To view this e-mail as a Web page, click here »

Instruction, Information & Inspiration for Players of Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass & Fiddle | Dec. 31, 2009

A Few Tips on Getting Great Tone

“I find tone is like someone’s voice,” says virtuoso violinist Jaime Laredo, conductor of the prestigious New York String Orchestra Seminar, “and like appearances, no two sounds are alike.” In other words, your tone is your musical voice, as individual as you are, and you want it to speak for you as clearly and articulately as possible.

The tools of sound production are few, the experts say, but their effects are endless. Sound depends on bow usage, and to a lesser extent, on vibrato. “To make a good sound, there are three basics: speed, pressure, and sounding point,” says Muir Quartet violinist and Boston University professor Peter Zazofsky.

“The variety of each will present you with your best sound. What percentage of each depends on the context, but to find the right balance you have to manipulate each of these three variables.”

To shape your tone, Laredo adds, you need to think about vibrato, the kind and amount of bow pressure you use, and most importantly, the bow speed. “I find that students often are concentrating on getting a big sound,” he says, “but they should look instead to their bow speed. They often forget that they can get many varieties of sound by varying their bow speed.”

A good tone, says violin teacher Emlyn Ngai of the Hartt School of Music, should have resonance. “If we approach the instrument and bow in the appropriate manner, we set the whole instrument vibrating,” he says.

“A good tone should have a core in it for projection and warmth to please the listener’s ear. A good tone should ring like a bell, pure and beautiful, even without the use of vibrato.”

So how do you go about improving your sound?

Concert violinist and educator Ida Kavafian suggests that “warming up on long tones is a really good idea. We concentrate so much on the left hand, we forget to warm up the right. Work on smooth bow changes, loosening your fingers so that they can be responsive.”

In your search for your own great sound, it might be helpful to keep this thought from Kavafian in mind: “In terms of sound, your imagination is the most important component. Keep an open mind and explore every possibility.

“A person’s imagination is his or her biggest asset.” —Tiffany Maleshefski

For more helpful tips for string players, check out Succeed as a String Player from the Teen Strings Shows You How . . . series. This book is sure to inform, inspire, and entertain you and your students. It offers tips on making better use of your practice time, overcoming stage fright, breezing through a music-school audition, finding the perfect summer music camp, and much more. Succeed as a String Player also includes helpful hints from some of the violin world’s biggest names, including Itzhak Perlman, Hilary Hahn, Joshua Bell, and Nicola Benedetti. Order it now for yourself or a string player in your life.

Regular price: $16.95, HL00331903

This week from Strings Daily…

Looking for repertoire for weddings and other romantic occasions?
Play Elvis’s “Can't Help Falling in Love” for String Quartet

Mixing Strings Can Offer the Right Balance for You and Your Instrument
Cellists and other string players can improve their sound and response

Play “St. Louis Blues” for Violin
A Great Swing-Jazz Standard

Sign up for the free Strings Daily e-newsletter. Each day you’ll receive a tip from your friends at Strings magazine. Expect guidance on buying and caring for your instrument, career advice, and steps for improving your skills, as well as news about events, your favorite artists, and new products and offerings from Strings. Be alerted to the best deals on subscriptions and gifts, as well as our books and sheet music, just in time for the holidays!

News from the String World

O’Connor Strikes Up New Tune with Trio

Fiddler Mark O’Connor is rolling out his new trio January 7–9 with bassist John Patitucci and guitar wunderkind Julian Lage at the Blue Note jazz club in New York City. Read More News

Upcoming Events

Check out our calendar for festivals, premieres, competitions, and conferences near you.

FORWARD TO A FRIEND  |  UPDATE PROFILE  |  UNSUBSCRIBE  |  MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS

Copyright © 2009 String Letter Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
You are welcome to forward this e-mail to your friends. Other reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of String Letter Publishing is prohibited. Strings and the respective logos are trademarks of String Letter Publishing.