ŠEVČĺK'S VIOLIN TECHNIC - Preparatory Studies to the Shake, Op. 7

PREPARATORY  STUDIES  TO  THE  SHAKE Op. 7
   The first book contains trill studies in the 1st position; the second is more or less a repetition of these in the other positions.  When the trill functions are correctly grasped the study of both books may be reduced to a few specially useful exercises.  In later days Sevcik no more asked that the finger be lifted high and then dropped with some force unto the string when trilling, as this move is not physiologically sound.  The lower as well as the trilling finger should, on the contrary, be placed on the string as elastically as possible, and in no case should the trilling finger be pulled up high by special exertion ; it should strike the string from normal height.
   The beating of the trill should be aurally controlled already.at low speed to ensure correct function.  The impression should be one of light elastic bounce, materially different from simple placing of the fingers. A functionally correct trill can only be produced from the vertical hand in elastic equilibrium.  If the shake is accelerated, a " locked shake " which is produced by hypertension of the hand muscles, should never be used.  A functionally correct trill must not give rise to a feeling of hypertension.  With the right methods of practice, exercises 1, 2, 3, 8, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20 and 23 in the first book will be sufficient.  All shake exercises should be practised at first slowly throughout, then with double acceleration, and with rhythmical precision.  From book 2, exercises 11, 13, 15, 16 and 17 will suffice.