Skip to main content

How to Do a Tremolo Violin

Creating a tremolo on the violin requires using the bow to play between two pitches, usually on adjacent strings. When first learning to play the tremolo it is best to start with a slow speed until the motion becomes familiar. Then, once you have the motion down, you can speed up the tremolo until you achieve an appropriate sound. Tremolos typically only occur for short periods of time. However, the speed of the tremolo should move as quickly as the performer can play. There are two methods for creating a tremolo: a bowed tremolo that uses a single pitch, or a fingered tremolo that alternates between two pitches. Bowed

Tremolo 

Step 1:  Finger the note you would like to play a tremolo on.

Step 2:  Place the bow on the string, about one-third from the tip of the bow. The tip of the bow is the opposite end from which you hold the bow.

Step 3:  Move the bow back and forth using only the top third of the bow. You can create a measured tremolo with a specific number of strokes per measure, or unmeasured in which you simply move as fast as possible.

Fingered Tremolo 

Step 1:  Place the appropriate finger on the first note of the tremolo. The appropriate finger will depend on the notes that are used and should follow the normal positions for the violin.

Step 2:  Use another finger to play the second note of the tremolo. You will alternate between the first and second note using your fingers and moving with a measured or unmeasured tremolo.

Step 3:  Pull the bow over the string that produces the alternating notes. Alternate between up-bow and down-bow, while the fingers do the work of creating the tremolo.


  • Up-bow is when you move from the tip of the bow to the frog and makes a smooth and imperceptible entrance possible. 
  •  Down-bow involves moving from the frog to the tip and typically gives a slight accent to the first note.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Claude Debussy Never Cared About Music Theory

  Claude Debussy was born on August 22, 1862. So, I felt writing a blog post to celebrate would be appropriate. Debussy was a revolutionary composer who challenged the conventions of Western music. He was influenced by the impressionist painters, the exotic sounds of gamelan music, and the symbolist poets. He created a musical language that was expressive, colorful, and atmospheric. One of the most remarkable aspects of Debussy's music is his use of harmony. He did not follow the rules of tonality and functional harmony that dominated the music of his time. Instead, he used modes, scales, chords, and parallel movements that created a sense of ambiguity and fluidity. He also experimented with timbre, texture, rhythm, and form to create musical images that evoked moods and emotions. Debussy's music can inspire us to think outside the box and explore new possibilities in our own compositions. We can learn from his innovative techniques and his artistic vision. We can also apprecia...
Post a Comment
Read more

List of Musical Techniques and Their Meanings

Musical techniques are the building blocks of any basic music training. These techniques allow performers to improve their coordination and develop accuracy through repetitive daily exercises. Musical techniques progressively build upon previously learned techniques. Scales Scales form the basis for other musical techniques. Student may study major and minor scales as well as modern scales, such as the whole-tone and octatonic scales. A scale consists of patterns of half steps and whole steps. These whole steps and half-step arrangements will be different for each scale. Scales are musical techniques that can help a performer to play faster and more accurately, and make learning new pieces easier. Chords Chords require knowledge of major and minor scales. Chords come in several different forms that affect the sound. Triads consist of three notes spaced a third apart and classified as major, minor, augmented and diminished chords. Seventh chords build on triads and have an additional no...
Post a Comment
Read more

Similarities of Classical and Baroque Music

Music has evolved through the centuries and undergone drastic changes. One of the most significant transitions was from the Baroque to the Classical period of music. In this paragraph, I will compare and contrast some of the main features of these two styles, such as ensembles, instrumentation, and counterpoint study. The Baroque and Classical periods of music have many similarities. While the style of music changed drastically, certain key elements remained the same between the two styles. Composers in the Classical period sought to simplify music and create clearly audible musical lines. In contrast, composers from the Baroque period were interested in creating complex and highly ornamented musical lines. The Baroque period occurs from approximately 1600 to 1750, and the Classical period extends from 1750 to 1820. Ensembles Ensembles are groups of musicians that perform together. Both the Baroque and the Classical period had similar types of ensembles, such as operas, orchestras, str...
Post a Comment
Read more