You channel is a game changer! The Ysaye exercise already lead to huge improvements in my playing, the only two fingers exercise massively improved my shifting! For this video, despite watching it twice, I didn‘t quite understand what it was about until I tried it myself. But after tuning my double stops for a while with this exercise, my violin is more resonant than ever, even when playing melodic pieces! It is fascinating how consciously and subconsciously, the listening interacts with the mechanical aspects of violin playing. I am motivated to keep going!
I'm deaf. But have been a violinist even though I was deaf. I played like beethoven did by vibrations. Now I have my cochlear implant. Thank you for this! You sound really beautiful by the way it brought tears to my eyes.
@@DanielKurganov PLEASE PLEASE Help..Im so tired of the RAGE and FRUSTRATION I fell when intry to play some pieces like Jesu joy of mans desiring and it does not sound as bright and crystal like as other people..WHY WHY im so tired of this..and im not a very patient person..whats wtong with tje viokin..and how can i learn this faster and more easily..i hope you can please respond when you can. It would mean a lot.
@@leif1075 put your violin down and learn to sing, using a recorder. when you have learned to hear, then apply that to the violin. learning is forever, so might as well not be frustrated.
j gunther gave some good advice there. Frustration + Rage = tension. Tension destroys everything in violin playing. It's impossible to tell you how to improve exactly without knowing you. But I can tell that you need to slow down, use more bow, learn to make beautiful sound on simple simple things (starting with open strings), and learn to pay close attention to your sound. It's like meditation, in the sense that there is no way to force it. Once you slow down and focus your attention, your shoulders start relaxing, your bow hold becomes loose, you begin to use the bow in the same way as you breathe, and not "a thing you are holding and dragging across the strings". Violin is hard :)
@@DanielKurganov Thanks for responding. Is there a way to make it not hard and more easy and fun..im tired of that..Hope you can respond again..And how can i leanr vibrato or double stops faster. Thanks
As a professional violinist and teacher myself, I totally agree that intonation is much more aural than it is physical. When I stopped fixating on teaching left hand perfection in placement and instead simply focused on training the ear, the intonation in my studio skyrocketed. With good tone, a flexible left hand hand, and a well trained ear, the left hand will find it positioning over time. Thinking clearly about finger patterns can of course also help speed up the process as the video said. Keep up the incredible work Daniel! I know how much work it takes to make these and they’re fantastic.
Hello, please help me solve this situation. I played the violin, and after a long break I decided to resume lessons. The problem is this, I have a piano and once it was tuned a half tone lower, and as I understand it, the sound dropped even lower. During the break, I did not practice the violin, but practiced the piano. Now that I have resumed practicing the violin, it turned out that I hear everything and play in a low piano tuning, that is, I cannot play the violin, everything is too high for me, instead of A I hear B flat, and accordingly I hear everything in a different key, by the way, I have absolute pitch, and as I understand it, this is the problem, I cannot change the tuning, everything is out of tune, low on the piano, very high on the violin, what should I do?
@@asyabodnar if you want to practice both you only really have a couple of options. Get a piano tuner to tune your piano, or tune down your violin. I recommend fixing the piano if you can afford it. Overtime your ear will readjust.
Sevcik op. 1 is underrated. Most teachers today don't use it and many who do, unfortunately do not know how to teach it. This book is for left hand foundation but young children want to 'play' Suzuki. Intermediate level students generally don't have the patience to 'practice' & grasp Sevcik concepts. Only students who have been humbled by listening to their recording & willing to go into Sevcik rehab may have some hope. Excellent, well explained, good looking/sounding video. Thank you. Bravo on the Andante.
All your lessons are direct clear high quality sound I am 81 years living in Kerala state in India, I like your lessens very much, thank you sincerely for the free pdf lessons.
Mr. Kuganov, I must say, for a high school student (me) who started to learn the violin from an early age in contrast to you, I am amazed at the amount of knowledge you have gained and shared online. I think you are undoubtedly one of the best violin educators on RUclips and in addition, the free PDFs you have provided are really nice as well. Thank you very much!
@@SkepticalLlama I wasn't trying to be condescending, I was simply expressing the amazement and respect I have for Mr. Kurganov. He is one the best educators and has become so despite starting the violin far later than any teacher or peer I know.
Goodness - when after a slightly disappointing two hour violin recording session, and over some late night toast, I clicked on the first RUclips violin intonation video I saw, I absolutely was not expecting the enchanting captivating beauty of 00:16 to 1:12. It really hit me hard. I sincerely hope I'll be able to play so beautifully one day. I've already got way further than I ever expected (having started less than 6 months ago, age ~54). I'm definitely starting to feel at one with the instrument. Having heard your playing tonight I am inspired to go much further still.
I have wanted to learn the violin for years, but I have always feared it is too late to learn to a professional level. Your journey gives me hope. Thank you for your resources!
This is a revelation to me: solo Bach if played with all full bows and tons of repetition Inside each and around each measure becomes a either a Sevcik (hormonic doublestop/shifting) or a Schradiek (melodic velocity finger dexterity) exercise. Mind blown. Thus, practicing solo Bach really is almost the only thing a violinist needs to attain near universal mastery of the Left hand. (Minus harmonics) for that, add Paganinni caprices. Off course right hand techniques are another issue, but I think with a solid fluid foundation resulting from such a free left hand, the problems of the right hand are not as big an issue. Brilliant insight as usual. (Obviously I'm exaggerating a bit, there is huge power in all kinds of other exercises, but getting a solid and reliable relaxed intonation really helps boost confidence in solving other issues.)
@@pluutoop Definitely. Bach Sonatas and Partitas contain so many challenging double stops and chords, in a multitude of configurations that it gives your left hand a great “workout” which you pair with your ear 👂 in order to develop what Daniel calls the physical and aural aspects of intonation on a string instrument. Developing great “hand hygiene” through building a reliable hand frame comes through the study and practice of double stops and so yes, studying solo Bach will help you do that.
Thank you! Very timely for me, I've just been trying to work out how to do this in a couple of pieces and had no idea how to develop the technique until watching this video.
I'm so glad I found your site! I find that we align in our approach to intonation! THIS is a wonderful approach. Thank you for your thoughtful and, I think, definitive guide!
I had a few Zoom lesson and told my teacher I wished to be able to play faster . She introduced me to Sevick exercises and also worked to change my hand shape .in 6 lessons I am faster . Now for that Clarity I shall look into more Sevick.
You are a great violinist and teacher, im a teacher myself and i love to watch your work, its a plesaure to watch the things i teach from another perspective. My teacher was a graduated student of the great Tibor Varga who taught in Dortmund, Germany. Keep it up!
the bad thing is that many teachers do not point out how relevant intonation really is. the reason why equal temperment is a thing. one can easily see (or rather hear) this by playing an E in the first position on the D string, tuning it with the A string and than playing it together with the open G. thus they will get a significantly out of tune major sixth (G and E)
Try to tune your D and G string highter possible for your ear. E string like metalic one will go down itself or you will have a good tuned violin to avoid these bad sounding intervals
I think of the six Sevcik exercises as “intonation jigsaw puzzles” in that they only “fit together” in one way in terms of intonation and resonance. IMO the best Sevcik has to offer.
Brilliant video 🔥 For me, intonation is inseperable from musical energy-velocity of shifts, based opon desired portamentos. Vibrato and phrasing all play a roll in physical motion, which is directly related to pitch one way or anther. Your work is exquisit! Many thanks to your contribution 🙏🏼
I have some questions. 1-what means to play in tune? 2-Can we use perfect intervals to stay in tune? 3- If we divide in equal half tons each perfect interval which one have biggest ones? 4-Is it reasonable to use perfect fifths to tune the violin?
