Musical Creations Site

How can you create and keep your motivation to play the piano? In other words, how can you increase and keep the joy of playing the piano? The cause that made you start playing in the first place!

1. Before setting goals

Sometimes the reason why we don’t keep our piano playing goals is that we haven’t been honest with ourselves when we set the goals. Before setting the your goals you have to decide why you want to play piano. Make an honest survey of your assets and wishes in the area of piano playing.

2. Setting goals

In order to set goals that you will actually work towards you have to be honest with yourself. Do I really want to accomplish these goals. Will I really feel good when I reach my goals?

3. Having a repertoire

One common reason for starting to play the piano is to be able to play the pieces of music you like. This means that as you learn to play piano, a goal might be to learn a number of piano pieces, let’s say five melodies, by heart so you can play them in any setting.

These five pieces of piano music is to be learned so well that you don’t have to worry if you are asked to play.

One reason for having a repertoire with piano pieces throughoutly rehearsed is that you can feel that you perform at the top of your ability.

4. Always perform

One great way to create motivation to practice on your piano is to always perform in front of other people in different ways. A way to creating momentum to practise your piano repertoire is to set up an informal concert with a couple of pieces in the setting of your own home.

Your family will be your public. There are many occasions for having someone performing music in the home and maybe you will stimulate others in your family or among your friends to play on their instruments in such a setting. Of course you have to plan ahead in order to suggest a performance and in order to prepare yourself.

5. But if you don’t like to perform?

You can actually practice the art of performing on your piano without people present. One way is to use your imagination and pretend that you perform in front of others. If you want to help your imagination a bit you can put empty chairs in front of you representing the audience.

On such an occasion you have to exercise self discipline and play those pieces in your actual program from beginning to end. If you would make a mistake in front of a public, what would you do? Probably you would want to minimize the effect of this mistake and just play on. This is what you have to practice even in this setting.

This will create self confidence in your ability to handle mistakes and will also help you find weaknesses you can improve upon in your playing.

This is also an excellent time to record your performance for later evaluation. The act of recording is like having a critic in the public.

6. Listen to piano music

You have to look upwards in order to climb to a higher level in your piano playing and this will be accomplished by listening to piano players on an higher artistic level than yourself.

At last a piano playing qoute from an unknown author:

“One man gets nothing but discord out of a piano; another gets harmony. No one claims the piano is at fault. Life is about the same. The discord is there, and the harmony is there. Study to play it correctly, and it will give forth the beauty; play it falsely, and it will give forth the ugliness. Life is not at fault.”
About the Author:
Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free piano sheet music and learn to play piano resources at http://www.capotastomusic.com

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was the first movie in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, based on the popular fantasy books written by J.R. R. Tolkein. The movie was a blockbuster hit at both the box office and at the Oscars. The story, in and of itself, is creative, captivating and magical. But even a wonderful story can flop when put onto the big screen. Cinematography, special effects, visual effects and the quality of acting all play an important part in making a story “live” for an audience. Music also plays a vital part in making a movie successful. Music can make us feel that we are in another place and time. It captures our emotions by creating an ambiance of happiness, sadness, tension, fear or excitement. Music helps suspend our disbelief about the fantasy of the story. It helps us identify with distinct characters, places and cultures. The music of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, does all of these things. Through music, composer Howard Shore successfully takes us to Middle Earth.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring takes us to another time and place. Howard Shore’s music tells us that we have left our world before we’ve seen even the first frame of the film. As the screen fades from black into the New Line Cinema icon, we hear music. The music has an Eastern sound, using woodwind instruments from Africa and East India. The sound is quaint and mysterious. It gives us the feeling of being in a far away land and contributes to the suspension of disbelief that helps the audience subconsciously consent to be taken to a place with which they are not familiar.

The mystical music that we hear during the first few moments of the film is soon joined by a voice – the voice of the Elf queen Galadriel, of Lothlorien. This music that we hear is the theme of Lothlorien. Every time that we see or hear of Lothlorien or Galadriel, we hear a version of this theme.

Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, understood the importance of a musical score in a movie. He said, “The music score to any film, obviously, is very important because it guides your emotions when you’re watching the film. The actors can do their job, the director can do (his) job in terms of creating a certain mood and emotion, but using music is so strong and evoking of what you should be feeling at any given time.”

Jackson continued, “I wanted the music (of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) to reflect Tolkien. I wanted the music to also bring the world of Middle Earth to life.”

