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TONUS and Other Matters
Tonus in depth
Firstly, it is important to convey to the pupil the one single, most
important, and underlining concept which should permeate every scale, phrase
and passage played on the violin : a pure and even tone, sustained and
beautiful in quality - not necessarily loud, rather, a preference should be
given to a "dolce" or sweet sound. This sound is something to be
cultivated. In it's simplest form one may play an open D with medium sonority,
weight and bow speed using the whole length of the bow. Whether played Up or
Down bow, this sustained sound should imitate the consistency of a ship's horn
( only sweeter in timbre ! ), or Pavarotti warming his voice - full of bass
and roundness. A healthy and evenly sustained contact between bow and string,
regular in the amount of friction throughout the length of the bow. This
friction, and it's correct dosage, as well as all the correct interplay of
mechanical components of the right arm, hand and wrist lies at the heart of a
decent and pleasing sound. This formidable timbre will be labeled and referred
to as "Tonus".
The sound : It's all to do with the right hand,
actually
Tonus, as previously suggested, should be present in every passage played,
however simple or complex the left hand's task may be. Thus fast, technical,
left hand passage work ( even in the highest of positions ) should always be
"sung" with the bow. ( i.e. played with tonus ). The right hand,
therefore, should always have a magical task of producing an ever beautiful
sound whatever the circumstances - Even in tuning the violin. This concept is
paramount at all levels. My particular belief is that teaching this
superlative right hand "singing" technique to 5/6 year olds instills
a desire to play all passages, studies and repertoire with a bel canto style
for the rest of their lives. This philosophy and art of bowing was perfected
by the St. Petersburg school of violin playing, and can always be observed,
without fail, in all Russian musicians.
It feels so good to do !
Having touched on the importance of tonus, nothing has yet been explained
on the practical side. This matter requires guidance from a first class
Russian teacher, but I will describe the main sensations involved. Firstly the
cultivation of a magical sound depends on the imagination, and the sense of
"collecting" power which lies in the base of the right hand ( near
the wrist ). Going back to the discussion of friction, it is precisely this
resistance or "tension" of bow / string which must be felt and
created by an elastic and dynamic finger / thumb / hand / wrist / forearm
action. Roughly put, on a down bow the ( right hand ) thumb and first 2
fingers must contract gradually, pinching ( remember friction ! ) the stick as
they bend ; the knuckles must flatten as they gather sound, and the wrist,
somewhat reluctantly must bend downwards into the string - all this takes
place almost imperceptibly to the naked eye. The net sensation is a right hand
in which every component is actively focusing its energy to achieve tonus.
One's stomach is filled with a satisfying sensation of fullness and relaxation
( like after a good meal ! ) as the roundness of the sound rings out ; all the
hand and arm is massaged in every crevice as the components accumulate sound ;
the bow is felt to tingle along its whole length ( a French bow that would be
! ) and this runs up your arm as if it were an extension of your arm ; the
blood in your body flows freely, and you feel tonified and healthy ; your feel
your feet firmly planted on the ground, and your hear your sound fill every
corner of the room. In short, you feel in paradise. Your whole body is
collaborating and functioning together in a healthy way, and you physically
feel part of the sound. You need a reasonable violin, and you must never use
metal strings. The sensation of having a refined, carrying tone, all thanks to
a "magical" feeling of power in your right hand is unbelievable. It
is for this reason that many musicians have been found to have an aura ( of
unknown energy ) radiating from their hands.
But not everyone has a nice sound
Of course, there will be many violinists who have never experienced any of
the above sensations. They probably never will, and probably don't even want
to. They may be the ones who revert to quick, sharp, snappy passage
work....full of "pings" and "pangs", percussive, loud and
unashamed. They press hard with their left hand fingers, contort their muscles
and tendons, play hurriedly with a spasmodic and exaggerated vibrato designed
to impress. They shift position noisily and generally distort the purity of
tone and phrasing. They force their tone as if shouting, and all the time try
to impress their public with technique and rarely with music. It sounds cruel
to certify that such violinist exist, but it is so, even if to a lesser degree
of severity described. Professor Z.Bron writes that he was given moderately
advanced pupils who had no "correct" concept of a healthy tone, and
was forced to start teaching in his own way from scratch.....beginners !! He
is now one of the leading teachers world-wide.
