Taught by renowned violinist
For tonebase’s own Daniel Kurganov, inspiration and experimentation have been essential to his improvement. As musicians, we have constant opportunities to learn from the players around us and the recordings we have access to. By translating that energy into concrete technical and musical ideas in the practice room, we can better diagnose and solve lingering problems and discover new possibilities from our musical expression. These 18 experiments are starting points – make experimentation a lifelong habit!
Introduction
Kurganov started the violin at the relatively late age of 16, and had to rely on his creativity to solve technical issues. To his colleagues and students who continue to have ceilings in their practice, Kurganov believes a culture of experimentation is crucial.
Right-Hand Thumb
Many violinists touch the frog with their thumb while playing, which is suboptimal and potentially harmful to the sound. Kurganov shows a more natural way to hold the bow in this lesson.
Sensations of Balance in the Bow
For this lesson, Kurganov demonstrates six sensations designed to prime your body for feeling that the bow is an extension of your arm.
Sensations of Balance in the Bow
For this lesson, Kurganov demonstrates six sensations designed to prime your body for feeling that the bow is an extension of your arm.
Extending Your Rich and Lush Sound
There's something about Henryk Szeryng's sound that's magical – Kurganov shows us how we can manipulate time, momentum, vibrato, and articulation to approach this.
Left-Hand Thumb Positions
It's a myth that violinists with small fingers are doomed to suffer. Kurganov compares two performances with different thumb positions, and analyzes where each is most useful.
Flexibility of the Right Hand and Fingers
Deeply feeling the friction of the bow is crucial to maintain looseness in the fingers. Kurganov looks at how the right hand can caress the instrument like a paintbrush, or change directions smoothly without anything fancy – both can be beautiful!
Right Elbow Height
A high elbow isn't necessarily a bad thing – some players, like Christian Ferras, use it to intensify their stroke. Kurganov examines both positions and their ramifications.
Hair Angle
Some players, like Joseph Silverstein, advocated for never using flat hair. However, flat hair can also give us a big sound with minimal effort. Kurganov urges you to explore both extremes!
Supination vs Pronation
Kurganov demonstrates Karen Tuttle's concept of "re-pulling" the hand in the middle of the stroke to increase power as we approach the tip of the bow.
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