Howard Shore the composer said, “Tolkien spent fourteen years writing The Lord of the Rings. And now you’re writing a musical image, creating a musical mirror, if you will, to his writing. And I mention this so often - even in other discussions - and I feel like Frodo. I did feel like that. Like I have this amazing journey to take, and I had the ring in my vest pocket and ‘You were chosen, now you’re going to write the music to Lord of the Rings. And, you have to do it.”

Peter Jackson added this regarding the huge task that Howard Shore had in composing the music for the The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, “It’s doing two jobs at once. It’s underscoring the film. It’s providing an emotional link - a bridge between the movie and the audience - and it’s drawing the audience in. But it’s doing it in such a way that it’s also telling you a lot about the cultures of this world.”

Therefore, every major place, race and character in this movie has a musical theme attached to it. This film has a large number of characters, cultures and races. The distinct races, geography, trees, nature, and the earth itself were a big part of Tolkein’s story. It would have been very easy for the audience to become confused trying to distinguish between the many peoples and places of Middle Earth. Giving each of these elements a musical theme makes them live as individual characters, all contributing to the essence of Middle Earth.

The Shire, for example, is the place where the Hobbits live. The Hobbits are a peaceful people and they live a quiet life. Any sort of adventure is a scandal. They are an agrarian society and live as part of the land. Even their homes are burrows in the ground. Howard Shore uses music to “describe” Hobbits and the Shire to the audience. Their theme is very light and cheerful. A slide flute accompanied by a full orchestra give a Celtic or Irish feel. This accomplishes the feeling of another time, but brings the audience a little closer to home and gives a feeling of comfort. A solo violin carries the melody for a while until the full string section finishes the theme, but whenever the Shire is mentioned or referred to in the movie the score refers us back to the slide flute.

The Fellowship, made up of people and creatures from different races, has its own distinct theme. “As the two Hobbits leave Hobbiton and set out on their own, you hear the first statement of the Fellowship theme in the corn field, because it’s essentially the first time that the Fellowship is formed,” said Mr. Shore.

When the four Hobbits are on their way to the village of Bree, they are running from the “Nasgul”, or Ring Wraiths. There is very little dialogue during this scene. Our emotions are heightened and we feel the tension of the moment through the musical score. This is accomplished largely through dissonance. Our ears like to hear nice chords. Notes that are close to each other in value sound terrible to us. In the theme of the Ring Wraiths, the chords that clash are used to make us to feel uncomfortable. The movie makers want us to squirm in our seats. They want us to feel fear. The French horns are playing staccato quarter and eighth notes in a building rhythm while the strings are on descending eighth notes that continually clash. Add a men’s choir chanting an Elvish poem and it makes for a very confusing and intense moment.

Then while in the village of Bree, the Hobbits think that they are finally safe. We see images of them sleeping in their beds smiling. The scene then cuts to the Ring Wraiths coming into the village. The dissonant music becomes louder. Cut to the inn keeper’s face in horror as the Wraiths enter his inn. Cut to the peaceful Hobbits in their beds. All the while, dissonant and ancient sounding music is playing loudly. Then silence. As the Wraiths approach the Hobbits in their beds there is silence. This adds to the tension. We hold our breaths. This is a stroke of genius. Knowing when to not have music, or score, is just as important as knowing when to include it.

As soon as the Wraiths discover that they were tricked, however, the angry dissonant Wraith theme returns with a fury to remind us how serious the situation is. Even though the Hobbits are safe for the moment, they will never really be secure or free until they have accomplished their goal. The music reinforces this to the audience, as a version of the Wraith theme plays softer while Frodo watches the Wraiths from across the street from the Inn.

The Ring itself has an interesting theme. The Ring, though an inanimate object, is a character of its own. Its essence is evil and its intent is to deceive and enslave. The theme of the Ring portrays all of that through instrumentation and dissonance. It is appropriate that the main instrument used for the theme of the Ring is the oboe. The oboe is the instrument used to charm a snake out of a basket. It is also often associated with seduction, or allure. The ring certainly personifies that. Frodo, Bilbo, Gollum and many others were seduced, even addicted, to the Ring.

The wizard, Gandalf, goes to visit his superior and mentor, Sauraman, at the tower of Isengard. We believe at first that Sauraman is still a friend to Gandalf.

Once the story reveals that Sauraman has turned to the side of darkness, the musical theme, as well, “tells” us that the tower of Isengard is a place of evil. Howard Shore uses several methods to give that feeling. Dissonance is used to portray a feeling of uneasiness or apprehension.

