Hand Shapes through 7 positions and 7 Modes
Paganini: "There is only one scale and one position." Sounds like he had a system.
What is this?
This is a page of scales in one key signature (C Major). The pitches in C major can be discovered in each position. In common practice, this mechanism needs to be mastered to make automatic adjustments to hand shapes when changing positions.
Approaching the 7 unique positions on the violin is a great challenge for the emerging violinist, but work in the positions is not significantly different from work in first position.
If a student is capable of using 4 patterns (Fox, Tea, Bear, Rabbit), they should be capable of approaching all 7 positions in 7 modes. In fact, by naming the hand shapes, easily discernible patterns emerge. For instance, there should be little trouble transitioning from one position to the next as the 9th through 16th notes of each pattern forecast the start of the next position. I've used colors and connecting lines to show this pattern. I've shown that the seven positions are a closed circuit.
Alongside of the hand shapes, I would hope that students are aware of note names and half step locations..
After an initial walk through of these scales, the student should attempt to speak and play.
"A, B is close to C, D E is close to F, G A," etc.
This is a great start for gaining a deeply ingrained and systematic understanding of the grid pattern of locations on the fingerboard.
What I think is fascinating about this system, is that after C Major is mastered, there is no significant difficulty in transposing this exercise into 11 key signatures. The only difference is that the initial starting mode is offset. For instance, G major in 1st position is essentially "Dorian" mode. The hand shapes used in every instance of the Dorian mode pattern are identical. See below for a comparison of the patterns in C major vs. G major.
This is a page of scales in one key signature (C Major). The pitches in C major can be discovered in each position. In common practice, this mechanism needs to be mastered to make automatic adjustments to hand shapes when changing positions.
Approaching the 7 unique positions on the violin is a great challenge for the emerging violinist, but work in the positions is not significantly different from work in first position.
If a student is capable of using 4 patterns (Fox, Tea, Bear, Rabbit), they should be capable of approaching all 7 positions in 7 modes. In fact, by naming the hand shapes, easily discernible patterns emerge. For instance, there should be little trouble transitioning from one position to the next as the 9th through 16th notes of each pattern forecast the start of the next position. I've used colors and connecting lines to show this pattern. I've shown that the seven positions are a closed circuit.
Alongside of the hand shapes, I would hope that students are aware of note names and half step locations..
After an initial walk through of these scales, the student should attempt to speak and play.
"A, B is close to C, D E is close to F, G A," etc.
This is a great start for gaining a deeply ingrained and systematic understanding of the grid pattern of locations on the fingerboard.
What I think is fascinating about this system, is that after C Major is mastered, there is no significant difficulty in transposing this exercise into 11 key signatures. The only difference is that the initial starting mode is offset. For instance, G major in 1st position is essentially "Dorian" mode. The hand shapes used in every instance of the Dorian mode pattern are identical. See below for a comparison of the patterns in C major vs. G major.
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5) What about other seemingly Sisyphean tasks, like all of the 3-octave scales and arpeggios?
5) What about other seemingly Sisyphean tasks, like all of the 3-octave scales and arpeggios?
C major, 7 positions and modes sheet music (eventually will post all keys here). All images and text on this site are under copyright. Please do not sell or distribute without expressed written consent. Personal use only, please.
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