HOW TO PRACTISE ŠEVČĺK'S MASTERWORKS - 5

   The following is an explanation  in terms of the movements of play  of the methods of practice in " School  of  Violin  Technic",  " School  of  Bowing Technic"  " Studies Preparatory to the Shake" " Changes of Position and Scale Exercises", and the " Preparatory Studies in Double Stoppings ". Furthermore,  exercises  are  quoted  which  Ševčík  used only when  teaching  personally.  Finally,  Ševčík's methods of practice are demonstrated on a Violin
Concerto.

Allocation of the Practising Material

  Alternately with the first part of the " Violin Technic", the first book of the " Studies Preparatory to the Shake " should be used.  At the same time, one should begin with the " School of Bowing Technic."
  The exercises of the second part of the " Violin Technic " should be dealt with in the order as given by Ševčík (see footnote page 2, part 2).  Simultaneously with the second part of the " Violin Technic", one should begin the second book of the " Studies Preparatory to the Shake", " Changes of Position and Scale Studies", as well as the " Double Stoppings"

HOW TO PRACTISE ŠEVČĺK'S MASTERWORKS - 4

   As to the bow, Ševčík demanded that it should be
held more from above than  from the side. 

The arrangement of the fingers on the stick should then be
as follows:

1. the index finger lies on the stick in the middle of the second joint,
2. the middle finger touching it at the bend between the first and second joints and
3. the ring-finger with the middle of the first joint,
4. while the little finger rests on the stick with its tip.
5. The thumb stands opposite the middle finger and
6. with this it forms a closed but elastic grasp.

The position of the arm will always be ruled by the bowhold,  and not vice versa.  The upper arm should therefore not be lifted in such a way that, when playing at the frog, the elbow would be as high as, or even higher than, the wrist.  In the first place this would impair the
playing at the lower half of the bow, the precision of spring bow technic, and the sensitivity of phrasing. Mention should here be made of the so-called "Russian" bowhold of which Sevcik did not approve.  Anyhow, this bowhold was not taught by any of the other great teachers of violin playing such as Hubay or Auer, both of whom were adherents to the so-called " Franco-Belgian " bowing technic.  The Russian bowhold became fashionable with the use of steel strings which demanded a stronger bow pressure than gut strings. The raising of the arm resulting from this lateral
bowhold soon became a mannerism which was detrimental to elastic and finely differentiated bowing. Even Carl Flesch who at first propagated the Russian bowhold appreciated its disadvantages as time went by--as proof vide his directions in " The Art of Violin Playing " of 1923, as opposed to those in " Problems of Sound" 1932.  He describes the Russian bowhold in his " Art of Violin Playing " as follows" " The index touches the stick at the line separating the second from the third joint, and in addition embraces it with its first and second joints."  In " Problems of Sound " he says" "  however, the index must never lie on the stick at the beginning of the root joint, or all advantages of this grip become disadvantages; the tone becomes hard, unelastic and incapable of modulation.  The technic at the frog becomes clumsy and the détaché at the point shaky." As is obvious, Flesch contradicted his original stipulation nine years later, and described all its disadvantages.  Also, he was no longer convinced of the reality of its advantages for he wrote further: " For the rest, I usually leave it to the pupil whether he wishes to use the Russian or the Franco-Belgian bowhold." Shortly before his death, Flesch expressed the same opinion to the writer who proved the Russian bowhold to be physiologically detrimental to movement.

HOW TO PRACTISE ŠEVČĺK'S MASTERWORKS - 3

    Erroneous concepts of playing functions are greatly
to be blamed for causing uneconomic practise.  Even
outstanding teachers have erred in this matter, confusing cause and effect.  Thus, the pupil is usually told that he must place the fingers of the left hand as firmly as possible on the fingerboard.  Nothing could be more harmful and dangerous than this postulate. On the contrary the fingers must be placed lightly and with elasticity on the fingerboard.  Brilliant violin playing requires the optimum quick and effortless change of the fingers, which can only be achieved if a minimum of effort is applied in fingering.  If the finger is placed too firmly on the fingerboard, the surplus tension may influence the other fingers and impair
their independence.
   What induces the pupil as well as some less experienced teachers to believe that the fingers should be placed firmly on the fingerboard is the quick and elastic attack produced in faultless fingering (functioning of the grip), for this gives a firm, clicking impression.  However, this elastic attack is achieved only as a result of correct finger action; there is no short cut, or rather, it cannot be replaced by a makeshift
attack of the fingers' without seriously endangering the technic of playing by this sham function.
   Regulated according to Ševčík's teaching, the fingering position of the hand is the physiologically soundest one.  Forearm and back of the hand should form a straight line, and the left arm should be pulled in towards the middle of the body and turned inwards as far as this is possible without hypertension. Depending on its length, the thumb touches the neck of the violin either with the first joint or in the bend of the knuckle.  The common assumption that it was Ševčík's instruction to place the thumb under the neck of the violin is erroneous.
   What is decisive for a faultless technic is not so much the exact reproduction of movements as directed, but rather the kinesthetic adaptation to the necessary movements.  This feeling has to be sensed as an elastic grasp of the left hand.  In this a very fine elastic tension is felt at the back of the hand which will leave greatest freedom of movement to the fingers in the basic joints and yet guarantee elasticity in grasping. Only with this condition of the left hand will perfect
play result, leading to brilliant pearly playing of passages, rebounding trills and expressive vibrato.