Also, during the musical theme for the Tower of Isengard, Howard Shore uses an odd way of timing so that we feel off balance. Anytime that we see the tower of Isengard and the forging of weapons, Mr. Shore adds a beat to throw us off and make us feel uncomfortable. We are used to hearing music in common time (or four-four time), with four beats to each measure, and that feels right to us. The industrial sounding theme uses a five-four time which makes us uncomfortable by adding an extra beat to each measure. Also, French horns are used for the main melody, but Howard Shore also relies on the bass drum, tympani and a chime or bell to give the effect of a hammer pounding away down in the depths of the caverns underneath the tower.

Rivendell, a city of the Elves, has a theme of its own. This is a western haven for the Elves. We feel the peace and the beauty of the city, as well as its antiquity, through the music. This is quite different from the theme of Lothlorien. We are made to feel comfortable here at this place.

When the Fellowship leaves Rivendell and sets out on its journey, the theme of the Fellowship is fully revealed. The theme is naturally lyrical, aimed at the brass, but is restrained by a fully mixed and realized string section. The music is heroic and we feel the importance of their quest. We are excited and proud of them for making the decision to destroy the Ring and save Middle Earth.

Later, the Fellowship takes refuge in the Mines of Moria, only to discover that they are trapped inside a Dwarf “tomb”. The theme music of the Mines of Moria features a men’s chorus made up of Polynesian men. Peter Jackson had this to say about the music for the mines of Moria. “We sat around our kitchen table at home talking about the choral arrangement ideas for Moria and I thought it would be really great to weight it fairly heavily toward Polynesian singers. Maury or Pacific Islanders who have again, another worldly quality to their voice.”

“Mines being a Dwarven kingdom would really suit having those male voices. A bit like a Welch mining choir. So, Howard found himself in the town hall with an all-Polynesian male choir.”

At the bridge of Khaza-Dhum, the Fellowship is chased by the Moria Orcs. The Polynesian men’s choir and the tympani drums heighten the tension and excitement of the scene. The members of the Fellowship cross the bridge, but Gandalf stays behind to fight the Balrog. The music crescendos to an all-time forte until Gandalf falls from the bridge. Then very suddenly, the music goes into a very soft and melodic hum with just a single boy singing, lamenting for Gandalf. Under this beautiful theme, the camera shows a montage of the members of the Fellowship reacting to the loss of Gandalf. We see the characters faces and expressions of grief, but it is the music that makes us feel with them. The music “guides” our emotions and we feel as they do.

Later, when the Fellowship enters the forest of Lothlorien, we again hear the theme that was introduced at the beginning of the movie. There is also a twist of tension and mystery to this theme. As the Fellowship creeps through the forest, we sense through the music that they are wary of being in this land of the Elves. We sense that they fear that they will not be welcome.

In Lothlorien, when Boromir speaks of his home in Gondor, we hear a very brief part of the theme of Gondor, offered by a solo French horn, foreshadowing a people that we have not yet seen. The full theme of Gondor, however, is not revealed until the third part of the trilogy.

Critics of the music in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring say that there is just too much music. This simply is not true. This film was successful largely because of the comprehensive score. The extensive music in this film augments what is happening on the screen and enhances the experience for the audience. At every important moment in this film, the music is there to “guide” the audience emotionally. The music also helpes suspend our disbelief in a world that might otherwise seem ridiculous and surreal.

This film has an extensive number of characters, places, cultures and races. It would have been very easy for the audience to become confused. Howard Shore uses music to help the audience distinguish between the different groups and places by giving them their own distinctive themes.

Through the musical score, we know what to feel. We feel fear when the Hobbits are on their way to Bree. We feel sadness when Gandalf falls. We feel tension when Arwen is trying to get Frodo to Rivendell. We celebrate when the Fellowship sets out on their incredible journey. We understand the emotions of the characters and we feel with them. We become part of Middle Earth. And the musical score of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring helps take us there.
About the Author:

Stuart Heimdal is an inspiring movie director and producer. Over the last few years he has also been a movie editor.
Stuart composes and orchestrates most of his own music. To view Stuart’s works, please log onto: http://www.stuartheimdal.com

Classical music is governed by some known conventions that have its roots in a variety of forms, genres, styles and historical periods. These features together go in defining the term ‘classical music.’ Music rated as classical has always made its thumping presence felt. With the evolution of the popular music forms, the dominance of the classical form has not diminished. In-fact, it further magnified with new forms and codes.

