Mind the Gap: free your violin left hand

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Күн бұрын

Download my free Practice Essentials Guide and build a strong routine:
www.natesviolin.com/nathans-p...
0:00 Introduction: Mind the Gap
1:10 Two main sources of left-hand tension
1:49 What's the harm?
2:35 How to diagnose tension (physically)
4:43 How to diagnose (musically)
5:57 What's the ideal left hand?
6:35 The "one weird trick"
8:39 Minding the Gap in Schradieck
11:23 Back to the right side of the tracks
13:39 Conclusion and an alternate "trick"

Пікірлер: 40

@justusforviolin2719 Жыл бұрын

The Millstein exercise!! I saw this one from Julia Bushkova first. But she talked about it only as a fix for flat pinky, this explanation is much more complete and thorough, and seems it solves more issues.

@Violinna Жыл бұрын

This exercise confirmed something for me. To create a comfortable frame in 1st (and half) position with less tension and more freedom, with my small hands, I need to place the hand in general much lower down and not come from above the string as much with 1st finger. i.e. - Making contact btwn base of the index finger and the neck much further away from base knuckle. Thanks for sharing this trick, Nathan!

@natesviolin Жыл бұрын

Good observation for your hands Inna, thanks!

@deltafour1212 Жыл бұрын

This is gold! Love the fact you aren't using a shoulder rest.

@natesviolin Жыл бұрын

I made the change almost 10 years ago at this point!

@paulagarciapresas8598 9 ай бұрын

Great video! Thanks from Argentina!

@thecatofnineswords Жыл бұрын

Every time I watch you, I learn several new things.

@nicholettefetsch2245 Жыл бұрын

Thalnk you, Nate.

@violinlab Жыл бұрын

I love the "wrong side of the tracks" exercise! So innovative. And I'm so jealous of your wickedly fast 4th finger.😉 🎻

@natesviolin Жыл бұрын

Thanks, and happy to see your latest video too!

@mathildemaijer2396 Жыл бұрын

This is mind blowing. When I learned the violin (55 years ago) I learned to place my left-hand thumb in the gap at the end of the fingerboard (that spot has a name, in Dutch it is called kielhoutje). Since some years I am thinking that this is not a very practical spot, because it makes the 4th finger the most difficult one. Too far away, always stretched, in a constant tension (or too low). This video helps me finding the right spot for me. Higher up, first finger reaching back, pinky without stress. Next step is un-learning 55 years of practice the wrong way.......

@natesviolin Жыл бұрын

I hope you have a smooth journey!

@tullochgorum6323 Жыл бұрын

I'm just an amateur, but here's a simple-minded idea that works for me in 1st position. First I place my 3rd and 4th on the A, with my thumb in the position that allows a comfortable trill (in my case - a slow trill!). Then I reach back with 2 and 1. On my hand this places the thumb roughly opposite 2. I play without a shoulder rest, and I've also switched to the high thumb position that was pretty much universal in the restless players of the Golden Age. This brings my fingers more over the string, and seems to help keep the base of the thumb soft. I've also found that the thumb feels more secure, so it's less rigid and more mobile. If you watch the old players, their thumbs are always in movement as it adjusts to the demands of the music. With this higher 1st position my 4th finger now works far better, and my 3rd finger vibrato too. (4th finger vibrato still a work in progress ...) This check literally only takes a couple of seconds and gives me a frame pretty close to the ideal that Nathan describes, with nice gaps at the base of 1/2 and 2/3. I found that his Mind the Space exercise gave a similar result, so I'm hoping I'm on the right track. If you care to try it, I'd be interested to hear whether works for you too.

@jillrice2577 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! Great info and I really appreciate the guide.

@saea58 5 ай бұрын

Thank you Nathan. I will try this too. ☺️

@Aymeric_Bonhomme Жыл бұрын

You're a tremendous inspiration sir!

@nskimharris Жыл бұрын

First position was definitely further up than I thought. This is mind blowing!

@natesviolin Жыл бұрын

Yes, that’s often the case!

@marcogabbarini7105 Жыл бұрын

Nathan, you are really amazing. I did steal a bunch of stunning tips from your beautiful tutorials! Thanks a lot

@GlennFiddles Жыл бұрын

I believe some people call this the Milstein Exercise. Julia Bushkova has a nice video about it and a Bulgarian violin pedagogue who recommends setting the frame to first establish where 3 and 4 go comfortably and learning to reach back for 1st finger.

@natesviolin Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info, I’ll check out her video on this… I like her teaching!

@TNungesser 6 ай бұрын

Thank you Nathan.

@peterbaxter8151 Жыл бұрын

That’s a very interesting exercise which I had never heard of. I’ll give it a try today.😊

@natesviolin Жыл бұрын

Let me know how it works!

@panthersherry1157 Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot!

@xiaoleideng Жыл бұрын

This helped me so much! I took a month long break and when I re-started my practice the first thing I noticed was the tensions you described. I tried to be mindful and my speed went a lot faster, and my vibrato a lot better. I followed your video and it got even better! Thank you very much. I need to take your advice on patience and slow down my practice and watch out for tension.

@natesviolin Жыл бұрын

That’s the way to do it!

@nash_jab4665 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for this nice video. Do you teach in Lexington, KY?

@brunomaunier4051 Ай бұрын

Thank you for this wonderful advice. However, when I try to download the manual, I get to a 404 error message after providing my first name and email address. Is this manual still available?

@shiragoldmusic Жыл бұрын

How do you bring the first finger back without compromising the other fingers positions?

@natemidnight 4 ай бұрын

I was watching a Yehudi Menuhin left hand technique video. It appears he only contacts the violin with his thumb and has a space on the other side of the neck. It doesn't appear you play this way. I find it near impossible to support the violin doing it Menuhin's way. I can see how if you could you would gain incredible freedom in the left hand but it seems impossible for me. I think many violinists do not play this way so I would say it's not necessary but I wondered if you could comment on this. Have you tried at all to play that way?

@iainbremner8909 9 ай бұрын

I'm returning to violin after many years of intermittent playing, and I appreciate your advice in this video. Unfortunately the link to the free Practice Essentials returns an error 404. How can I obtain the guide?

@Samlaren Жыл бұрын

Great Christopher Walken impression at 6:09 ;)

@natesviolin Жыл бұрын

Had to look to see what you meant, and now I get it!

@Poreckylife 6 ай бұрын

I can't see it. Is it the head motion?

@Lamadesbois Жыл бұрын

9:39 _Enola Gay, you should have stayed at home yesterday_ Joke aside, thank you for the creative trick 🙂

@midnighttutor Жыл бұрын

Earth to Nathan: in German the dipthong ie is pronounced like a long E so the guy's name is pronounced ShradEEk rhymes with GEEK. You can slightly roll the R too just to show that you know what you are talking about.

@natesviolin Жыл бұрын

Noted! How did “the gap” help you play the etude?

@midnighttutor Жыл бұрын

@@natesviolin I had seen the same concept and activity with moving the index finger over in one of your videos a few years aqo. I tried it then and found it interesting. Squeezing pieces of the left hand turns out to not be my major issue at this point, which is getting my left hand to work at lightning speed when needed and I have seen your videos on that too.