Sliding violin Options

[jojo]

I don't think I was implying that a player using the left hand in this way was developing bad habits! - Rather that (in my view) another player was laying good foundations, and (again in my view) it's probably better to learn not to rely on the left hand like this, in part because I find that young players who do this find it harder to shift later on, often because they grip the neck too tightly. I know many other teachers who teach in the same way that I do, but (as with many things) one size does not fit all. If your own technique works for you, that's good, and no-one has any right (especially over the ether!) to argue otherwise.

that's ok, I find it 'hard' sometimes with these type of discussions over the internet as it is so easy to mis-ineterpret one another or at time it is impossible to understand fully well how the other person is feeling.....
Ultimately whatever works for the player, we agree on that one (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) x

[Hubicka]

I've done a lot of experimenting and personally i think it would be better to have the left hand totally free - but i also think that if it works well the other way round then thats great! Each to their own, but i can see profound benefits of having the left hand/arm free

But im not saying anyone is wrong, im not 'right' it's just my view on it which may well be completely inaccurate!

Saying all of the above though - they may not be comparible, as there is a different technique playing with or without a rest, so its not necessarily that one is better or worse, just that they are different and both can work as well as each other, if youre uing the appropriate technique for either one... (confusing!)

[Viledin4u]

I found link below useful. I started off by 'fitting' the violin along my collar bone and then adjusting everything else accordingly. I like the idea of playing without a shoulder rest but now have mine set low and at 5 past 7 position and everything seems to be in a good place for playing and shifting now and I get a similar feeling to playing without a rest.
I don't 'hold' the violin with my left hand, but I do balance it with a very relaxed hand..

violinist in balance

[violindreams]

I found link below useful. I started off by 'fitting' the violin along my collar bone and then adjusting everything else accordingly. I like the idea of playing without a shoulder rest but now have mine set low and at 5 past 7 position and everything seems to be in a good place for playing and shifting now and I get a similar feeling to playing without a rest.
I don't 'hold' the violin with my left hand, but I do balance it with a very relaxed hand..

violinist in balance

I'll try that postition, thanks for all the advice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[violindreams]

I found link below useful. I started off by 'fitting' the violin along my collar bone and then adjusting everything else accordingly. I like the idea of playing without a shoulder rest but now have mine set low and at 5 past 7 position and everything seems to be in a good place for playing and shifting now and I get a similar feeling to playing without a rest.
I don't 'hold' the violin with my left hand, but I do balance it with a very relaxed hand..

violinist in balance

I'll try that postition, thanks for all the advice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Viledin4u]

I found link below useful. I started off by 'fitting' the violin along my collar bone and then adjusting everything else accordingly. I like the idea of playing without a shoulder rest but now have mine set low and at 5 past 7 position and everything seems to be in a good place for playing and shifting now and I get a similar feeling to playing without a rest.
I don't 'hold' the violin with my left hand, but I do balance it with a very relaxed hand..

violinist in balance

I'll try that postition, thanks for all the advice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Good luck and I hope you can find the right position for you> it is quite difficult to advise as, while violins are a similar shape, people are not. When I first started out playing again and bought a shoulder rest (for the first time as I had used a sponge and elastic band as a child) people almost all told me to set my shoulder rest up in a high position. I have had three shoulder rests in that time. After two years faffing about and being advised and never quite feeling right I though s*d this and tried without a shoulder rest and was quite comfortable with this, and can play that way. Now I have a low shoulder rest (high is worst for me as I do not have a long neck) set in the position mentioned, It seems to have been a good idea to start with the positioning of my violin on my collarbone then to work from there. Anyway, I think it's all a case of 'informed' trial and error and results may not be instant (IMG:style_emoticons/default/violin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/violin.gif)

[RoseRodent]

it's probably better to learn not to rely on the left hand like this, in part because I find that young players who do this find it harder to shift later on, often because they grip the neck too tightly.

Not necessarily related, of course. In fact, having a really rigid shoulder rest can transfer tension from the shoulder down the arm, through the wrist and into an iron grip on the neck of the instrument. It's not necessarily going to follow that having a strong grip on the instrument with the chin will free up a lovely relaxed left hand, no matter how much teachers and players may hope so. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I am in transition at the moment, and find that I spend a lot of orchestra time putting rest on, rest off, rest on, rest off. Different types of music seem to lend themselves to different equipment and practices. Personally I find I need that back and forth, and when I get onto teaching the elements of shifting I will make that part of the teaching so it doesn't have to be picked apart and learned later like I had to. I was not able to sustain my playing because of my neck and shoulder tension gripping the viola. (You may be interested to know that I was taught it was important to be able to hold the instrument with the chin at all times so the left hand was free, I actually got sent home to practice holding it up for several minutes without using my hands)

I went back and re-learned shifting as a co-ordination exercise involving the chin, so I'd play with the head totally off the chinrest and facing directly forwards, turn and press to support the instrument for the shift then get the head back off the chinrest once in the new position. Gradually I stopped having to bring my head central to remind myself not to press down when there was no need to do so. I now use the hand to support the viola when I'm in a position and a little chin pressure to keep it still while I downshift or do particularly wallowing vibrato.