You've got to hear it to believe it !
It must not be denied that the secrets of tonus are far from completely
revealed. Indeed one has to have heard such a thing live. Grumiaux, Milstein,
Kogan, Korsakov, Stadler, Pikaisen and Rostropovich are some of the musicians
that I have heard, and that to this day I remember vividly, with all the
tingling sensations of vibrations seeping through my bones. Grumiaux's sound
was mediocre in loudness, put pure velvet. His Bach playing was coated with
honey - even when he came out of position in the Courante in d minor ( and the
whole audience sighed ! ) my sensation of delicious sound and tonus was never
disturbed. Pikaisen completely mistuned a whole passage of left hand double
harmonics, but the tonus and bowing was of such high quality, that one was
unaware that he hadn't got any notes right ! Rostropovich's sound was so
completely superior to any CD I have heard. To start with it was smaller, and
more refined than anything I could possibly have imagined.
String Crossing.....it happens all the time !
As pupils start playing the great French etudes by Mazas, Kreatzer, Rode
and Gavinees, they will learn that string crossing ( like tonus ... a huge
subject ) has to be executed in a skilled, refined and correct manner, so as
not to disturb the production of tonus. Jerky string changes will produce
jerky tonus....phrases with bumps and unwanted sounds. String changes should
be smooth, gradual, and almost reluctant, as if the bow doesn't want to pass
on to the new string. On a down bow from D to A ( slurred ) the wrist should
approach the A, the bowing angle should gradually close towards the A during
the sounding of the D, until the bow is so close to the A, it actually
connects to the new string with no break in tonus or friction. The right arm describes
a gradual arc, not an abrupt change in level. The complete breakdown of right
hand movements is a book in itself. Right now I will mention that the wrist
and forearm is to be used in faster agile string crossing, and heavier ( upper
arm & shoulder socket ) components for slower and sustained passages. The
whole subject is lengthy, especially when not adjacent, but remote ( G to A or
E ) string crossing is concerned. In legato bowing, much string crossing
technique is needed to make phrases sound as if they are played on one string.
Détaché ( see also separate article on this site )
Another right hand tonus subject is that of détaché. 2 years are needed
to develop a beautiful détaché. This is a fundamental technique to master.
All Russians study détaché. Almost everyone else falls short ( unless they
have discovered how to work with Russian teachers ). 80 percent of bow strokes
are détaché ( Forget up bow picchiettato ! ). Some pupils fail to sing their
up bows as well as their down bows, and détaché passages become uneven or
almost dotted in rhythm. They fail to adhere to the string "alla corda",
and fail to connect the notes with a skilled and knowledgeable apparatus. Détaché
is often played too near the point, without the proper wrist / forearm action
which is the main component needed. Détaché can be practised with an almost immobile
right elbow, to help stimulate the forearm. The same technique can be applied
to détaché on two strings.
Études contain an abundance of right and left hand
technique
These 3 bowings, "spun", détaché and string crossing are
fundamental. Spiccato is an extension of détaché, keeping less to the
string, but holding the bow less with the index finger so that it bounces. The
bounce must be small, and the forearm has a major role. The net feeling must
be similar to détaché on the string. Up bow Staccato and on the string (
horizontal ) staccato or martele ( grand staccato ) can be tackled next. A
pupil who plays the Mazas Etudes with style, musicality and from memory is on
his / her way to a bright future. I see no point in being able to sight read
perfectly only to sound like an electric razor.
The Left hand must be well trained not to spoil that
Tonus.
