Cello - not pressing strings down to fingerboard, as suggested by Victor Sazer?
Randy Burgess
investigating on my own. I found a recent book called "New Directions in
Cello Playing" by Victor Sazer that promotes alternative techniques to
reduce injury and muscle strain--which sounds good to me, since I have a
certain degree of repetitive strain disorder from my profession as a writer
(I work at a computer all day).
One of the left-hand techniques sounds strange, however--he talks of being
able to produce clear tones _without_ pushing strings down all the way to
the fingerboard and holding them firmly there. Instead, he recommends coming
at the strings from the right side of the string (from your point of view as
you're seated) and pulling on them; he says this can produce a clearer tone
since strings aren't damped against the fingerboard, plus you can play more
quickly and with less muscular tension. I'd like to believe all this, but as
a former guitarist (admittedly a much different instrument) it sounds
bizarre to think you wouldn't need to bring the string firmly down against
the fingerboard.
Does anyone have opinions about/experience with this alternative technique?
thanks,
Randy
Keith A.H. Smith
strings (violin in my case). On my first $200 fiddle I once went through
about $100 worth of strings in a month - the alminum wrap on the A string
died in a few days and I soon revealed that the fingerboard was really
stained maple or such like. Admittedly, I was practicing about 25-30 hours a
week. (read Major obsessive personality).
The guitar is, after all, a percussion instrument. Like a drum, or a piano,
after the note is struck what happens depends more on the instrument than
the player. With the bow you're injecting far more energy into the string
than you ever could with a pick. And with no fret, no matter how hard you
press, the string will see some soft flesh after it leaves the fingerboard.
Actually, I don't think my strings touch the fingerboard much at all
anymore.
I recently talked to a symphony player about some violin lessons. The first
thing he said was 'don't press nearly as hard as you would with a guitar'.
(something I think I'm cured of now.) Experiment a bit and I think you'll
find that Victor is on the money.
Maybe some of the classical folks on this list could help us 'great
unwashed'.
David Mintz
after reading his book and talking to him. It was quite helpful, in my
weakened condition, and it worked. Personally, I prefer the tone and vibrato
I obtain by direct compresssion against the board now that I've attained
enough strength to manage this. But, pressing too hard can be a drawback and
limit both agility and vibrato. Sometimes the strings are too far away from
the board and the bridge must be adjusted.
David Mintz
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Jean
Directions given for the pressure of fingers on the fingerboard of the cello
are very good although they are surprising .
I advice you to read also "The Cellist's Inner Voice" by Ian Bewley,
Ed. Da Capo Music, Carrington House, 92 New Road
Hedon UK (especially chapter 4).
Pierre LAGOUTTE
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Andy Copeman
The chinese er-hu has no fingerboard. And it produces some of the most
expressive music heard anywhere on the planet. The strings are press by the
fingers of the left hand just enough to establish a node. This technique allows
for incredible vibrato through the variation of finger pressure.
cheers
Andy
Jean
haute au-dessus de la touche. Il faut trop de force pour enfoncer les cordes
jusqu'à la touche. On ne pourrait pas jouer vite de cette façon. On peut
obtenir une belle sonorité sans enfoncer la corde.
Exemple : le dernier motif au violon de "Zigeuner" de Pablo de Sarazate.
P. LAGOUTTE
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