Another Use For Your Music Stand

Got a note from a customer in Hong Kong a couple days ago. He writes of a tendency I have encountered quite often and thought I might say a say a few words about it.

He writes; “I just purchased the Kreutzer Vol. 1 and would like to know if the left hand violin holding technique is covered in this volume. I have a very strong tendency to squeeze with my chin and shoulder, and I am hoping practicing the other extreme would help.”

First of all, most of us were taught to hold the violin with our chin and shoulder. One of the first memories I have of the violin is standing next to a bed, with my father next to me, holding the violin up without my left hand.

Wasn’t long before the endless search for the right shoulder pad and chin rest started. I always felt like I was putting on some sort of orthopedic device as I attached the shoulder rest– a guess they are, really. I never liked them but assumed they were a necessary evil.

Wasn’t for another 15 years until I was challenged to try something radically different.

It was in response to something that happened at the Milstein class. One of the other students was playing for us when all of the sudden there was a knocking sound and the music making came to sudden halt – shoulder rest had detached from violin.

Milstein asks, ‘Vhy you use that thing,’ in his thick Russian accent. ‘Because it helps me hold up my violin,’ responds the student. ‘If you held the violin with your left hand you vouldn’t need that thing,’ countered Milstein.

What a radical concept that was, at the time. But how was one to do it?

That question wasn’t going to be answered for me in that class. The player mumbled something about not being able to play that way, reattached the shoulder rest, and completed the piece. Not surprisingly, Milstein had nothing more to say to her when she finished.

You see, the hapless student was more concerned with finishing her little display than in investigating a new approach that would ultimately have made her a much more relaxed and free player.

So how DOES one do it. Well, first try this. It will help you loosen your death grip on the chin rest. Raise your music standing to a point where you can rest the scroll of the fiddle on the stand. Now relax your chin and let the stand take up the weight of the violin.

Begin playing. At first you will find it very strange and disorienting. You might also find the scroll bouncing up and down against the stand as you move around the instrument. Each bump exposes an inefficient shift or movement in your left hand.

Keep working this way until you can play your most difficult music in this position. If you are anything like me you will find that once you are able to do this you will find yourself much more relaxed and efficient. And your left hand will be nicely balanced.

As for holding the violin with the left hand, I’ll come back to it after those of you who want to experiment with this have done so.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Getting you to be the most relaxed and efficient player you can be will be my guiding purpose come January 12, 2007. Come get on board right now while the special rate is in effect.