point 3 which requires a medium speed and pressure and is generally the easiest to master. As the player advances, however, they should practice bowing on the open string in each sound point until they understand the ideal speed and pressure needed for each “lane.”
The ideal sound in each lane should be pleasant but very different. Playing near the bridge produces a full, sometimes even strident tone while playing near the fingerboard produces a lighter, sometimes even effervescent tone. Being able to use any of these 20 sounds (5 sounds on 4 different strings) at will immediately opens up another level of sound quality and interpretive possibilities to the intermediate player.
Tip #3
You have 123,456 strings on the violin or viola!
Ok, not really, but really? Think about it a minute. We were just discussing our four ropes in the tips above. Each of those ropes could then be cut into multiple ropes of different lengths. You could then take those smaller sections and tie them up to their own posts. On the violin and viola, we “cut” our strings into different lengths by stopping them with our fingers. This allows only a shorter portion of the string to actually vibrate, creating a “shorter string.”
Simon Fischer, in his book The Violin Lesson, disscusses how the player should be aware of the fact that he is playing on a much shorter string if he is playing in 6th or 7th position, for example, than when he is in 1st or 2nd position. Back to the rope analogy, think of taking maybe only a third of one of your original long ropes and tying that piece between two posts. It would respond very differently to being swung back and forth than the long rope. But so often, players try to “swing” the shorter rope the same way they would “swing” the long rope, which results in way too much energy, speed, and pressure exerted on the shorter string. The player gets an often squeaky and at best, a strident tone.
Fischer also points out that even the sounding points move closer to the bridge as the string gets “shorter” (or as you move into higher positions). Imagine playing in 8th position with your third finger. Now, visualize the amount of string between that third finger and the bridge. It’s very short! If you try to play with the bow close to the fingerboard in the regular place for sound point 5, you will have a very difficult time getting a good tone. In order to get the effervescent tone you would normally get from sound point 5, you now have to place the bow closer to the middle between the bridge and fingerboard.
This may seem very technical, but it really is very intuitive to apply to the repertoire. Choose a piece to play and as you play be hyper aware of the length of string created by your fingers stopping the strings. Listen to the sound you are making. If it is not ideal, then experiment with adjusting the bow somewhat to account for a shorter or longer string.
The takeaway?
When you begin learning a stringed instrument, your goal should be to master a generally solid consistent tone on the instrument. That will carry you quite well into intermediate repertoire. However, young people often get stuck here, thinking that simply playing “harder” repertoire means they are becoming more “advanced.”
When I was a teenager, my teacher gave me the Mendelssohn Concerto to study. I was thrilled to be playing such an “advanced” work, but even though I could get through it playing all the notes, it just did not sound like the recordings of famous soloists I listened to. For that matter, it did not even sound close to as good as my teacher played it. But I was attacking the entire concerto with a “one size fits all” approach to the bow!
In my teaching experience, I have observed that intermediate players often neglect the bow. They might think, “Well, it doesn’t sound that bad in general, except when I play in that really high position or when I have to play double stops” (two different string lengths to keep track of!!). They conclude they need to work on the left hand more, to “play better in the higher position” or to “get better at double stops.” But if they would just give a bit of attention to the way the violin works at the most basic level–the vibrations created by the bow–they could not only improve their tone but also solve some of those problems in the high positions and in double stopping.
Sources:
- Fischer, Simon. The Violin Lesson. (Alfred Music, 2022). ISBN 979-0577088969