Thank you very much for sharing all your experience and knowledge!! This exercises will help me a lot, looking forward to your next video, BIG thanks from Honduras🇭🇳👏🏼👏🏼.
I feel obliged to say that your interpretation of the “andante” is particularly good. The sound is actually mesmerising … do you have a video where you play it all or a lesson about it ?
@@victoriadorin4569And it's normal. Because nowhere we learn it. No universal temperament is discovered. ET12 is only theoritical and is used nowhere! If in theory ET12 use the perfect octave and the violin-the perfect fifth, how it can be compatible? The truth is between these two extremity! I am ready to chat about using any media...
Thank you for taking time to touch this theme. It was always mystery for me and I love to talk about it with famous or skilled violinists on my roads. There is connection between our mind and muscles and the will to play attractive. Using our inner ear and imagination plays big role. Listening inside based on our experience and transmitting it to our hands is one beautiful universe. Thank you adding your view on this mystery to my collection. Best wishes.
Very helpful video - thank you for taking the time to make it. I am a beginner and the music is above my skill level, but the practice tips and suggestions you make are extremely helpful. 👍 Also, very beautiful playing!
Большое спасибо за Ваш ценный труд. Это просто сокровищница для скрипачей, даже в консерватории не делают таких детальных разборов. Ещё бы найти видео Вашего мастер класса, как играть гаммы со штрихами, скорее всего и такое есть на канале. Вы зарядили новыми идеями, буду пробовать их завтра 🎻
I’m having a very long week too :) but seriously, it took me about a week to completely transform the way I hear and practice intonation. I can’t say that I play super in tune, but it was like night and day after this.
Thanks Daniel, the sadistic element turning into joy is a great picture I will keep on my mind from now on when breaking down impossible parts of the Chaconne….
Wonderful video, Daniel! Some of this work reminds me of the Vamos patterns (for which you also created a great video). I can't wait to try these exercises. Thank you!!
Yes, definitely some overlap there. Those are great as well. I like these for their continuous and ever-changing flow. There is something less mechanical about them that really keeps you awake and alive :) Meanwhile, I find Vamos/Korgeov patterns really shine as a way of practicing/breaking down specific double-stop passages you might run into.
Amazing video, i also have played kreutzer 17 but Yampolsky's edition and have very similar excercises that helps a lot with the left hand frame stability
Thanks for this detailed video, Daniel! Will definitely incorporate more Ševćík into my teaching and playing. Your left hand dexterity and finger independence is beautiful to watch!
Thanks, Lynn! This stuff was always hard for me personally…I guess I keep just enough in my pocket to play real music. I will let Nancy Zhou and Roman Kim take it from here ;)
Wonderful lesson! I just bought the Sevcik book that has the four books combined in one volume. This is a great lesson that you are giving us to follow!
Delighted to find your channel - the intelligence shines through. Please also cover right hand technique - so far you seem to be focusing exclusively on the left hand!
This is fabulous - as always! I don't know if it's true or not but...my teacher told me that Heifetz was once asked how he managed to play so perfectly in tune and Heifetz said "I do not play perfectly in tune but I do adjust very, very fast." I had a pupil who played badly out of tune very consistently - unfortunately she could not hear her intonation problems so I could not help her at all. She eventually switched to piano. (Thank God)
Heifetz played sharp actually, compared to someone like, say Szeryng or Hilary Hahn, who are probably the most agreeably "in-tune" players ever. I think it was part of Heifetz's style/aesthetic: a brilliant and very alive sound. Szeryng's intonation was very dynamic, taking all sorts of expressive risks, but somehow always in perfect control, which I find more impressive than the feat Hahn achieved.
@@DanielKurganov Those Sevcik exercises or peices look very advanced and dense with a lot of double stops..at what level should a student be or after playing for how long should someone start thise exercises?? Thanks for sharing tbe free book as I can't afford books or classes. Also what can I do so this practicing isnt so tedious and frustrating or boring? I get impatient fast and are there any fun faster pieces to learn especially vibrato and double dtops and string crossings--as opposed to monotonous exercises ..like songs you can play to practice thse things...really hope you can respond when you can.
Yes, these Sevcik exercises are for more advanced players. Check out my latest video of the Yanshinov etudes. They will be great for virtually all levels. Violin is hard. If you're not ready to be patient and enjoy the act of paying very close attention, playing 30 second bows, doing 15-20 minutes of open strings minimum in a practice session, and working on various exercises, then your progress will not be so fast. Some people do all of the work directly in pieces of music, but for this you either have to be quite advanced, have a great teacher, know how to practice, or be very talented (ideally all of the above). Scales and exercises are not boring if you know what the goal of them are and pay very close attention. The goal is always for more beautiful, cleaner and more effortless sound. If that doesn't excite you, then you are just not listening and are not patient enough.
@@DanielKurganov But cant you practice on basic songs instead of monotonous scales?? I don't see why not. And basic songs to learn vibrato on too?i could never admit I'm not very talented..that would be even more depressing and frustrating. Hooe you can respond again when you can.
Great video! I think there is definitely a reason why a lot of virtuosos have been quoted in the past saying if they could only practice one thing for intonation it would be 3rds. There’s some fabulous exercises in Simon Fischer’s double stops book that I love, alongside Flesch, Sevcik, Kreutzer etc.
Thank you Daniel. This and all your material is an incredible resource. Your obvious fascination for the technical side of playing is inspiring - and motivating. I'm curious about your chinrest: what is on it and why? Thanks again for sharing your "noble obsession"!
I'm glad you find it useful! In my view, the technical and the musical are one and the same. I think that sensitivity to intonation, to take this example, is ultimately sensitivity to vibration and the resonance of your instrument. Without this, any high-level achievement with Bach is not possible. Likewise, I believe most 'technical' things are actually musical at their core.
Regarding the chinrest, I was experimenting with shape by using little dense pieces of foam. I don't use that anymore simply prefer the MachOne adhesive foam pad.
Thank you for this video. I’ve watched it every day for the past seven days. It’s required me to learn so much. I’ve been playing for three weeks. Practicing around 160-180 minutes per day. Im obsessed. The sound is what drew me in. It has been the most beautiful thing I’ve heard during my 29 years here. I believe the violin chose me. Kind of like the sorting hat chooses wizards haha. Im excited to grow the relationship. Anyways, thank you for teaching me.
@@roberthill7458 so glad it's helpful! This is something I've obsessed over for some period of time as well. My intonation is certainly not perfect, so I can stand to do it again. To me it's a process of periods of obsession. It comes in waves. Best of luck and I hope you find the connections between this kind of work and the music you play!
@@DanielKurganov QUESTION why do you suggest using the pandemic instead of tip of finger since when the finger is flat, how can you possibly bend or twist it back and forth in vibrato motion..that makes it harder if not physically impossible..or did I misunderstand you? Tha ks for sharing
Im 16, and I just started learning violin, but I felt super discouraged because even though I searched everywhere online, I could not find any violinists who started as late as 16 who still became good violinists until I found your channel!! You are so inspiring thank you smmm!!!😭😭🤍
Many thanks. I will give that a go. I am only playing simple stuff at the moment, and on my acoustic us a mobile phone as a tuner and guide which does help. Can't quite do that on my electric which I also practice on but it is far too heavy. I may have to make a lighter one.
