Yi-Jia Susanne Hou: Violin for Small Hands Paganini Caprice No. 1
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- Опубликовано: 26 ноя 2020
- Greetings music lovers!
I have had the tremendous experience of winning several international violin competitions thanks to a technique my father developed for my exceptionally small hands. I thought it was time to share this and hope this method can give confidence to other violin students. Please leave your comments and questions, and especially please let me know if you would like to see more videos!
Thank you for watching.
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Your father taught you so well. The main key is not the length of pinky but starting from 4th finger and always reaching backwards, never reverse! Then any stretch is possible. This is what my father taught me!
Thanks so much for sharing Eric! Yes indeed, stretching back with the 1st finger is "the secret" to extending our reach. :)
Glad of this confirmation. I find I am doing that in order firstly to keep the pinky rounded but it has the other consequence also. Thank you both. G Ire
How wonderful it is of you to give back to the violin community what you've learned from your professors and mentors. Having a small pinky finger is definitely a challenge for many small-handed people, but you are showing them how to overcome this problem. So, you wouldn't have been accepted at the Shanghai Conservatory because of your small pinky! Well, it's Canada's and the world's gain! You are an amazing teacher, besides being a fantastic violinist.
I would be honoured if ever you should need your soundpost reset, I am able with yarn or dental floss to reset post without scaring up f holes. You and I both have short fourth finger. I am not really able to read music so I improvise and mimmic what I hear. I am self taught with my lutier skills only from fourth grade and by watching you tube vidios. I have what is known as slow hand. My forth grade violin teacher told my mother I did not have fast twitch muscles that were necessary to become a concert violinist. I was enraged. But did not act out. I calmly went about learning as best I could until in sixth grade I was told my violin had a glue crack. My instrument was a Sears copy of a Cremona of 1720 by Antonio Stradivari. My grandfather had crated up and sent to me to learn on after my cousin was through with it. Thank you for your delightful rendition of Paganini Caprice #1. I am studying vibrato now for last three summers. I spent 40 years away from the violin because I didn't know how to tune it. I know that sounds strange because they usually teach beginning violin students something about tuning. I was not confident in my tuning skills and couldn't read music so I gave up. After I graduated hischool I picked it up again and rehaired my bow. My violin now had more power and tone so I became interested In it again. Then I saw a documentary on the violin called The Great Violin Mystery on PBS and was hooked. I trim my own bridge blanks from Davide Soras vidios on the subject. I feel he is a master craftsman so I study his technique and copy what he does to my bridge blanks. I also incorporate some unorthodox techniques which involve drilling the bridge. I have ruined many bridge blanks over the years not knowing what I was doing. I still make occasional errors but I am much more confident I am understanding what I am doing and reasons why one must measure the various dimensions in millimeters for accuracy! WELL that's all for now. I am looking forward to more of your vidios, bye for now.😅
your hand looks just like mine and that's heart warming :') i always wanted to learn the violin, but my pinky is REALLY short. it's good to see someone that's like me yk? it motivates me.
Fabulous!
Wonderful. Thank you for sharing!
Fantastic video-Thank you!
Awesome 😍👏🏽👏🏽
Excellent video and it's great to see you!
You're a great inspiration! Thank you!
You are fantastic!!!
Extremely helpfull , thanks so much to share this with amateur violonists !
Great inspiration. love to hear and watch more from you and your performance ❤
Impressive! Reaching back with the 1st finger
Thank you and bless you! Your help and generosity is a true gift to those of us who are struggling on our own.
Love this !!!... you have wonderful hands and beautiful fingers.... like the stretching fingers with pinky... please do more of this vids....
I love to see like that’s. People explain what happen and how to develop techniques. Well done thank you.
Thanks for the tutorial
Thank you for sharing your experience ,very interesting !
My pleasure, thank you for watching! Let me know if you are interested in the 15-minute version :)
I can’t tell you enough how much this video gave me hope, strength and inspiration🙏🏻 I have hands and fingers very similar to yours in size and shape (my pinky is double jointed as well). No matter how much I do practice, do specific exercises and try various positions I cant always reach my pinky far enough. Because of that I also started to have a very sharp pain at the base knuckle of my index finger that prevents me from practicing. No matter how much pain I have, I have no intention to give up violin. I know every hand shape is different and there is no “one size fits all” solution for this, but as a real professional and with your experience 1st hand, PLEASE share a video about what exercises, positions etc. worked for your hand shape and size. At least us who have very similar hands can benefit from that tremendously🙏🏻❤️ (ps. Is your violin a 4/4 or a 7/8?)
