Playing The Violin

People say music is the sound of the soul. Music is used to convey messages. There is music and sound that talk about happiness, sorrow and depression. Despite the genre and message that music sends, there are still people who can relate to these messages. It is sad to note however that music is not truly appreciated by its value but by the artist who rendered that music. Different instruments are used in making music and these instruments are the basic foundation of a great music. A great instrument that produces great sound is the violin.

The violin has gained popularity because of its inclusion to the orchestra instruments. It belongs to the group of string instruments and has the highest pitch among these instruments. It has many parts that coordinate to produce the best quality music an artist could ever produce. But how exactly is a violin played?

A violin is played by using a bow. The violin can be played by drawing the bow (arco) across the strings and by plucking the strings (pizzicato). The violin is placed under the chin while the left hand controls the length of sound of the strings by manipulating the fingerboard.

As much as the left hand regulates sound, it also helps in achieving the correct pitch for a piece. In practice sessions, the fingers are numbered and there are different positions on the violin itself. The method of numbering and positions are placed in sheets of paper for memorization. A violinist must memorize these positions.

One method of playing the violin is open strings. The open strings produce a different timbre. Open strings entails that a finger must not touch the strings. The string sounds produced in open strings are different because of the absence of action of a finger.

There are certain steps to follow to correctly play the violin. Here are some of the steps to follow.

1.) Adjusting the bow so that it is not so tight and not so loose. A measurement of the correct adjustment is obtained through fitting a pencil between the bow hair and bow wood. Adjusting the bow is done in a clockwise manner. Remember to loosen the bow after playing the violin. Also, new bows require rosin and rosin needs to be renewed depending on how many times the violin is played.

2.) Hold the bow correctly. The index finger is positioned on the grip while the other fingers are positioned at the same distances between each other along the same edge. The pinky finger is placed lower and is angled slightly.

3.) Hold the violin with the chin and shoulder. The jaw should be placed on the chinrest. Stand up straight at the end of the violin.

4.) The bow should be placed at the middle between the bridge and the fingerboard. The bow should pull as straight as possible and parallel with respect to the bridge.

5.) Practice the open strings which entail not touching the string with any finger.

What is important to correctly play the violin is practicing. When someone wants to achieve something, he must practice and do ways to achieve that something. Playing the violin requires many hours, dedication and effort. It is not something that is learned overnight. Practicing everyday is a good way to achieve the correct way of playing violin and delivering good quality music.