I'm a cellist and this is so helpfull, any idea if anyone has transposed these for cello (else i'll do it myself no worries). do you considere starting by playing over a drone tone is helpfull and in this logic? so many thanks
Delighted to get this brilliant teaching Daniel. You have encapsulates everything here. I have Sevcik book 1...I'm off to start those chosen exercises! Just the prep for double stop exam scales. I can see how this facility underlies all good playing. Thank you so much. Adult learner G Ire
Amazing, your teaching style is very helpful! Your chin rest is different, probably because of how you know your adjustments. How does one learn how to adjust for themselves and where/what to buy? I would really love to know, so it doesn’t effect ones posture and prevent bruising and marking
I realy like the way you teach. I wonder if you can video from over head...top down in order to see the fingerings more clearly. I had an interesting leaning thing of which I play music of all different jandras playing by ear, I automatically fall into a type of groove. Scales and arpeggios helped me but by joining the music I hear, I've discovered repetitive patterns of scales even in jazz. 1st I find home note key and melody apears.This PLAYING BY EAR really helped me learn the finger board. And most of all, made me enjoy playing fiddle to the music. 65 yrs old now...started fiddle in 3rd grade. I have a clasic violin and a 5 string electric fiddle. Learning never stops. Thanx for tutorial info!!!! Blue Dave.
Yes, I am now going to video from overhead for every video! It was more about finding a convenient setup. In my new studio, it's easily achieved. Totally agree with playing by ear and pushing that forward. It's crucial and more important than finger patterns, reading music, etc.
Thanks for this great video! I’m excited to delve into these exercises. Question: do you have any tips for creating more space between the 2nd and 3rd fingers? For example, in bars 4-5 of Sevcik No. 24, the second finger is down on F on the D string, and then the 3rd finger has to reach up to D on the A string (while keeping the 2 down and not letting it touch the A string). I’m having trouble extending my 3rd finger far enough while keeping the 2nd finger down (and in tune) (my hands are small, by the way). I’d be grateful for any advice you might have. Thank you!
I repair guitars as a hobby and out of curiosity I changed the frets to agree exactly with an Orchestral tuner. The result was wiggly frets (exactly in tune ) and in Equal Temperament (which I hate ). The normal guitar is not even in Equal Temperament . A better solution is tuning in Kirnberger III. That is a wonderful temperament. Violins have no real basic tuning apart from singer`s tuning . But it still needs alterations . A fascinating subject. Some very famous players get it wrong but it is rude to mention it.
Thank you so much Daniel for all your fabulous lessons! 👌 I am so grateful. I suffer with terrible cramping in my hands, do you have any suggestions as to how to ease this? It is sometimes so bad I cannot play in the middle of orchestra which is awful and excruciatingly painful.
Daniel I was delighted to hear some of the Andante from the Bach Sonata No 2. (or is it Partita ?) A short piece but it`s huge musically and treated very differently by many players .
I have a principal question: Do you think that all notes have fixed places when we play perfectly in tune? And another one: Do we must use perfect fifths when we tune our violins? Thanks for reply!
Good question! 1. No. If all notes were fixed this would be called Equal Temperament, which is the tuning system used for pianos, for example. In reality only the octaves are actually in tune on the piano, and everything else is a result of compromise. So, on the violin we are able to adjust notes freely, so we don’t need to make those compromises, and therefore can use pure (“just”) intonation when playing double stops/chords or when tuning to others in a group. 2. Yes! Using perfect fifths, so that overtones line up, is crucial for tuning the violin as well as all of the work in these Sevcik exercises. This is called Just Intonation.
Well, sorry to have totally different opinion! If you use pure fifths it mean that you use 4 fixed notes, right? Also it is possible to play respecting fixed places for all notes! If all fifths are perfects then how you can play GGBE ??? GG like pure octave plus major third GB will result with horrible quarte BE! The universal solution exists. If we temper all our fifths(only with 1-2 beats per second) then if we respect only the unisson like pure interval! Une octave must be stretched then the major third also. Our final quart also stretched will be acceptable. Temperament equal for violin exists and it sounds very well. The just intonation is not good for the human ear! The human ear counts hight frequencies low and low frequencies- high! It is physiologic propriety. If we use stretched octaves the harmonics don't cover upper ton and we hear both tones clearly! All these deviations are only guide to use correctly all intervals respecting fixed places for all notes! Only with fixed places we can be sure to play in tune!
@@LatchezarDimitrov It is not correct that we can adjust/temper sustained perfect intervals as a compromise. This will always be immediately heard as out of tune. 4ths 5ths and octaves must be pure if sustained together as a double stop (just intonation). In your example case of GGBE, remember that you don’t ever play 4 notes together. So, the correct approach is that GG must be a pure octave, and BE must be a perfect 4th, as those are the pairs that are sustained. GB is not virtually not heard if you are breaking 2+2. So yes, that major 3rd is going to be way too wide, but it is not heard. Now, if it’s GGB (and you break 2+2) and the GB double-stop is sustained, then you must play the GB pure, so B will be lower, and will not match with the open E (but you are not playing the open E, so it's ok!). This is the beginning of many such considerations. But as I mentioned, perfect intervals have to be pure if heard together. If you listen to Szeryng or Hahn or any other super-in-tune players, this is what they are doing. I am not familiar with any violinists tempering their perfect intervals, this would just sound bad. The human ear will react immediately to sustained perfect intervals not being pure as opposed to a moved tonic due to open string or even slightly tempered 3rds/6ths/etc. This is why we have expressive intonation in melodic playing -- there is a high amount of subjectivity on the horizontal plane for non-perfect intervals. There is almost always a way to voice notes so that compromises are not heard/noticed. In the case of immovable open strings, you have to adjust the fingered note, even if the fingered note is the tonic. It will not be noticed that the set of notes are overall a bit low or high, but if the interval is not pure, it’s noticed. You can always get around this by not using an open string when holding an interval in such a case. In quartet playing you have these compromises all the time, also using different registers to further obscure the compromises. Guarneri Quartet were the greatest masters of this. Pure just intonation at its finest. Hope that answer is clear :)
@@DanielKurganov Strange opinion about eternal adjusting, sorry! Why do you tune your A string if later you will adjust it??? It is the same about other 3 strings. And why do you think that human ear will not remark your constant corrections?! The equal temperament exists and the orchestral intonation is a good exemple for it. If you stop to respect all just intervals except the unisson you will distribute the "comma" in the octaves also. Then the temperation will be infime and this is the unique way to stay in tune! Maybe if you try this way, you will change your opinion... And sorry for my "english" :-) I am bulgarian, I speak french much better! If you want to listen how sound these tempered intervals, I can send you records about! Any just interval sounds out of tune in melodic mode! Had you remarked that? A major third is too small, the minor third-too wide, the quart is also not enough large, the octave -idem etc. If you keep in memory my position, you can avoid pure just intervals to stay really in tune using fixed places for all notes. But if you don't want to try it... It remain intonation problem!
@@LatchezarDimitrov I welcome exploring this further, and am interested in your background and what led you to your view. It's a long topic, and there are some points of subjectivity. Ideally, you could point me to recordings of musicians that demonstrate what you are talking about (for example playing tempered perfect intervals) Then I promise to treat you to a generous glass of Rakia. And then maybe my French and Bulgarian would get better as well! Intonation is the art of eternal adjusting, I'm afraid, at least for any string player :-) There is no way around this. Tuning the A accurately has nothing to do with how things must be adjusted in certain situations. We tune the strings so that we know what we can expect to hear when we put our fingers down, and so that adjacent open strings ring pure (just). You said that just intervals sound out of tune in melodic playing -- yes, that's why we don't use just intonation for melodies. We use expressive intonation, which is highly subjective, though the basic patterns/tendencies can be quantified. If we look at string quartet playing, Guarneri Quartet, for example, would have their finger on the nut, ready to adjust the open string ever so slightly so that chords are perfectly just. That's why they're the most in-tune quartet ever (in my opinion). I understand what you're saying, but I think maybe your position is more from a theoretical perspective, or maybe we just hear things very differently :) I can say thought that no high level ensemble that I have played with or know of doesn't use pure/just intonation as a guideline for in-tune playing. Another important point is that humans are not calculators. Aside from the people who have perfect pitch, we hear and experience things in a relational way. Even people that have perfect pitch are used to the equal temperament of pianos, which are all out of tune :) String player will not attempt to play with equal tempered tuning just because they play together with a pianist (excluding situations like unison notes with piano that will require slight adjustment to be really perfect). Generally, the violinist's just and expressive intonation works perfectly well with the piano's equal temperament if the musicians know what they're doing, as recordings of the great musicians will show. Likewise, in an orchestra+soloist situation, there is a lot of variation in the intonation of a string section (even if they are the best players in the world) such that it blends perfectly well with a piano soloist (equal) or a string soloist (just/expressive). Then if you add vibrato to the mix, many theoretical issues are smoothed out. So, my view from experience and from studying the great musicians of the past is that humans hear patterns and not numbers. We have relational sensory recognition, so a perfect octave that is off by 4 hertz is far more painful than, say, a note in a melody that is 4 hertz off. That's why just intonation is the ideal for any polyphonic situations, and expressive intonation for melodic playing is highly subjective (and expressive).