That's a thing I heard... a 7/8 size violin is called a ladies' violin because women often have smaller hands than men. I heard of a female violin teacher who recommended it to a student. G Ire
Yes, please! More and more videos, Yi-Jia! - David
Thank you for watching and for your interest. Would you like to see the 15-minute version? :)
@@SusanneHou But of course! I can't wait;)
Hi Susanne, this is Robin, we met several years ago when you performed the Butterfly Concerto with the Okanagan Symphony.
Besides Tuba and Percussion I also play guitar and I have small pinky fingers too. It mostly affects me on acoustic guitar and I like you, I have had to really work on left hand technique.
I've always admired your bow technique also.
I hope you are well and not going crazy during this pandemic. ☺
Hi Robin! So lovely of you to keep in touch, and thank you for sharing your experience! I find that all technique needs to be adapted for the type (or size) of hands...and it's so wonderful that you've found a way that works for you. :) Please do let me know if you'd be interested in seeing/sharing the 15-minute tutorial (elongated, with more detailed explanation) version of the Paganini Caprice. No.1! :) Thanks again for watching, and for staying in touch, xoxo
@@SusanneHou I would love to see that tutorial. Thank you so much. ☺
Wow i love your channel reason is quite simple - my pinky measures 4.5cm, same size as my 11 yr old boy who plays a half size violin! I am 5 feet tall. My guess is you play a full size violin, right? Was on a full size before but injured my pinky twice from playing on it. I currently play a 7/8 but unable to reach the 4th finger position. Thinking of dropping to a 3/4. But seeing your video makes me feel like there is still hope. Will try your way before doing the switch!
Really nice how you break this up. Found this film per coincidence. More of it please :)
More films on their way! :)
Bravissima! Very good job, and well done as well. I have the same practice approach although not the great fortune to be a touring concert violinist. I play my solo concerts, but that is not my main source of income as I teach full time.
I like your generosity in sharing these tips with the community of violinists around the world and you have my respect and admiration for that and for the beautiful way you play. Please keep posting.
Best regards,
Roberto
Ps: I will put a link to this on my FaceBook
Thank you so much for sharing and watching! :)
Hi Yi-Jia. Thank you so much for sharing this. I stopped playing at 16 - realising my hands were tiny was the main reason.
Inspiring video. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this video! My pinky is short and as a beginner I’m worried about being able to play high positions on the violin.
Hi thanks for making this video specifically for violin players with small hands. Thank you for encouraging us not to stop playing. Before watching your videos, I was a bit discouraged because I thought that I won't be able to reach most of the notes even with practice. But watching your video gave me the much needed encouragement to go on. If I may ask, what is your height? Thanks again!
good
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I have tiny hands too. Did you get anything special done to your violin to help?
The music is amazing! 🙏🎉
You have a good violin, powerful and responsive.
My pinky is 58 mm. Not the longest neither, which is sometimes troublesome.
Hi, I was wondering if you play a full sized violin? Thanks for the video!
You are a highly gifted, sensitive and intelligent lady. Your wonderful example shows to us how stupid are the narrow-minded un-creative among us. I am sure you make them eat their poisonous words. BRAVO!
Do you play a full size Violin? Or do you use a 7/8? My pinky is exactly 6 cms (I have tiny hands for a man) and I struggle with fourth Finger extensions and augmented seconds ( with 3rd & 4th Fingers). Placing the left thumb more under the neck of the violin really helps small hands reach big stretches. 4:25 I do place it the same way
Hi from Brazil🇧🇷
Your parents are a 10😊🙌
My pinky is as short as yours, and what size is your violin? Is it 4/4?
As an adult male my pinky is just barely 6cm long and I wonder if that's the reason I struggle so much on the pinky in violin playing but may be it's just lack of practice..
also noticed you didn't use a Kun type of shoulder rest, just a foam one. Was that to compensate for your pinky?
I refuse to play certain passages in violin where the composer expects me to be a contortionist octopus or something
why do you move all your hand ? you have to move only your arm
LOL
Sarah Chang has smaller hands
I know Sarah Chang personally and we were in the same class with Dorothy DeLay. We compared hands. She has "3/4 size" hands, and mine are even smaller - they are the equivalent of "half size" hands.
Just FYI. ;)
@@SusanneHou WOW! Your hand are super fit and strong YJ. A pleasure and a privilege to see the filming up close to take in all the hand movements, shifts, bowing etc! A pure joy! It was extremely touching to hear how your Dad practiced violin 2 hours each day with you... the confidence and affirmation that that sows into your personality (quite apart from the musical treasure chest...) is a foundation like none other. I am an adult learner, gleaning and using what I can. Best regards. 🤗G Ire.
I have a very small pinky but also a very small thumb too so I can’t even swing my hand high enough over the fingerboard. Very annoying!! Otherwise, I’m a regular sized woman so I can’t justify playing a smaller violin.
Don’t think your pinky is small. It’s just perfect.