Full Version: Dynamics And Expressive Tone..
Hey I really need help here. How do you produce nice expressive tones on the violin (without vibrato) and do the dynamics? I mean do you go faster for the louder parts and slower for the quiet parts? But I'm told that for the quiet parts your bow has to run as well. I don't have much luck in making a 'running' bow quiet and pp is like p to me. I think my dynamics range only from f to p and that's it. I've been busy working on the pitching and technique up to now, that I've not really mastered the dynamics properly. *sigh... Lucky I don't get weedy sounds at p though.
Bow speed, angle of the hair on the string and how much down-pressure you use are all contributory factors.
If you want a forte with a slow bow, then you'll need to lean into the string more with the bow and ensure that you have the hair of the bow almost flat onto the string. Don't dig too deep or it will just make a horrible scratch. Different bows, different strings, different acoustical properties of the instrument and the room you are playing in will all add to the effect.
The most commom problem is a varying sound between playing at the heel of the bow and the tip - the tip needing more bow-arm pressure than when playing at the heel. Concentrate to start with on getting a REALLY even tone through out the entire bow.
Varying the amount of hair on the string, the bow speed and the pressure from the bow-arm many times during an up or down bow movement can be used as an exercise to practise tone control and dynamics. Then of course there are all the different bowing techniques which will add to your repertoire of tone colours and expressiveness - these will take time to learn and plenty of practise, it won't happen overnight.
Before you put bow to string, or draw a note from the violin, try to imagine what sort of tone and dynamic you want to create. Hear it in your head first and then try to replicate that on the instrument. It's a technique frequently used when playing wind instruments, but works equally well for strings too.
If you want a forte with a slow bow, then you'll need to lean into the string more with the bow and ensure that you have the hair of the bow almost flat onto the string. Don't dig too deep or it will just make a horrible scratch. Different bows, different strings, different acoustical properties of the instrument and the room you are playing in will all add to the effect.
The most commom problem is a varying sound between playing at the heel of the bow and the tip - the tip needing more bow-arm pressure than when playing at the heel. Concentrate to start with on getting a REALLY even tone through out the entire bow.
Varying the amount of hair on the string, the bow speed and the pressure from the bow-arm many times during an up or down bow movement can be used as an exercise to practise tone control and dynamics. Then of course there are all the different bowing techniques which will add to your repertoire of tone colours and expressiveness - these will take time to learn and plenty of practise, it won't happen overnight.
Before you put bow to string, or draw a note from the violin, try to imagine what sort of tone and dynamic you want to create. Hear it in your head first and then try to replicate that on the instrument. It's a technique frequently used when playing wind instruments, but works equally well for strings too.
Thanks Amanda, I'll try that. I hadn't realised that the amount of hair on the bow also contributes to the dynamics. One question though... how do you decide which method to use to get a forte and which method to use to get a piano?
Seems like so many ways to do something... a little confusing.
Yes the last piece of advice works for the piano also
so it should for ANY instrument. 
Seems like so many ways to do something... a little confusing.
Yes the last piece of advice works for the piano also
so it should for ANY instrument.
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