Thank you for your guidance Maestro! You made me realize what a gem Sevcik really is. You have given me purpose to continue improving my violin playing.. :)
Very good video man! Such an effortless and warm video production too! What are your thoughts on electric tuning devices? I think especially for melodic intonation (no double stops) they can be very beneficial and also eye opening for orchestral or ensemble passages. I prefer open strings most of the time too, but always when I do a short session with a tuner it somehow cleans up my ear and sorts my fingers very fast. And btw I guess I am sadistic... ;)
Anything sadistic is recommendable. Thank you! I found that tuners can be useful if you are not sure where your note falls relationally or aurally. I think all intonation can be found just using the instrument itself. As you say, there might be situations where you're just in a haze and the tuner gives you a reality check, but I think this just a good diagnosis and not a way to fix it per se. Learning to line up overtones, deeply feeling the intervalic relationship between fingers, choosing how low/high you like your sharps/flats for expressive intonation (matter of developing taste for certain way and identifying tendencies) and considering the frame of the hand are some of the best basic tools. One thing I have tried with success in own work was to record myself and then analyze it with software that shows you exactly where your pitch is, and you begin to see tendencies more clearly. I remember some eye-opening realizations there, such that after SEEING that the F was a bit different every time, I listened again and was like "oh my, yes it is". Another fun thing to do is to play scales with organic drones. Look up "Indian drone tone" on youtube, and you see one in every key. I love playing scales with that. Since it's an organic sound and you have tonics and 5ths, it's much easier to feel you are "one" with the sound. I imagine you could do this just as well with a good orchestra emulations holding rich chords. The more organic/natural the drone sound, the less strict Just vs Expressive intonation becomes, and you sort of don't have to worry about that. Conversely, I personally can't stand trying to play with some dinky sine waves :P
@@DanielKurganov I agree, drone notes are very viable option too, but I use them rarely just because other options are easier to switch on/off and yes sinus tones are not very nice to tune to. One thing about lining up overtones though: It requires you to have a very good and fine ear already. I often see musicians just fail with the lining up of overtones because of bad hearing habits. When listening to recording it is indeed revealing. Sometimes with the instrument in hand our ears become somehow biased.
@@SimonStreuffViolinEducation Absolutely. So much of hearing become psychological, as hearing ourselves honestly becomes a monumental task. Doing something for hours a day -- the ear/brain gets used to things. I used to play severely out of tune and was really a-okay with it, as my brain was focused on other things. Of course, listening back, I hear everything, but it took me a while to connect that to some sort of concrete plan/method for real improvement.
Very intetesting video! I like that with great passion you enter a lot into the technical details and effective in improving and perfecting more and more the performance of the violin. I would like to ask you a specific question regarding the intonation of the violin. The finger when it falls on an out of tune note should not correct itself at that moment but should center it by playing the note or notes prior to the out of tune for muscle memory, and that's what I do. So when I'm about to get to the out of tune, at that moment I realize it and put my finger either slightly up or down centering it. Every time I play the piece I realize that at that point I have to correct. All right? Or should the correction be so natural and assimilated that I don't have to think first?
Correcting mistakes is important, but eliminating mistakes is the true goal. So yes, that means not just moving the wrong note at the moment and going on. But it also means that when you do a sequence correctly, THAT is when the repetition starts. Most people repeat UNTIL it's right. The key is to repeat ONCE it's right. Good luck :)
![2-finger exercise for shifting, vibrato, sound production & high positions [violin technique]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/JSRAw0Gb7Ts/mqdefault.jpg)
You channel is a game changer! The Ysaye exercise already lead to huge improvements in my playing, the only two fingers exercise massively improved my shifting! For this video, despite watching it twice, I didn‘t quite understand what it was about until I tried it myself. But after tuning my double stops for a while with this exercise, my violin is more resonant than ever, even when playing melodic pieces! It is fascinating how consciously and subconsciously, the listening interacts with the mechanical aspects of violin playing. I am motivated to keep going!
I'm deaf. But have been a violinist even though I was deaf. I played like beethoven did by vibrations. Now I have my cochlear implant. Thank you for this! You sound really beautiful by the way it brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you so much, James. I am touched by your comment. Happy practicing!
@@DanielKurganov PLEASE PLEASE Help..Im so tired of the RAGE and FRUSTRATION I fell when intry to play some pieces like Jesu joy of mans desiring and it does not sound as bright and crystal like as other people..WHY WHY im so tired of this..and im not a very patient person..whats wtong with tje viokin..and how can i learn this faster and more easily..i hope you can please respond when you can. It would mean a lot.
@@leif1075 put your violin down and learn to sing, using a recorder. when you have learned to hear, then apply that to the violin. learning is forever, so might as well not be frustrated.
j gunther gave some good advice there. Frustration + Rage = tension. Tension destroys everything in violin playing. It's impossible to tell you how to improve exactly without knowing you. But I can tell that you need to slow down, use more bow, learn to make beautiful sound on simple simple things (starting with open strings), and learn to pay close attention to your sound. It's like meditation, in the sense that there is no way to force it. Once you slow down and focus your attention, your shoulders start relaxing, your bow hold becomes loose, you begin to use the bow in the same way as you breathe, and not "a thing you are holding and dragging across the strings". Violin is hard :)
@@DanielKurganov Thanks for responding. Is there a way to make it not hard and more easy and fun..im tired of that..Hope you can respond again..And how can i leanr vibrato or double stops faster. Thanks
As a professional violinist and teacher myself, I totally agree that intonation is much more aural than it is physical. When I stopped fixating on teaching left hand perfection in placement and instead simply focused on training the ear, the intonation in my studio skyrocketed. With good tone, a flexible left hand hand, and a well trained ear, the left hand will find it positioning over time. Thinking clearly about finger patterns can of course also help speed up the process as the video said. Keep up the incredible work Daniel! I know how much work it takes to make these and they’re fantastic.
I feel like my violin just resonates better when I’m in tune. Maybe it’s all in my head.
@@nickcarroll8565 Oh fur sure. That’s definitely true. 👍
Hello, please help me solve this situation. I played the violin, and after a long break I decided to resume lessons. The problem is this, I have a piano and once it was tuned a half tone lower, and as I understand it, the sound dropped even lower. During the break, I did not practice the violin, but practiced the piano. Now that I have resumed practicing the violin, it turned out that I hear everything and play in a low piano tuning, that is, I cannot play the violin, everything is too high for me, instead of A I hear B flat, and accordingly I hear everything in a different key, by the way, I have absolute pitch, and as I understand it, this is the problem, I cannot change the tuning, everything is out of tune, low on the piano, very high on the violin, what should I do?
@@asyabodnar if you want to practice both you only really have a couple of options. Get a piano tuner to tune your piano, or tune down your violin. I recommend fixing the piano if you can afford it. Overtime your ear will readjust.
