How To Get The Milstein ‘Ring’

Milstein made the violin ring more than any other great violinist of the 20th century. For those of us who had the good fortune to listen to him live, it was magic; that ‘ring’ carried the message of the music right to the essence of our being.

Well, pay close attention now because I’m going to reveal 6 of his secrets to doing this right here.

Number 1, he knew how to match bow pressure to bow speed with perfection.

Number 2, he held the bow as if it were a living, breathing object, and he used the upper half more than the lower half.

Number 3, he sought out and used harmonics and open strings in his fingerings.

Number 4, he thought harmonically and thus played with an intonation second to none – I have written about using ‘Tartini tones’, the product of double stops, to fine your ear as well.

Number 5, he supported the violin with his left hand. In other words, he didn’t ‘clamp’ the instrument with shoulder and chin.

Number 6, and most important of all, he loved, and consistently listened for, the unique ‘ring’ a violin can make

Now, there is an art to doing these things. What I teach in the Kreutzer for Violin Mastery course and what I will be able to do even more effectively at the Masterclass/Seminar will give you the guidance you need to master it.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop