Taught by renowned violinist
Nancy Zhou
In this investigation into right-hand technique, Nancy Zhou provides a blueprint for different components involved in developing an expressive bow technique. Charting a course through the production of vowel and consonant sounds, Zhou uses analogies, exercises from the renowned pedagogue Demetrius Dounis, and detailed physical demonstrations. Zhou caps it off with a course on accented legato, an important tool for making our melodies speak. By the end of this course, you'll have thoroughly examined the playing habits of your entire right arm and be well on your way to doing just about anything you can imagine with the bow!
Introduction
Violin pedagogue Demetrius Constantine Dounis (c. 1894-1954) is renowned for his prolific output of technical literature for the violin. Dounis's student David Nadien taught Nancy Zhou, who provides this expansive look at a variety of right-hand exercises taught by both Dounis and Nadien.
Vowel Sounds
Which part of the bow moves when you press down it – the stick or the bow? Nancy Zhou begins her explanation of how to produce vowel sounds on the violin by answering this question at several different points along the bow (hint: it’s not the same everywhere). She continues by helping us find a natural right-hand position, explaining how the bow is like a see-saw, and providing exercises from the Dounis collection to develop legato string crossings.
Consonant Sounds
Consonant sounds, as opposed to vowels, are created via the technique of collé, meaning “glued.” Nancy Zhou provides introductory exercises that lead up to those from the Dounis collection. She explains both the downbow and upbow variants, including how we can move up the bow by playing a downbow. By the end of the lesson, you’ll be well on your way to generating a staccato.
Accented Legato
Having worked on both vowel and consonant sounds, accented legato is the next step in right-hand technique. These exercises, adapted from Dounis, require us to start forte and immediately dip down to piano, necessitating a delicate balance of bow pressure, speed, and finger weight. Nancy Zhou helps us understand the mechanics of how the bow works as well as how to create the necessary resistance to play these exercises. Finally, Zhou explains how to change the bow while preserving legato, and offers irregular bow divisions for further practice.
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Unlock Course →Winner of the 2018 Shanghai Isaac Stern Violin Competition, Nancy Zhou is building a unique career of international renown.
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