Violin For Dummies, 2nd Edition, Enhanced Edition by Katharine Rapoport

Author:Katharine Rapoport
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2012-03-06T16:00:00+00:00

Now that you have the basic idea about slurs, I give you an overview of the different slurs you meet in real music so that you can be as prepared as a Boy Scout when you encounter legato galore! Just use the preliminary stopped bows at first for each slur, until your bow distribution is even and your finger coordination is prompt. If you can play with ease and don’t need to make the preliminary stops anymore, go right ahead. The technique you’ve practiced is available to you anytime you need it to clear up a tricky spot.

Slurring between fingers

The most usual situation in slurring involves transitioning from one finger to another. In Figure 13-3 as well as on the video track, I show you how to play a very smooth legato between any pair of fingers. Use the rest measures to get the next pair of fingers ready.

This exercise works a lot like the open-string slurs, except you prepare your starting finger on the string before you begin to bow. I walk you through the first example so that you can use the same idea for the different finger combinations. In all these exercises, the starting finger of each set can remain calmly on the string. Follow these moves:

1. Begin with finger 1 on the A string at the start of the first down-bow. As you begin the bow stroke near the frog, plan on using the first half of your down-bow for finger 1.

2. Prepare finger 2 over its spot, then land the finger decisively as you continue your down-bow into the upper half of the bow, without changing the bow speed at all as finger 2 lands. Continue bowing on finger 2 until you reach, or almost reach, the tip of the bow.

3. Release finger 2 from the string at the end of the stroke, just as you change bow direction, and then start the up-bow on finger 1, and so on.

I give you each example once, but feel free to repeat a measure a few times to pattern the moves and gain confidence.

I show you these slurs using the first finger pattern for now, with finger 2 placed very close to finger 3, which is on its fingerboard guide (refer to Chapter 5 to find out about finger patterns and how to make fingerboard guides). Later on, when you want to refine your skills or challenge yourself, try the same exercises with other finger patterns, so that you’re fluent at slurring in any key.

Figure 13-3: Slurring between fingers.

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