@@asyabodnar or I suppose stop using the piano altogether, and make sure you have a tuner to tune your violin. Your ear will readjust.
Sevcik op. 1 is underrated. Most teachers today don't use it and many who do, unfortunately do not know how to teach it. This book is for left hand foundation but young children want to 'play' Suzuki. Intermediate level students generally don't have the patience to 'practice' & grasp Sevcik concepts. Only students who have been humbled by listening to their recording & willing to go into Sevcik rehab may have some hope. Excellent, well explained, good looking/sounding video. Thank you. Bravo on the Andante.
Very well said. An obsession with 'basics' in inevitable if one digs deep into the expressive capabilities of the violin.
Suzuki is the worst way to approach the violin!
Your Bach alone is worth the price of admission... amazing
What is that piece called? It's incredible!
It is the Andante from the A minor sonata
All your lessons are direct clear high quality sound I am 81 years living in Kerala state in India, I like your lessens very much, thank you sincerely for the free pdf lessons.
Mr. Kuganov, I must say, for a high school student (me) who started to learn the violin from an early age in contrast to you, I am amazed at the amount of knowledge you have gained and shared online. I think you are undoubtedly one of the best violin educators on RUclips and in addition, the free PDFs you have provided are really nice as well. Thank you very much!
Wow, talk about a condescending, backhanded compliment. 😂
@@SkepticalLlama I wasn't trying to be condescending, I was simply expressing the amazement and respect I have for Mr. Kurganov. He is one the best educators and has become so despite starting the violin far later than any teacher or peer I know.
where can i find the free pdfs？
@@smallflash2009 should be a link in the description
Goodness - when after a slightly disappointing two hour violin recording session, and over some late night toast, I clicked on the first RUclips violin intonation video I saw, I absolutely was not expecting the enchanting captivating beauty of 00:16 to 1:12. It really hit me hard.
I sincerely hope I'll be able to play so beautifully one day. I've already got way further than I ever expected (having started less than 6 months ago, age ~54). I'm definitely starting to feel at one with the instrument. Having heard your playing tonight I am inspired to go much further still.
What this gentleman conveys is the joy that is hidden inside truly rigorous practicing.
I started using these recommendations and the Sef book. What a difference in my playing!
I have wanted to learn the violin for years, but I have always feared it is too late to learn to a professional level. Your journey gives me hope. Thank you for your resources!
What in heaven is this Bach piece you beautifully played in the intro ?
Did anybody give you an answer ? I want to know what this pieces is too ? Lots of people asking but I cannot find an answer.
@@brian777999 Bach, violin sonata n. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003, III movement, Andante
bro i love your videos i think you are the best youtube teacher i have ever had
So glad to hear that! Practice well :)
This is a revelation to me: solo Bach if played with all full bows and tons of repetition Inside each and around each measure becomes a either a Sevcik (hormonic doublestop/shifting) or a Schradiek (melodic velocity finger dexterity) exercise. Mind blown. Thus, practicing solo Bach really is almost the only thing a violinist needs to attain near universal mastery of the Left hand. (Minus harmonics) for that, add Paganinni caprices.
Off course right hand techniques are another issue, but I think with a solid fluid foundation resulting from such a free left hand, the problems of the right hand are not as big an issue. Brilliant insight as usual.
(Obviously I'm exaggerating a bit, there is huge power in all kinds of other exercises, but getting a solid and reliable relaxed intonation really helps boost confidence in solving other issues.)
Well put! Bach can give us so much…
So playing Bach sonatas and partitas will help my left hand right?
@@pluutoop Definitely. Bach Sonatas and Partitas contain so many challenging double stops and chords, in a multitude of configurations that it gives your left hand a great “workout” which you pair with your ear 👂 in order to develop what Daniel calls the physical and aural aspects of intonation on a string instrument.
Developing great “hand hygiene” through building a reliable hand frame comes through the study and practice of double stops and so yes, studying solo Bach will help you do that.
@@violynnkuo thank you! I feel great now❤❤❤
Thank you! Very timely for me, I've just been trying to work out how to do this in a couple of pieces and had no idea how to develop the technique until watching this video.
Спасибо за такие ценные уроки, они - такая редкость!
Your intro piece from Bach is heavenly, Daniel - total relaxation and perfect tuning - like balm.... Thank you. G Ire
I'm so glad I found your site! I find that we align in our approach to intonation! THIS is a wonderful approach. Thank you for your thoughtful and, I think, definitive guide!
Thank you…invaluable advice…a teacher who truly knows how to teach both the ‘gross’ and subtler issues regarding intonation…physical & musical 🙏🏼❣️
I had a few Zoom lesson and told my teacher I wished to be able to play faster . She introduced me to Sevick exercises and also worked to change my hand shape .in 6 lessons I am faster . Now for that Clarity I shall look into more Sevick.
Sevcik knew what to do! Careful not to practice too much of that stuff ;)
The ears are always the best guide... whatever you do with the violin! 😉
exactly!
I 100% agree!! I thought the same thing. 👍
@@pluutoop ... they really never betrayed me throughout my violinistic life.
@@DanielKurganov Best guide together with the individual taste... I forgot to mention that before.
@@sabrinasviolinchannel i believe you. ❤
Lovely playing even though I've only heard this, just... in 2024 you even make the exercises sound so beautiful..
You are a great violinist and teacher, im a teacher myself and i love to watch your work, its a plesaure to watch the things i teach from another perspective. My teacher was a graduated student of the great Tibor Varga who taught in Dortmund, Germany. Keep it up!
the bad thing is that many teachers do not point out how relevant intonation really is. the reason why equal temperment is a thing. one can easily see (or rather hear) this by playing an E in the first position on the D string, tuning it with the A string and than playing it together with the open G. thus they will get a significantly out of tune major sixth (G and E)
Try to tune your D and G string highter possible for your ear. E string like metalic one will go down itself or you will have a good tuned violin to avoid these bad sounding intervals
Great video, and the free pdfs are the cherry on the cake. Thanks a lot!
I think of the six Sevcik exercises as “intonation jigsaw puzzles” in that they only “fit together” in one way in terms of intonation and resonance. IMO the best Sevcik has to offer.
well put!
Brilliant video 🔥
For me, intonation is inseperable from musical energy-velocity of shifts, based opon desired portamentos. Vibrato and phrasing all play a roll in physical motion, which is directly related to pitch one way or anther.
Your work is exquisit! Many thanks to your contribution 🙏🏼
Well put! And thanks!
I have some questions. 1-what means to play in tune? 2-Can we use perfect intervals to stay in tune? 3- If we divide in equal half tons each perfect interval which one have biggest ones? 4-Is it reasonable to use perfect fifths to tune the violin?
One of the most useful videos I’ve seen in my life! Thank you very much Maestro!
Glad to hear that!!
OMG, thank you!!!! This is incredible. I will check all the channel. Really, really thank you, this video is extremely clarify and helpful !
Thank you very much for sharing all your experience and knowledge!!
This exercises will help me a lot, looking forward to your next video, BIG thanks from Honduras🇭🇳👏🏼👏🏼.
I’m so glad!
Thank you so much Daniel, all of yout videos are really helpful for me and my students!!! Keep it going man, this is great!!!
I feel obliged to say that your interpretation of the “andante” is particularly good. The sound is actually mesmerising … do you have a video where you play it all or a lesson about it ?
oh my favourite sevcik exercises!! All my serious students get these and they work super well!
Lmao I read the title as: “Fix your intonation, it’s weak”
too weak too slow 😈
Ahahaha and it'd be true for everyone here 😂
my teacher used to say: "Intonation is the thing that violinists search for all their life and they never find it"
@@victoriadorin4569And it's normal. Because nowhere we learn it. No universal temperament is discovered. ET12 is only theoritical and is used nowhere! If in theory ET12 use the perfect octave and the violin-the perfect fifth, how it can be compatible? The truth is between these two extremity! I am ready to chat about using any media...
