Violin Vibrato

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. The playing of either of these instruments permits of a hanging position of the arms, and the movements of playing do not make such great demands upon the strength of the player. Although the movements of playing the piano are comparatively simple, they are considered of special importance. In fact, they form the basis of the method of a master. In playing the violin, the problems of technic are made more complicated by the fact that each arm performs a different function. Naturally, a large number of treatises give attention to the problems of bowing and of the left hand. It is strange that one function of the left hand, and the most important one, has rarely been mentioned. In the following, Iwish to call attention to a point which is of the greatest importance to the whole technical apparatus employed in playing the violin. I will say at once, however, that we are concerned here with a purely technical problem, and not with the interpretive side of playing, nor with the declamation of an art work. We will discuss here only those functions and conditions which enable us to express what we feel through the medium of beautiful tone. It is time that we finally determine what belongs to the spiritual side of music, and what, in contrast thereto, belongs alone to the technic of playing.

The playing of either of these instruments permits of a hanging position of the arms, and the movements of playing do not make such great demands upon the strength of the player. Although the movements of playing the piano are comparatively simple, they are considered of special importance. In fact, they form the basis of the method of a master. In playing the violin, the problems of technic are made more complicated by the fact that each arm performs a different function. Naturally, a large number of treatises give attention to the problems of bowing and of the left hand. It is strange that one function of the left hand, and the most important one, has rarely been mentioned. In the following, Iwish to call attention to a point which is of the greatest importance to the whole technical apparatus employed in playing the violin. I will say at once, however, that we are concerned here with a purely technical problem, and not with the interpretive side of playing, nor with the declamation of an art work. We will discuss here only those functions and conditions which enable us to express what we feel through the medium of beautiful tone. It is time that we finally determine what belongs to the spiritual side of music, and what, in contrast thereto, belongs alone to the technic of playing.