HOW TO PRACTISE ŠEVČĺK'S MASTERWORKS - 2

  Ševčík's method is sometimes criticised for developing one-sided virtuosity in the pupil.  This is unjustified: It is not fair to blame the method for having been applied to men of outstanding and lesser genius alike.
  The true musicality contained in his works is just as
outstanding as their practicality.  Whoever studied under Ševčík's guidance and had the benefit of his oral instruction knows how he insisted on good musical interpretation.
  Consequently,  though Ševčík's  personal  teaching was fully adequate both technically and musically, it may not be so simple to apply the printed music to full advantage, for none of his works contains adequate instructions about the necessary and efficient condition of the physical mechanism.  This Ševčík controlled and corrected when teaching.  Sparing of words in his lessons and never fond of lengthy explanations, he gave his students useful exercises designed to eliminate or correct faulty movements.
  Like any other course of studies for the violin, Ševčík's work, though more concentrated and rational, is a means of schooling the sequence of movement. It is however impossible to secure functionally correct performance through exercises unless the right attitude exists towards physical problems.  This attitude may be a natural gift or it must be developed through a conscious grasp of the principles of movement.
  All repeated actions become habitual : if motions are
systematically  wrongly  practised,  i.e.  inefficiently
executed, they will defeat their aim.  In short, one may learn systematically what is wrong just as easily as what is correct.
   In his Violin Method Ševčík aimed at absolute freedom and independence of both left and right hand. To achieve this, he proceeded so systematically that every possible movement is provided for.
   Such thoroughness combined with such rational selection of material had never been achieved before in a method of musical studies.  However, Ševčík presupposed a natural ability for faultless playing functions.
  When studying, one of the greatest dangers is to apply force when attempting to overcome emerging difficulties.  This results in strain which will magnify the handicap, rather than remove it.  All playing motions must, therefore, be practised first at a slow pace in order to control their ease of execution as well as their correct course, and intonation.  The pupil must learn how to remove inhibitions by reducing the tension which arises through overstretching during
practice.  What must be "practised " is the permanent control of the state of tension and of the unimpeded course of motions.  But in 95 cases out of 100, the violinist assumes that practice consists in the countless repetition of functionally faulty passages, hoping in vain that they will thereby one day become faultless.
   Speeding up of motions automatically adds to the tension.  It follows that it is necessary to practise with a minimum of strain so that no hypertension can develop when speed of movement is increased.  For, if the movement of playing is not relatively effortless and faultless at a slow speed, it will be even less so at a fast speed.

HOW TO PRACTISE ŠEVČĺK'S MASTERWORKS - 1

   Ševčík's Violin Method represents the end of an
epoch in the development of literature for violin
tuition.  It is so complete a masterpiece as to be
hardly surpassable.
  Ševčík, a pupil of Professor Bennewitz at the Prague
Conservatoire,  was  himself  an  outstanding  violin
virtuoso.  As a young man he toured Russia where, however, he soon gave up playing in public and devoted
his  efforts  entirely  to  teaching.   His  assurance and pure intonation in playing lasted until his old age. Ševčík began teaching in Charkow, but within two years he became Professor at the Conservatoire in Kiew.  From that time dates his Op. 1, the " School of Violin Technic".  Thanks to his extraordinary success as a teacher and his great organising ability he, although only thirty, was appointed Inspector of the Royal Russian Conservatoires of Music.  In 1892, having spent nearly twenty years in Russia, he returned home to take charge of the Prague Conservatoire's Master Classes.  Within a few years many of
his pupils became reputed virtuosos and his name acquired international fame.  Among his pupils of that time  Jan  Kubelik,  Jaroslav  Kocian,  Sascha Culbertson, Marie Hall and Daisy Kennedy excelled through their technically polished and faultless violin playing.
   In 1902 Ševčík was called to Vienna as Principal of
the Master Classes of the Academy of Music.  After
the first world war he retired to Pisek in Bohemia and
there his pupils from all over the world followed him.
He travelled twice to America to teach at the Cornell Institute in Ithaka.  In Vienna Ševčík had again launched a veritable army of outstanding violinists and virtuosos, among them one of the most brilliant stars: Erica Morini.  At the same time Ševčík's Violin Method became so well known throughout the world that there was hardly a violinist who did not use it.
After his Op. 1, the " School of Violin Technic" in four parts, his Op. 2, " School of Bowing Technic " in six parts was published, next the " Violin Method for Beginners " Op. 6, the " Studies Preparatory to the Shake " Op. 7, " Changes of Position and Scale Exercises " Op. 8, and the " Preparatory Studies in Double Stoppings " Op. 9.  Moreover, mention may here be made of a later work which was partly written in America, i.e. Op. 11, a great School of Violin Technic in 16 volumes with the title, " School of Intonation on an Harmonic Basis", published by Harms in New York.  The fundamental principle of this work consists in a development of a technic of motion based on harmonic conditions,  Ševčík believed he could show in this work an even more rational method of studying the violin; it contains many brilliant ideas and exercises but is very involved and on the whole less concentration is applied to technical problems than in Op. 1.
  At the end of the 1920's Ševčík wrote another " School of Violin Interpretation", Op. 16, as well as technical analyses of standard works of the violin literature, Op. 17 to 21.  In 1934, when, active as ever at the age of 81 he was preparing new works, death overtook him.

PREFACE

   Ševčík's works for the study of violin playing have
been used the world over for more than half a century
as an unsurpassed standard work.  However, it has
become apparent that many violinists do not realise
how best to allocate the practising material and also
do not perceive the  required  sequence  of bodily
motions correctly.  In such cases study is fruitless,
a waste of time and labour.  These facts induced the
Publishers to provide instructions how best to study
in Ševčík's work the material itself, as well as the
required sequence of movements, so as to achieve a
sound and reliable technic in a comparatively short
time.
  Author of these instructions is Prof. A. Mingotti,
the Munich violinist and outstanding teacher who, as
a former master-pupil and Prof. Ševčík's deputy is
best qualified to issue them.

The Publisher.