There are several factors that define Classical Music. These can be classified under the following heads:-

Instrumentation - This is one way of classifying the classical genre of music. Different instruments are brought to use for creating the symphony that make it classical. Various string instruments like violin, string, woodwind instruments, brass instruments and other diverse percussion are commonly used to give this form of music a unique style. However, nowadays electronic instruments like electric guitars are occasionally brought to use.

Form and Technical Execution – The classical form generally take the form of a song, symphony, dance music, chamber suite, symphony, concerto, electronic music and more. The composition of this form of music requires expertise as a lot of complexities are involved in arriving at a balance between its emotional content and the music that accompanies it. The Classical Guitar Music is one such example of complex composition.

Complexity – The complexities involved in making of classical works are not just confined to instruments and beats. But a lot of it lies in the development, modulation, musical phrases and even length and variations of tones. A perfect combination of all these features results in the development of a perfect symphony of music. In-fact, the large scale classical works are built from smaller units of musical compositions.

Society – The classical forms of music maintains a repute of being a choice of the upper-level society. The music has never been popular among the working class. However, it is not compulsory as most of the classical musicians fall in the middle class range. The Classical Music CD buyers and concert goers also include the middle class audience.

Timeline – This form of music passed through several stages. It has its roots ingrained in medieval times, even dating back to ancient Greeks. The form has evolved a lot in the present age. It still has major time divisions like the Medieval (476 – 1400) and Renaissance (1400 – 1600). Then there is the common practice period that includes Baroque (1600 – 1750), Classical (1730 – 1820) and Romantic Periods (1895 – 1910). The modern contemporary period includes 20th Century Classical (1900 – 2000) and contemporary classical (1975 to current).

The form of music which is preserved as classical is primarily a written musical tradition. These written works are then given expression in the form of recordings, oral transformations and musical notes. Music plays an effective role in transmitting classical notations. The written instructions, however, do not have explicit instructions. But, music does help to build the mood of a classical masterpiece. It helps in better understanding of the masterpieces.

A great influence of the classical form of music lies in its cultural durability. It is interesting to note its evolution from past to the present form. The form has taken materials from popular music and folk music. Yet it retained its originality and showed up as updated versions of the classical masterpieces.

The commercialism of classical music has popularised it among the people. Now, DVDs of the latest versions of classical music are available in retail stores. The prices of the DVDs are kept low and so all income group people can buy the DVDs from the Classical Music Stores. People now need not go to a theatre to watch a performance. In-fact, theatre comes to home in the form of the DVDs.The classical music CDs have made it very simple for people to get acquainted to classical forms of music. Most of the current masterpieces are compiled in CDs and sold in the market. This has made it possible for people to have a library of the classical form of music at their homes.
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About the Author:

Alden Jerry is an expert writer. Visit to know more about classical music at online music store

Rock music is a well accepted form of music, which is a combination of drums, guitars and bass. This music uses keyboard instruments like piano, synthesisers, organ, etc. There is a band of musicians who focus only on rock music and they are called rock band. Rock music is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world. Hard rock is specially liked by the western youth.

Today, people are crazy about music. They want to listen their favourite music whenever they have leisure time. Music is created to give you pleasure. The fascinating world of music lets you enjoy music in one form or other. There are various types of music these days: pop music, folk music, jazz music and rock music. All these type of music are enjoyable to hear. The songs take you through different emotions. Rock music is loud and fast than anything you’ve heard before.

In 1960, British and American rock bands became popular. Bands like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Queen, Black Sabbath, etc. are some of the famous bands. In 1980,the genre that was quite popular was glam metal. The various artists like Twisted Sister, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, Queen, Kiss, Sweet and the New York Dolls were the artists of 1980’s.

This type of music became popular in the 1950s in America and Europe. This famous music is mainly based on older musical styles like the rhythm and blues music originated by African American performers such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard. The music has a heavy focus on guitar, drums and powerful vocals. The most popular artist of rock music in the early days was Elvis Presley. His dance and powerful music can surprise anyone. “The Beatles” became successful in the 1960’s. This group was inspired by Blues and rhythm.

Rock music is evolving itself and coming in a variety of styles. Other music forms like heavy metal are also a form of rock music. Some of the heavy metal bands include Metallic and Megadeth. Rock music comes in a wide range of forms like soft pop and heavy metal. This “Rock ‘N Roll” type of music became popular in 1950s and 1960s. This new sound came from many musical styles.

