String changing skills of the violin

Did you know that the great violinist Eugene Ysaye attaches great importance to violin string changing skills. He puts great emphasis on the continuous arc trajectory of the right hand bow, for which he specially designed his practice.

The reason why Eugene Ysaye can have such a loud voice may be related to his bowing skills. If we draw a circle or a box with our right hand, we will feel that the former is much more convenient, while the latter can hardly reach a certain speed. If the bow arm develops a continuous arc track, it can make our performance extremely easy, otherwise, it will make our performance into a desperate situation.

"The principle of continuous arc bow trajectory, just like the situation in bow changing techniques, is also suitable for string changing. The action should be coherent without interruption. When changing from one string to When making another string, whether it’s splitting the bow or connecting the bow, the movement should not stop, but gradually approach the new string. The principle of'circular bowing' is well-known in teaching because it is great An important aspect of the teaching of the violinist Issai. Issai believes that all string changes should follow the arc orbit of the bridge.

　　The string change in the slow bow movement should also be carried out in the order of the upper arm lead, the hand and the bow one by one. This movement of getting closer to the new string is to avoid sudden movements when changing strings. This advance action is especially important when changing strings at the tip of the bow, because the arc-shaped trajectory formed by the string changing there is larger than at the root of the bow.

　　 When playing the string change in the fast bow, the action of the string change can be initiated from the arm or the hand. If it is a continuous and rapid string changing movement, it is best to use the balance movement of the arm to perform. Basically all fast movements use this kind of movement. But when used in the movement of changing strings, the orbit of the movement becomes more vertical and circular. If the string is changed continuously on two adjacent strings, the circle formed by the string change should be developed to an ellipse. "

Note: When the action of changing the string and the action of changing the bow happen to be together, the principle used is the same as the principle of changing the bow when the string is not changed. The difference between them is that the size of the arc formed is different, and the direction of rotation of the track is different. That is to say, the trajectory of the bow when changing strings is clockwise or counterclockwise.