Thank you for taking time to touch this theme. It was always mystery for me and I love to talk about it with famous or skilled violinists on my roads. There is connection between our mind and muscles and the will to play attractive. Using our inner ear and imagination plays big role. Listening inside based on our experience and transmitting it to our hands is one beautiful universe. Thank you adding your view on this mystery to my collection. Best wishes.
Beautiful
Totally agree and thank you!
The playing of Bach in the intro is so very beautiful. I wish I could achieve that someday. Thank you very much for this great content!
what waa it called?
@@gloggling Andante from his 2nd sonata for solo violin.
Very helpful video - thank you for taking the time to make it. I am a beginner and the music is above my skill level, but the practice tips and suggestions you make are extremely helpful. 👍 Also, very beautiful playing!
Большое спасибо за Ваш ценный труд. Это просто сокровищница для скрипачей, даже в консерватории не делают таких детальных разборов. Ещё бы найти видео Вашего мастер класса, как играть гаммы со штрихами, скорее всего и такое есть на канале. Вы зарядили новыми идеями, буду пробовать их завтра 🎻
You are a great teacher.
For me, it's taken more than a week!! Jaja!!! But it's working!!! Thank you Daniel!!!
I’m having a very long week too :) but seriously, it took me about a week to completely transform the way I hear and practice intonation. I can’t say that I play super in tune, but it was like night and day after this.
@@DanielKurganov mi homemade pizza is burning up due to your video!!! I want a compensation!!!😆😆🎻🎻
Thanks Daniel, the sadistic element turning into joy is a great picture I will keep on my mind from now on when breaking down impossible parts of the Chaconne….
yes!
Wonderful video, Daniel! Some of this work reminds me of the Vamos patterns (for which you also created a great video). I can't wait to try these exercises. Thank you!!
Yes, definitely some overlap there. Those are great as well. I like these for their continuous and ever-changing flow. There is something less mechanical about them that really keeps you awake and alive :) Meanwhile, I find Vamos/Korgeov patterns really shine as a way of practicing/breaking down specific double-stop passages you might run into.
@@DanielKurganov Yes. The Sevcik is not as predictable as the Vamos. I have to stay more focused on what happens next. Great exercise. Thank you!!
@@kohare63 Thank you Kerry!!
Amazing video, i also have played kreutzer 17 but Yampolsky's edition and have very similar excercises that helps a lot with the left hand frame stability
Thanks for this detailed video, Daniel!
Will definitely incorporate more Ševćík into my teaching and playing.
Your left hand dexterity and finger independence is beautiful to watch!
Thanks, Lynn! This stuff was always hard for me personally…I guess I keep just enough in my pocket to play real music. I will let Nancy Zhou and Roman Kim take it from here ;)
Wonderful lesson! I just bought the Sevcik book that has the four books combined in one volume. This is a great lesson that you are giving us to follow!
You are amazing
Bravo teacher,think you very much
Gracias por compartir esta información tan valiosa!
Oh so Good i must practice. Thank you.
me too!
Love your videos, it helps a lot!!! Thanks for your insights!!
Hey! I just wanted to say your channel is amazing - I am enjoying watching and learning, so glad you are making these videos :)
Thank you so much!
I like your voice calming and encouraging. I’m practicing intonation now, so this video is quite useful.
thank you for this video
Delighted to find your channel - the intelligence shines through. Please also cover right hand technique - so far you seem to be focusing exclusively on the left hand!
Yes, definitely more right hand videos in the works!
This is fabulous - as always! I don't know if it's true or not but...my teacher told me that Heifetz was once asked how he managed to play so perfectly in tune and Heifetz said "I do not play perfectly in tune but I do adjust very, very fast." I had a pupil who played badly out of tune very consistently - unfortunately she could not hear her intonation problems so I could not help her at all. She eventually switched to piano. (Thank God)
Heifetz played sharp actually, compared to someone like, say Szeryng or Hilary Hahn, who are probably the most agreeably "in-tune" players ever. I think it was part of Heifetz's style/aesthetic: a brilliant and very alive sound. Szeryng's intonation was very dynamic, taking all sorts of expressive risks, but somehow always in perfect control, which I find more impressive than the feat Hahn achieved.
Hi the sevcik opus 1 part one finishes at exercise 23 is it possible that you could post the exercises you mention please?
@@DanielKurganov Those Sevcik exercises or peices look very advanced and dense with a lot of double stops..at what level should a student be or after playing for how long should someone start thise exercises?? Thanks for sharing tbe free book as I can't afford books or classes. Also what can I do so this practicing isnt so tedious and frustrating or boring? I get impatient fast and are there any fun faster pieces to learn especially vibrato and double dtops and string crossings--as opposed to monotonous exercises ..like songs you can play to practice thse things...really hope you can respond when you can.
Yes, these Sevcik exercises are for more advanced players. Check out my latest video of the Yanshinov etudes. They will be great for virtually all levels.
Violin is hard. If you're not ready to be patient and enjoy the act of paying very close attention, playing 30 second bows, doing 15-20 minutes of open strings minimum in a practice session, and working on various exercises, then your progress will not be so fast. Some people do all of the work directly in pieces of music, but for this you either have to be quite advanced, have a great teacher, know how to practice, or be very talented (ideally all of the above). Scales and exercises are not boring if you know what the goal of them are and pay very close attention. The goal is always for more beautiful, cleaner and more effortless sound. If that doesn't excite you, then you are just not listening and are not patient enough.
@@DanielKurganov But cant you practice on basic songs instead of monotonous scales?? I don't see why not. And basic songs to learn vibrato on too?i could never admit I'm not very talented..that would be even more depressing and frustrating. Hooe you can respond again when you can.
Great video!
I think there is definitely a reason why a lot of virtuosos have been quoted in the past saying if they could only practice one thing for intonation it would be 3rds.
There’s some fabulous exercises in Simon Fischer’s double stops book that I love, alongside Flesch, Sevcik, Kreutzer etc.
Thank you Daniel. This and all your material is an incredible resource. Your obvious fascination for the technical side of playing is inspiring - and motivating.
I'm curious about your chinrest: what is on it and why?
Thanks again for sharing your "noble obsession"!
I'm glad you find it useful! In my view, the technical and the musical are one and the same. I think that sensitivity to intonation, to take this example, is ultimately sensitivity to vibration and the resonance of your instrument. Without this, any high-level achievement with Bach is not possible. Likewise, I believe most 'technical' things are actually musical at their core.
Regarding the chinrest, I was experimenting with shape by using little dense pieces of foam. I don't use that anymore simply prefer the MachOne adhesive foam pad.
Thank you for this video. I’ve watched it every day for the past seven days. It’s required me to learn so much. I’ve been playing for three weeks. Practicing around 160-180 minutes per day. Im obsessed. The sound is what drew me in. It has been the most beautiful thing I’ve heard during my 29 years here. I believe the violin chose me. Kind of like the sorting hat chooses wizards haha. Im excited to grow the relationship.
Anyways, thank you for teaching me.
Wow, Robert! This is very encouraging to hear. You make me want to practice 16-180 minutes a day !! :)
I want to be clear that I haven’t learned everything in 7 days lol I will still watch this video everyday for the next two weeks at least.
@@roberthill7458 so glad it's helpful! This is something I've obsessed over for some period of time as well. My intonation is certainly not perfect, so I can stand to do it again. To me it's a process of periods of obsession. It comes in waves. Best of luck and I hope you find the connections between this kind of work and the music you play!