In the initial days, this music was admired only in small clubs and on radio. Afterwards, it became famous with the programs like American Bandstand. Then, people could view their favourite bands on the television. Many people criticised about this type of music as they did not like the loud and fast lyrics.

Rock music began with jazz music, blues tunes, etc. It also featured electrically amplified guitars, drummers and harmonicas. By the mid-1950, performers like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Joe Turner became famous with the white audiences. Radio disc jockeys named this music rock ‘n roll.

One of the best musical album, “Sticks and Stones” has everything from fun to catchy guitar riffs. It covers a range of emotions and depicts the depth of their talent. The album grabs attention with the song “Cathedral.”. The catchy rock beat combines with a variety of instrumentation. The title track “Sticks and Stones” is also worth listening. The hard to resist lyrics would make your day. The instrumental track “ZOZ” is a classic jam track with brilliant double guitar interface. Another noteworthy feature of this track is the striking beats. Another beautiful track is “All Roads Lead to Home”. This track shows the fast and catchy style of the band. Lastly, there is a song that most college students can appreciate. “Raise a Glass”, an old Irish folk song has people singing along in the background. The album is a mixture of a broad variety of the music in the history of rock. This rock album is definitely worth listening and deserves a space on your iPod.

You can find a variety of rock music videos online and find the top tracks in the rock music charts. Don’t wait, just browse the internet to get your favourite rock
About the Author:

Alden Jerry is an xpert writer. Visit to know more about Rock Music and latest music cd

If you’ve wanted to learn to play the violin, I have quizzed a friend of mine who teaches the violin and have included suggestions and tips for playing the violin. Whether you decide to rent or buy a violin, most music shops and even places like Ebay you should be able to pick up a decent violin. They can vary in sizes ranging from an eighth, quarter, half, three-quarters, and full size. The larger you buy the more expensive they tend to get.

Holding the Violin and Bow

The Bow, generally made from horse hair and a light wood, is more commonly than not held in the right hand with the thumb bent underneath the handle/base to support it with the other fingers loosely gripping the wood at the base of the bow. The violin is held with the left hand, with the chin on the chin rest and the fingers loosely coiled around the neck of the violin. The thumb of the left hand should be relaxed but strong. Standing correctly when playing the violin is important not only for presentation but also your back. The left elbow should be curved under the violin and the violin should be roughly horizontal and the right arm held higher than the left. There are 2 methods of playing the violin, bowed (legato) and pizzicato (short, crisp, light plucks).

Bowed

Correct technique of bowing is to draw the bow smoothly across the strings approximately halfway between the fingerboard (neck) and the bridge (the elevated piece of wood on the body that holds the strings). Strong pulses or beats are generally played with a downward motion of the bow pulling across the string from left to right. Upward motion of the bow goes right to left across the string and is used on weaker beats and upbeats. Slurs in music tell the player that all the notes in the slur are to be played in the same bow movement. “Arco” is the term used to indicate bowed music. To play loudly, you press the bow harder on the string or use a quicker motion and to play quieter you use less pressure or draw the bow across the string slower.

Pizzicato

Pizzicato, or often written as pizz., is light, short, crisp playing. The index finger of the right hand is used to pull the string quickly upwards and across. For faster passages, the bow can be held while playing pizzicato, still using the index finger. Sometimes, a small cross above the music shows where the fingers of the left hand pluck the strings.

Playing notes

On a full size violin, the tones are roughly two centimeters apart. There are no frets on violins so good quality practice is needed to help create and learn tuning. It is highly recommended to have piano/keyboard when practicing.

The strings are notes G, A, D and E and when fingers press down hard on the open string it is shortened thus creating a higher pitch. The standard intervals taught to beginners are tone, tone, semitone, tone (G-A-B-C-D D-E-F#-G-A A-B-C#-D-E E-F#-G#-A-B).

The First Position is where the first finger plays up to a tone above the open string. The next position usually is third position, where the first finger plays the note a perfect fourth above the open string. (A perfect fourth is 4 complete tones so tone D on string A. All positions from first up to anywhere around tenth can be played on a string. Most sizes of violins allow the player to play 2 octaves per string.

About the Author

Chris is a classically trained conservatoire pianist. He is also an internet marketeer and recommends www.homeworkingscam.com for home working ideas.

