The causes and cures of mechanical violin playing

Playing the violin is a life-enriching pursuit which allows us to express our emotions through the character of music. The essence of music is the essence of the self; thus, a true artistic violinist knows that he must bring a strong sense of enjoyment and freedom of creative expression into his music, in order to enjoy fully the life-enriching benefits of playing. He also understands that it is only through a healthy balance between his technical abilities on the violin and his mental approach to playing, that he will be able to realise his full potential. However, very often a violin teacher will come across pupils who, although they may have great musical potential, perform inartistically or 'mechanically', without tapping into their own inner musical moods. In other words, their skill in playing the violin is purely technical, rather than creative, interpretative or personal. On an instrument as sensitive and personal as the violin, this impersonal style of playing is rarely compensated for by mere technical accomplishment. It is not at all my intention to devalue the technical aspects of playing the violin; in fact, an appreciable amount of technical skill is an essential implement in enabling a violinist to fully express his individuality. Where the problem arises is when technique is concentrated on at the expense of artistic expression, due to limitations either in the student's or the teacher's approach or background. The purpose of this thesis is to 4 examine the psychological factors which cause such limitations, and to explore the mental barriers which lead to the breakdown in true musical playing and communication. Thus, the possible causes of mechanical violin playing will be discussed in terms of psychological, social, and cultural influences, to be tackled in the following order:

Grantor

College of Music

Year dc:date.issued

1998

Author dc:creator

• Chen, Julia Chiu-Ling

• Music

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40244

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/40244