@@DanielKurganov QUESTION why do you suggest using the pandemic instead of tip of finger since when the finger is flat, how can you possibly bend or twist it back and forth in vibrato motion..that makes it harder if not physically impossible..or did I misunderstand you? Tha ks for sharing
Really wonderful Tips you have given🎉
Thank you very much dear Mr Daniel 🙏😊
Thank you 🙏🏼
Thank you showing me Sevcik .
My teacher never did.
Can you make a vid with slow exersises.
Like vallet train the legs.
Super super super lovely tips Augustine violinist from Malaysia
Great information.
Im 16, and I just started learning violin, but I felt super discouraged because even though I searched everywhere online, I could not find any violinists who started as late as 16 who still became good violinists until I found your channel!! You are so inspiring thank you smmm!!!😭😭🤍
💪 best of luck! It’s a wild ride
Daniel, you're the best
Beautiful
Hi Daniel, I love your master classes and your videos and your clear explanations and demonstrations. Thank you so much.
Happy to hear that!
Yes, these exercises remind me of those concerto guides. I have the one for Mendelsohn, and the wieniawski scherzo tarantella
Many thanks. I will give that a go. I am only playing simple stuff at the moment, and on my acoustic us a mobile phone as a tuner and guide which does help. Can't quite do that on my electric which I also practice on but it is far too heavy. I may have to make a lighter one.
I'm a cellist and this is so helpfull, any idea if anyone has transposed these for cello (else i'll do it myself no worries). do you considere starting by playing over a drone tone is helpfull and in this logic? so many thanks
Daniel muchas gracias por tus videos son muy útiles para mi, si se le pudiera agregar subtitulado en español sería genial. Gracias!!
Hay una chica haciendo las traducciones, si vas a algunos vídeos más antiguos podrás ver los subtítulos
@@sitosanchez Genial! si, vi que otros venían subtitulados. Gracias! y gracias a quien se esta tomando el trabajo del subtitulado!
Muchas gracias mis amigos!
Delighted to get this brilliant teaching Daniel. You have encapsulates everything here. I have Sevcik book 1...I'm off to start those chosen exercises! Just the prep for double stop exam scales. I can see how this facility underlies all good playing. Thank you so much. Adult learner G Ire
Amazing, your teaching style is very helpful! Your chin rest is different, probably because of how you know your adjustments. How does one learn how to adjust for themselves and where/what to buy? I would really love to know, so it doesn’t effect ones posture and prevent bruising and marking
Check out this video Daniel recorded a while ago ruclips.net/video/4k84U_o48Wc/видео.html
If you have a short pinky and have to practice intonation, you should see me 😂. Very nice video with clear instructions!
😁
I realy like the way you teach. I wonder if you can video from over head...top down in order to see the fingerings more clearly. I had an interesting leaning thing of which I play music of all different jandras playing by ear, I automatically fall into a type of groove. Scales and arpeggios helped me but by joining the music I hear, I've discovered repetitive patterns of scales even in jazz. 1st I find home note key and melody apears.This PLAYING BY EAR really helped me learn the finger board. And most of all, made me enjoy playing fiddle to the music. 65 yrs old now...started fiddle in 3rd grade. I have a clasic violin and a 5 string electric fiddle. Learning never stops. Thanx for tutorial info!!!! Blue Dave.
Yes, I am now going to video from overhead for every video! It was more about finding a convenient setup. In my new studio, it's easily achieved. Totally agree with playing by ear and pushing that forward. It's crucial and more important than finger patterns, reading music, etc.
Great advices! Thank you very much for this video, Daniel!
You are very welcome!
love you so much !! great content
Thanks for this great video! I’m excited to delve into these exercises. Question: do you have any tips for creating more space between the 2nd and 3rd fingers? For example, in bars 4-5 of Sevcik No. 24, the second finger is down on F on the D string, and then the 3rd finger has to reach up to D on the A string (while keeping the 2 down and not letting it touch the A string). I’m having trouble extending my 3rd finger far enough while keeping the 2nd finger down (and in tune) (my hands are small, by the way). I’d be grateful for any advice you might have. Thank you!
Super👌
Thank you! Great lesson!
Spasibo bolshoe!
I repair guitars as a hobby and out of curiosity I changed the frets to agree exactly with an Orchestral tuner. The result was wiggly frets (exactly in tune ) and in Equal Temperament (which I hate ). The normal guitar is not even in Equal Temperament . A better solution is tuning in Kirnberger III. That is a wonderful temperament. Violins have no real basic tuning apart from singer`s tuning . But it still needs alterations . A fascinating subject. Some very famous players get it wrong but it is rude to mention it.
I adore Varga! I have all of his pedagogical books. He was a brilliant thinker as well as a stunning violinist.
very nice work thank you
Thank you so much Daniel for all your fabulous lessons! 👌 I am so grateful. I suffer with terrible cramping in my hands, do you have any suggestions as to how to ease this? It is sometimes so bad I cannot play in the middle of orchestra which is awful and excruciatingly painful.
Oh my God thank you 🙏🏻
🙏💐❤️ Love you brother...
Daniel I was delighted to hear some of the Andante from the Bach Sonata No 2. (or is it Partita ?) A short piece but it`s huge musically and treated very differently by many players .
Hey great video! I think you mislabeled the chord at 4:38, it is Eb not Bb.
4:38 is Eb, not Bb
Thank you for the video!
Oops - thanks for catching that!
Very informative, great video
beautiful!
Much appreciated, kind regards
I have a principal question: Do you think that all notes have fixed places when we play perfectly in tune? And another one: Do we must use perfect fifths when we tune our violins? Thanks for reply!
Good question!
1. No. If all notes were fixed this would be called Equal Temperament, which is the tuning system used for pianos, for example. In reality only the octaves are actually in tune on the piano, and everything else is a result of compromise. So, on the violin we are able to adjust notes freely, so we don’t need to make those compromises, and therefore can use pure (“just”) intonation when playing double stops/chords or when tuning to others in a group.
2. Yes! Using perfect fifths, so that overtones line up, is crucial for tuning the violin as well as all of the work in these Sevcik exercises. This is called Just Intonation.
Well, sorry to have totally different opinion! If you use pure fifths it mean that you use 4 fixed notes, right? Also it is possible to play respecting fixed places for all notes! If all fifths are perfects then how you can play GGBE ??? GG like pure octave plus major third GB will result with horrible quarte BE! The universal solution exists. If we temper all our fifths(only with 1-2 beats per second) then if we respect only the unisson like pure interval! Une octave must be stretched then the major third also. Our final quart also stretched will be acceptable. Temperament equal for violin exists and it sounds very well. The just intonation is not good for the human ear! The human ear counts hight frequencies low and low frequencies- high! It is physiologic propriety. If we use stretched octaves the harmonics don't cover upper ton and we hear both tones clearly! All these deviations are only guide to use correctly all intervals respecting fixed places for all notes! Only with fixed places we can be sure to play in tune!
@@LatchezarDimitrov It is not correct that we can adjust/temper sustained perfect intervals as a compromise. This will always be immediately heard as out of tune. 4ths 5ths and octaves must be pure if sustained together as a double stop (just intonation). In your example case of GGBE, remember that you don’t ever play 4 notes together. So, the correct approach is that GG must be a pure octave, and BE must be a perfect 4th, as those are the pairs that are sustained. GB is not virtually not heard if you are breaking 2+2. So yes, that major 3rd is going to be way too wide, but it is not heard. Now, if it’s GGB (and you break 2+2) and the GB double-stop is sustained, then you must play the GB pure, so B will be lower, and will not match with the open E (but you are not playing the open E, so it's ok!).