Clumsy Left hand shifting can also disturb tonus and phrasing, as mentioned
earlier. So can heavy left hand vertical finger action puncture the smoothness
of a legato phrase. The left hand must always be as light as possible, rounded
and the fleshy part of the finger pad used for cantabile passages as well as
running passages. Excessive finger pressure is a killer. All left hand
fingering must fit into the steady right hand bowing ( and not vica versa ),
and when learning music by heart ( the only way to play pleasingly ) one must
stick to the same fingerings and bowings which have been decided upon by the
teacher or pupil. If you play up bow once then next time decide to start down,
and then change again all your muscles and movements will become confused.
They will not get used to the right one ! Automating left and right hand
actions is only possible by going over and over a small passage until your
body performs it automatically. Of course......now you know it by heart !! And
you can play more musically too, and with a better sound. Learn all your
etudes by heart. You cannot learn to play the violin without etudes. They are
a violinists bible and encyclopedia of technical and musical expression.
Double stops, left hand chord placing ( like a guitar ), vibrato, trills,
light passage work, scale patterns and extensions are just some of the left
hand techniques you will come across in you studies. These are designed to
prepare you for your Concert Repertoire and Concertos.
Playing at the heel : Needs attention !
Right hand Chord and heel détaché represent advanced technical
achievement. Chord should never be too disjointed or broken, rather they are
often well practiced limiting the bow to the lower half. Remember tonus. Take
the first two strings together always. Place the bow on the string first then
draw the bow. ( Never crashing from the air ) Remember "Place then
Draw". Play chords lightly, with less bow weight. The little finger is of
paramount importance in keeping the compactness of sound and the togetherness
of the right hand posture. The bow is best placed parallel to the bridge at
the heel ( This is usually off !!! ) by pointing the inside edge of the right
hand wrist towards your nose. There are hundreds of violinists who cannot play
at the heel. Usually their bow doesn't have rosin at the heel either. From
heel to middle the elbow should move freely in a corridor with the hand. In
other words use your upper arm in the lower half. Heel détaché involves the
forearm, but this is an advanced technique.
No, I didn't make this all up ... I got it from a
"school" of playing.
For further advice search this site thoroughly. There are bowing tips for
studies, articles on détaché, and other helpful points to come across. Best
of all study with a Russian teacher. I am not Russian, but I simply decided
they were phenomenal in Schooling and training so I went there to
study......couldn't have made a better choice. I was tired of people who
couldn't teach or play. Sadly the rest of the World lags behind them, though
USA produces the next best thing. ( Thanks to The Russian Jews / 1917 ). In my
country I am not happy with the standard of string playing / teaching....and
Russian teachers are not always readily accepted. The Russian Schools were
started by Wieniawski, Vieuxtemps ( Franco Belgian Schools ) Auer ( Hungarian
- Vienna School ) and others from the French School. The Italians started, and
through Viotti the Classic French school flourished. That's why we all study
French studies. I am proud to be keeping the traditions of the St. Petersburg
school alive, though I only explain about "Violin Schools" to some
of the older students.
Improve your style : Play by heart
Get away from the printed music. England has many good sight readers but
hasn't ever actually produced good soloists. There is often too much pride in
Western traditions of sight reading....reading and reading......as if anyone
who cannot read a book is ignorant. Yet what kills the spontaneity and
naturalness and freedom of movements more than pinning your eyes and
concentration on little black blobs on a page ?? Agreed sight reading is
important.....but not at the age of 4 yrs ? surely ? Ask many players here to
play anything by heart and they stare back hopelessly. What about committing
to our souls...using our ears...listening ...building up confidence and
looking up when we play ?? It's obvious that the score doesn't say everything.
It would be all black if it did. Nor, in itself does it produce any sound. Get
away from it. Read it, learn it inside out, then throw it away or burn it. To
make sure a pupil studies I assign pieces by heart. They must play them
without the score next lesson, and I can always tell : The work is either done
or not done !!
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