Leopold Auer
on open strings for beginners
Auer describes the importance of attaining a
good initial bowing ability before adding the complications of placing the left
hand fingers. I have always insisted all my best beginner pupils start with 2 or
3 terms of open string repertoire ( continuing even when left hand fingered
pieces are started ) . Though many pupils, parents, and ultimately teachers are
anxious to progress as fast as possible towards a more "spectacular"
left-hand participation , I have always resisted this plan of study, convinced
that a right-hand initialization provides a more solid base for cantabile
playing. Therefore, I was pleased to find, quite recently, these two comments
from Auer and Flesch, which echo the essence of my method.
Another parallel with the Charles Dancla
School method ( inspired by my training in St. Petersburg ) and methods of the
past can be seen in Alard's Method for Violin ( used in the Paris Conservatoire
in the 1800s ) : Alard starts with a sustained G string note. This contrasts
with the Suzuki method which starts with the E string.
A Word to Teachers as
to the Open String Material Contained in this Book ( from
Leopold Auer's Graded Course of Violin Playing Book 1 - Edited by Gustav Saenger
)
The underlying idea of providing a whole book
of open string exercises is based upon the principle of separating and firmly
establishing in the beginner's mind the radical difference in the functions of
the left hand and those of the right hand, wrist and arm..... It is
all-important that the correct position of the body, and holding of the violin
and bow be first established, after which the pupil must become impressed with
the importance of tone-production from the very start. Even on the open strings
alone he must learn to produce a clear, round tone, capable of dynamic shading .
. . until this has been accomplished, the student's attention should not be
diverted through the additional difficulties of learning how to set the fingers.
Carl Flesch says :
The Leopold Auer Graded Course of Violin
Playing proceeds in conformity with what, in my own opinion, constitutes an
entirely correct basic principle, to the effect that, at the start, bowing and
finger technique are entirely separated from each other ; that the pupil
continue with bowing exercises upon the open strings until he has gained a
certain amount of bowing ability and until his tonal sense and feeling has
become awakened and development of same becomes noticeable . . . I consider this
plan of systematizing the work as a most excellent one and do not doubt that
pupils taught with this method will, after expiration of the first year, possess
infinitely better tone qualities than those who have been or are taught
according to existing methods. . .
( Signed Carl Flesch )