This is the beginning of many such considerations. But as I mentioned, perfect intervals have to be pure if heard together. If you listen to Szeryng or Hahn or any other super-in-tune players, this is what they are doing. I am not familiar with any violinists tempering their perfect intervals, this would just sound bad. The human ear will react immediately to sustained perfect intervals not being pure as opposed to a moved tonic due to open string or even slightly tempered 3rds/6ths/etc. This is why we have expressive intonation in melodic playing -- there is a high amount of subjectivity on the horizontal plane for non-perfect intervals. There is almost always a way to voice notes so that compromises are not heard/noticed. In the case of immovable open strings, you have to adjust the fingered note, even if the fingered note is the tonic. It will not be noticed that the set of notes are overall a bit low or high, but if the interval is not pure, it’s noticed. You can always get around this by not using an open string when holding an interval in such a case. In quartet playing you have these compromises all the time, also using different registers to further obscure the compromises. Guarneri Quartet were the greatest masters of this. Pure just intonation at its finest. Hope that answer is clear :)
@@DanielKurganov Strange opinion about eternal adjusting, sorry! Why do you tune your A string if later you will adjust it??? It is the same about other 3 strings. And why do you think that human ear will not remark your constant corrections?! The equal temperament exists and the orchestral intonation is a good exemple for it. If you stop to respect all just intervals except the unisson you will distribute the "comma" in the octaves also. Then the temperation will be infime and this is the unique way to stay in tune! Maybe if you try this way, you will change your opinion... And sorry for my "english" :-) I am bulgarian, I speak french much better! If you want to listen how sound these tempered intervals, I can send you records about! Any just interval sounds out of tune in melodic mode! Had you remarked that? A major third is too small, the minor third-too wide, the quart is also not enough large, the octave -idem etc. If you keep in memory my position, you can avoid pure just intervals to stay really in tune using fixed places for all notes. But if you don't want to try it... It remain intonation problem!
@@LatchezarDimitrov I welcome exploring this further, and am interested in your background and what led you to your view. It's a long topic, and there are some points of subjectivity. Ideally, you could point me to recordings of musicians that demonstrate what you are talking about (for example playing tempered perfect intervals) Then I promise to treat you to a generous glass of Rakia. And then maybe my French and Bulgarian would get better as well!
Intonation is the art of eternal adjusting, I'm afraid, at least for any string player :-) There is no way around this. Tuning the A accurately has nothing to do with how things must be adjusted in certain situations. We tune the strings so that we know what we can expect to hear when we put our fingers down, and so that adjacent open strings ring pure (just). You said that just intervals sound out of tune in melodic playing -- yes, that's why we don't use just intonation for melodies. We use expressive intonation, which is highly subjective, though the basic patterns/tendencies can be quantified.
If we look at string quartet playing, Guarneri Quartet, for example, would have their finger on the nut, ready to adjust the open string ever so slightly so that chords are perfectly just. That's why they're the most in-tune quartet ever (in my opinion). I understand what you're saying, but I think maybe your position is more from a theoretical perspective, or maybe we just hear things very differently :) I can say thought that no high level ensemble that I have played with or know of doesn't use pure/just intonation as a guideline for in-tune playing.
Another important point is that humans are not calculators. Aside from the people who have perfect pitch, we hear and experience things in a relational way. Even people that have perfect pitch are used to the equal temperament of pianos, which are all out of tune :)
String player will not attempt to play with equal tempered tuning just because they play together with a pianist (excluding situations like unison notes with piano that will require slight adjustment to be really perfect). Generally, the violinist's just and expressive intonation works perfectly well with the piano's equal temperament if the musicians know what they're doing, as recordings of the great musicians will show. Likewise, in an orchestra+soloist situation, there is a lot of variation in the intonation of a string section (even if they are the best players in the world) such that it blends perfectly well with a piano soloist (equal) or a string soloist (just/expressive). Then if you add vibrato to the mix, many theoretical issues are smoothed out. So, my view from experience and from studying the great musicians of the past is that humans hear patterns and not numbers. We have relational sensory recognition, so a perfect octave that is off by 4 hertz is far more painful than, say, a note in a melody that is 4 hertz off. That's why just intonation is the ideal for any polyphonic situations, and expressive intonation for melodic playing is highly subjective (and expressive).
Thank you for your guidance Maestro! You made me realize what a gem Sevcik really is. You have given me purpose to continue improving my violin playing.. :)
Ševčík is being pronoinced as Shevcheek. Really nice video though. Thank you for your work!
Great, as usual
Awesome.Absolutely help full.
Very good video man! Such an effortless and warm video production too! What are your thoughts on electric tuning devices? I think especially for melodic intonation (no double stops) they can be very beneficial and also eye opening for orchestral or ensemble passages. I prefer open strings most of the time too, but always when I do a short session with a tuner it somehow cleans up my ear and sorts my fingers very fast. And btw I guess I am sadistic... ;)
Anything sadistic is recommendable. Thank you! I found that tuners can be useful if you are not sure where your note falls relationally or aurally. I think all intonation can be found just using the instrument itself. As you say, there might be situations where you're just in a haze and the tuner gives you a reality check, but I think this just a good diagnosis and not a way to fix it per se. Learning to line up overtones, deeply feeling the intervalic relationship between fingers, choosing how low/high you like your sharps/flats for expressive intonation (matter of developing taste for certain way and identifying tendencies) and considering the frame of the hand are some of the best basic tools. One thing I have tried with success in own work was to record myself and then analyze it with software that shows you exactly where your pitch is, and you begin to see tendencies more clearly. I remember some eye-opening realizations there, such that after SEEING that the F was a bit different every time, I listened again and was like "oh my, yes it is".
Another fun thing to do is to play scales with organic drones. Look up "Indian drone tone" on youtube, and you see one in every key. I love playing scales with that. Since it's an organic sound and you have tonics and 5ths, it's much easier to feel you are "one" with the sound. I imagine you could do this just as well with a good orchestra emulations holding rich chords. The more organic/natural the drone sound, the less strict Just vs Expressive intonation becomes, and you sort of don't have to worry about that. Conversely, I personally can't stand trying to play with some dinky sine waves :P
@@DanielKurganov I agree, drone notes are very viable option too, but I use them rarely just because other options are easier to switch on/off and yes sinus tones are not very nice to tune to. One thing about lining up overtones though: It requires you to have a very good and fine ear already. I often see musicians just fail with the lining up of overtones because of bad hearing habits. When listening to recording it is indeed revealing. Sometimes with the instrument in hand our ears become somehow biased.
@@SimonStreuffViolinEducation Absolutely. So much of hearing become psychological, as hearing ourselves honestly becomes a monumental task. Doing something for hours a day -- the ear/brain gets used to things. I used to play severely out of tune and was really a-okay with it, as my brain was focused on other things. Of course, listening back, I hear everything, but it took me a while to connect that to some sort of concrete plan/method for real improvement.
@@DanielKurganov interesting! What is the name of that software? Thanks! :)
Very intetesting video! I like that with great passion you enter a lot into the technical details and effective in improving and perfecting more and more the performance of the violin. I would like to ask you a specific question regarding the intonation of the violin. The finger when it falls on an out of tune note should not correct itself at that moment but should center it by playing the note or notes prior to the out of tune for muscle memory, and that's what I do. So when I'm about to get to the out of tune, at that moment I realize it and put my finger either slightly up or down centering it. Every time I play the piece I realize that at that point I have to correct. All right? Or should the correction be so natural and assimilated that I don't have to think first?
Correcting mistakes is important, but eliminating mistakes is the true goal. So yes, that means not just moving the wrong note at the moment and going on. But it also means that when you do a sequence correctly, THAT is when the repetition starts. Most people repeat UNTIL it's right. The key is to repeat ONCE it's right. Good luck :)
‘If you’re really sadistic you can turn it into Schradieck exercises’ 😂 I wish I heard that long time ago .