The Posture That Makes the Difference!!
By Eunice Elie, President
What is it about the Suzuki Method that creates such outstanding musicians at so young an age? We see a 5 year old performing Vivaldi Concertos or the Bach Double or such pieces, and we find out he is a student studying the Suzuki Method. What makes it possible for such a young student to develop such a high level of ability so soon?
Thirty-seven years of teaching young students has convinced me that “posture” will ‘make' or ‘stalemate' the development of playing ability. Some students struggle for years in the same book. Some move steadily forward book after book. Some fly through pieces, seeming to have gained some great insight into “how” to make it happen.”
wo points of physical posture taught in the Suzuki Method of string playing create the most solid foundation and most sturdy support for development of a strong, vibrant performance. They are the thumb posture of the bow hand and the jaw posture of the violinist, working in conjunction with the gently supportive shoulder muscle. The advancement and success of ability development depends upon these two points of posture. From these two points result the stability and support for all the rest of the necessary posture and the freedom to play most difficult passages of music fluidly and with great command and control.
The Suzuki Method designs the violinist's bow thumb to be bent in a way to create a soft, “magic circle” when combined with the first joint of the big finger. This becomes the power source and skillful ‘commander' of inspiring bowing techniques. Let that thumb go flat and stiff and the ability level will go only so far… and no further. The bent thumb allows the rest of the bow fingers to balance and flex, which allows the wrist to be flexible, which in turn helps the elbow move with graceful ease or commanding force. A flat, stiff thumb, on the other hand, creates tension and stiffness in the bow hand, which in turn inhibits the flexibility of the wrist, tightens the muscles in the arm and creates a robotic sound with a bow that will not travel straight over the strings. The bow will inevitably drag off toward the fingerboard as the arm pulls downward. Does your student have a difficult time driving the bow straight across the strings? Check the bow thumb as he's playing. Is it bent or flat?
The violin side of a violinist's body is equally as important an issue. The entire posture of the violin arm, hand and fingers… the fluidity of the finger movement, the point of finger contact on the strings, the perfect point of pitch….all depend on the back corner of the jaw properly catching the weight of the instrument and maintaining the instrument posture parallel to the floor. The chin rest would more correctly be called, the “jaw” rest. Grasping the “jaw” rest with the back corner of the jaw, just below the ear, will help stabilize the box of the violin over the muscle of shoulder. Maintaining this posture will give the instrument well rounded support as the shoulder slightly curves under the violin enough to enable the arm and wrist to correctly angle under the violin. This automatically brings the fingers higher over the strings, thus making nicely curved finger tips land on correct pitch. Building enduring strength between the jaw and shoulder, will allow complete freedom in the violin hand to execute skillful passages with greatest speed, accuracy and fluency. Relaxed muscles of the arm, wrist and hand will be free to rotate and move as needed. No robotic movements here! No stressed tight muscles.
Holding the instrument more to the front of the chin causes the violin to slip downward toward the collar bone and over the chest. The head tilts forward to keep its grasp on the instrument. The stress this posture causes on the neck will eventually lead to headaches, toothaches, shoulder pain, back pain and arm pain. Tension develops through the muscles from the shoulder down to the hand as the arm and hand try to support the weight of the “shifting” violin. When the violin hand is supporting the weight of the instrument, the fingers cannot possibly perform swift, fluid movements. The muscle strain causes the arm to quickly grow tired and achy causing the elbow to droop closer to the body. Gravity causes more downward shifting of the instrument. The violin hand becomes so tight and tense grasping around the neck of the instrument that it appears to be choking the neck…and indeed it is doing just that. The whiny, wispy, choked tones produce terrible sound! The arm angles backward away from the violin. The wrist, in order to bear the weight, couches the neck of the violin and the fingers come down on the strings straight and flat which produces flat pitch. Skills such as playing chords, trills and shifting into higher positions will be ‘ear-rendingly' hindered. Speed is out of the question and ability development is ‘stalemated.'
The cellist's bow thumb is just as critical. It should not be flat and tense. It's most powerful command will come from a softly, slightly rounded or bent thumb that creates a gentle grasp on the bow stick. A stiff, tense, flat thumb creates a stiff wrist and bow arm that cannot play with fluid ease. It will create music that sounds robotic and stiff.
The thumb positioned on the neck of the cello, also needs to have a gentle, soft curve to keep the entire hand rounded and soft. Soft muscles allow tendons and ligaments to rotate and move with great ease and flexibility. This will produce excellent accuracy of pitch with speed and dexterity of finger movement.
Correct posture will promote success and strong command of the instrument. It will give years of enjoyment as you listen to hours of practicing and performances. Strictly pursue great returns on the investment of your time and money.
"Ever in joyful song!" Eunice Elie, President |