Even a few years ago when the recording technology underwent a metamorphosis people all over the world sang out praises for the growing convenience with which music was being produced. Following the digital boom however the scene has undergone a further development. No longer do you need to queue up in front of a studio to get your little track recorded. No longer do you need to coax your parents to lend you the money for the hi-tech studio equipment you would need to turn your practice pad into a swanky recording patch. And it’s all because of the wonder box we have all come to know and love as the Personal Computer.

Thanks to the PC you can now not just record but also edit your own musical creations right in the comfort of your own home. All you need for the process is a proper ‘music production software’ (not exactly a rare breed and available easily on a number of free download sites on the net) and some great hardware.

If your budget is permissive get yourself a proper software package for as little as a few hundred dollars. Also, acquire a good, professional-quality audio interface (which will set you back by about $100 but no more) and get your own virtual recording studio right in your garage! If the large variety of recording software’s available in the market appears a tad bit bewildering relax, play safe and go for the best. Cubase, ProTools, Sonar, Sound Forge etc. are some of the names to reckon with in this field.

Once your track is recorded, mixed and edited, get ready for the final step of your quest - distribution. Simply upload your track on to the net. A number of sites and P2P operations allow you to upload files so take full advantage of this opportunity and show the world what you are really made of.

Once the uploading has been done use community sites such as Orkut or Facebook to advertise your creation amongst friends and others. While you are at it, encourage them to simply download music (the music being yours in this case, and the downloading being completely legal for a change).

Who knows quite how the recording industry will be affected by this recent trend. But whether it crumbles or manages to survive and flourish, you will definitely earn your own name amidst all the action. And for all you know maybe the guy next door will be humming your song while in the shower very soon!

About the Author
Sarika Kabra
The author is passionate about music and everything to do with it. A wannabe disc jockey, she keeps up with the latest in music production software. She has a recording studio set up in her garage.

If you’ve wanted to learn to play the violin, I have quizzed a friend of mine who teaches the violin and have included suggestions and tips for playing the violin. Whether you decide to rent or buy a violin, most music shops and even places like Ebay you should be able to pick up a decent violin. They can vary in sizes ranging from an eighth, quarter, half, three-quarters, and full size. The larger you buy the more expensive they tend to get.

Holding the Violin and Bow

The Bow, generally made from horse hair and a light wood, is more commonly than not held in the right hand with the thumb bent underneath the handle/base to support it with the other fingers loosely gripping the wood at the base of the bow. The violin is held with the left hand, with the chin on the chin rest and the fingers loosely coiled around the neck of the violin. The thumb of the left hand should be relaxed but strong. Standing correctly when playing the violin is important not only for presentation but also your back. The left elbow should be curved under the violin and the violin should be roughly horizontal and the right arm held higher than the left. There are 2 methods of playing the violin, bowed (legato) and pizzicato (short, crisp, light plucks).

Bowed

Correct technique of bowing is to draw the bow smoothly across the strings approximately halfway between the fingerboard (neck) and the bridge (the elevated piece of wood on the body that holds the strings). Strong pulses or beats are generally played with a downward motion of the bow pulling across the string from left to right. Upward motion of the bow goes right to left across the string and is used on weaker beats and upbeats. Slurs in music tell the player that all the notes in the slur are to be played in the same bow movement. “Arco” is the term used to indicate bowed music. To play loudly, you press the bow harder on the string or use a quicker motion and to play quieter you use less pressure or draw the bow across the string slower.

Pizzicato

Pizzicato, or often written as pizz., is light, short, crisp playing. The index finger of the right hand is used to pull the string quickly upwards and across. For faster passages, the bow can be held while playing pizzicato, still using the index finger. Sometimes, a small cross above the music shows where the fingers of the left hand pluck the strings.

Playing notes

On a full size violin, the tones are roughly two centimeters apart. There are no frets on violins so good quality practice is needed to help create and learn tuning. It is highly recommended to have piano/keyboard when practicing.

The strings are notes G, A, D and E and when fingers press down hard on the open string it is shortened thus creating a higher pitch. The standard intervals taught to beginners are tone, tone, semitone, tone (G-A-B-C-D D-E-F#-G-A A-B-C#-D-E E-F#-G#-A-B).

The First Position is where the first finger plays up to a tone above the open string. The next position usually is third position, where the first finger plays the note a perfect fourth above the open string. (A perfect fourth is 4 complete tones so tone D on string A. All positions from first up to anywhere around tenth can be played on a string. Most sizes of violins allow the player to play 2 octaves per string.

About the Author

Chris is a classically trained conservatoire pianist. He is also an internet marketeer and recommends www.homeworkingscam.com for home working ideas.