This year in 2014, I invented new ways to play the violin using many more of the instruments parts. It is a modern concept in its extended technique angle, but still very accessible to the listener. Some techniques I use to begin this improvisation include the bow harmonic spiccato that I came up with years ago, as well as the 3-finger pizzicato that I first used in Caprice No. 3 in A Major using the 4th finger on the left-hand and the first 2 fingers on the bow hand. In this case though, I not only employ it as arpeggios, but create a repeated note like a guitar tremolo. I also employ the thumb-strum technique using 3 and 4-note chords played like a guitar or mandolin. With this piece, I came up with an alternating up and down bounced bow at the tip sympathetically combined with the left-hands 4th-finger pizzacato outlining fingered chords using the remaining three fingers on the left-hand. I also use the bow chop in this piece at the frog, and then I create Hip Hop sound effects with the chop that employ sliding the bow on the string with varying amounts of stress on the strings creating controlled and pitched noise. I also use the chop in combination with the left-hand 3rd finger striking the top wooden plate of the instrument near the shoulder while dampening the four strings with the left-hands first-finger. The two hands can play the violin like a hand drum traveling across the graduated wooden top to change pitches. I discovered that I can alternately dampen strings with the left-hands 1st-finger while still being able to play percussion with the left-hands 3rd finger sometimes up-dampening to change timbre. Playing percussion with the right-hand is difficult while holding the bow, but I developed a natural technique using the bow hands thumb. Deploying one other right-hand finger is possible while still balancing the bow in the air and occasional can be used on the rib of the violin. I invented the technique of turning the bow into a percussion mallet using the screw end of bow by the frog, instead of the delicate bow tip. I invented new areas of the violin to use musically and percussively, specifically the tailpiece and chinrest. I utilize the tailpiece as a unique and beautiful percussive instrument, with over tones created with the strings attached to it, by striking it with the screw at the bottom of the bow. I use the Chinrest as a talking drum taking advantage of the ability to change the pitch as the contour of the chinrest naturally allows. I employ the metal 1/4 jack of my pickup housing for an industrial metalic sound with the screw of the bow and finally the top of the bridge for a loud and tight wooden percussive hit. And the use both hands finger nails on the violins ribs provides a unique sound texture. The years I studied percussion as a teen helped me with the flam paradiddles or often referred to as flamadiddles. Or in this case we could call them flamafiddles. Or flam parafiddles. [Recorded June 27th, 2014] https://youtube/watch?v=n_op1PBwYJo&index=14&list=PL7F9E7EEEF68A4B09
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 14:51:39 +0000
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