Why Violin Pros Have Great Tone . . . and you don’t 

Those who had/have great teachers - who THEMSELVES were taught by great teachers - sound this way because we have the skill set. I dare say, the kind of teacher who trains students to be orchestra section players, and not soloists, don't focus on any of these things hardly, mainly because they don't even know them themselves. And it's not just three or four things, it's like 20 or 30 things really. A complete discussion of them all would be impossible to do in a small comment box like this and there is no way to learn them all in a single lesson or with just one piece. It's developed over a period of years, not in an instructional video. I'll just hit on a few, as these were what I had drummed into me for years. 1. The bow has to move with a plan. Being able to employ your bow not only as your paintbrush, but to develop a tonal palette using it, is - obviously - quite, quite important. Knowing the correct and incorrect ways of using the bow or even literally how you move the bow - is imperative. 2. Knowing the fingerboard and knowing the positions (learned from scales and some of the more useful etudes/caprices). Sounds corny, but a lot of people don't. Each note has to be deliberately placed under your fingers. Which brings me to... 3. Fingering. You have to know how to develop your own fingerings that work for you, but also those that are appropriate for a particular piece (i.e., you would not finger Bach in the same way you would Shostakovich.) 3a. If you want a dynamite left hand, you have to study some hard stuff, like Paganini. You'll learn the fine art of fingering if you have learned some of the Caprices. The more, the better...if not all 24, then at least 12 or 13 of them. 4. Vibrato must mirror the soul. You have to be able to modulate your vibrato 'ad hoc'. Same thing - Bach vibrato should be almost instinctive, and usually, very sparingly. It's baroque music. They barely used vibrato then. Tchaikovsky? Different vibrato. Mozart? Different vibrato. 5. (Last one, I have to draw the line somewhere, but this is the most important...) You have to know your own playing. You have to be the best assessor of your own work. And that involves one organ - your ears. Know how to listen to yourself. Be able to identify your own bad intonation, and know how to fix it. Know how to read a score, and do what's in the score (before you play a note.) Obey the composer's instructions, especially with dynamics and articulation. Don't let yourself get away with playing out of tune. Don't let yourself play sharp or flat except for expressive purposes, and even then, know when to use expressive intonation. People who play in tune tend to have a bigger sound, and have a larger tonal palette than those who didn't pay enough, or any, attention to intonation. BIG, BEAUTIFUL TONE = IN TUNE. Once you know these basic things, you work on developing them. The reason it takes a "real pro" to pull off a beautiful, convincing, existential, spellbinding performance of something like the Violin Concerto by Alban Berg is because they are real musicians who have mastered the art of tonality on their (stringed) instrument. They learned how to create that ideal sonic atmosphere - literally, one that "sells" (sells concert tickets and record albums...well, until posting recordings for free listening on RU-vid came along and copyright kinda went down the drain for the most part.) Thanks for reading, if you didn't TLDR this already!

“…and you don’t” hurt 😭

Practicing 40hrs a day is the key😊😊

When I was younger I played violin, and it took me 10 years to discover the biggest secret to sounding better at violin... and no-one seems to teach it. I used to think I was terrible at playing, as everyone sounded so much better than me! But then I discovered playing in the bathroom improved my sound massively! Turns out a violin always sounds worse if you are within about 50cm of it... and sounds so much better if you are further away... which just happens to be how you hear everyone else play except yourself. Playing in a room with high sound reflections like a bathroom (rather than a bedroom or lounge) allows you to hear more of that mellow smooth sound reflected back to you. You should totally try it! More than that, to prove distance is important, you can also try playing your violin like a mini cello, but at fully stretched arms length in front of you, in a normal room (not bathroom). Even though your bow control will be far inferior playing like that, you'll still hear that smoother tone! Crazy! Most violinists I know were paranoid that everyone else played better than them... turns out everyone else hears you play better than you hear yourself too. So practice in the bathroom sometimes, to get a confidence boost... and then you can work on the techniques in this video to actually get even better, but knowing you don't need to be paranoid!

I think the easiest way to create tone is the extreme exercises because 1) you need to hear it to believe it and 2) your hands need to have examples. Close to bridge with pressure and a very slow bow. Move a half centimeter away and do the same thing. Etc. Your ears will naturally figure out what sounds best on your instrument. Be mindful to listen to the overtones. Do it on each string. Afterward, play the piece you are working on -- all of the sudden, you realize there are more possibilities in your tone production in every section of your piece.

As someone who has played the violin since I was 6, I know how to use my bow, but it feels natural to me, and thus I have to research how to teach my students to use the bow in the same way. This video was very helpful for giving me the words needed to help my students express themselves better.

Just picked up a violin a few days ago and just practicing running up and down the entire bow keeping my bow square with the violin strings I've noticed that each string requires a different pressure to make a solid sound. I think some of these things become apparent naturally if you spend enough time with each aspect. It's nice to hear you speak about this and confirm my findings.

You’ve blown my mind. I learned more about bowing in these 9 minutes 51 seconds than I’ve learned in my entire fiddling life. Thanks!

I'm 16 and I've been playing for 10 years. I have no problems with my left hand, but I have always had trouble with getting clear and a smooth sound. This has helped an awful lot! Thanks so much, the video is easy to follow. Got yourself another subscriber

After playing the violin for 10 years and having no progress in the last 4… This is what I needed It totally makes sense now! 🤯 Thank you! ❤

Fantastic! Instant bookmark! Thanks for putting this out there!

Thanks for the class . Very informative

Thanks! Great information.

I appreciate what this man is telling people. It is valuable information. And it is also a reminder for some of us that already know it and are failing to practice it.

Thank you for sharing this 3 rules! They are very useful and helpful ❤

Great video! Thanks for posting. I've always known a lot of what you taught here but never heard described like you did. Great Job!

Learned many things! Much appreciated, you're a big help!

omg you're right, this for me sounds much better now. once again you've helped me feel not only like i can apply rules given to me, but understand why those principles exist in the first place. thank you

So helpful- Thank you!!

thank you so much! I'm working on Lalo 1st movement (and also Bach partitar no. 3 gavotte en rondeau) and this truly helps a lot, even my violin teacher told me i tend to use a lot of pressure but i didn't realize how less prioritized pressure is in getting the sound i want. i'm definitely going to experiment more with it!!

Thank you so much for explaining pressure on the bow; and bow speed. Very helpful. I subscribed!

Thank you! Very instructive and straight to the point!

Very well explained. All of this is exactly what I'm always telling my students! It's all easier said than done of course - getting to a point where you can precisely control your bow speed, bow placement, and bow pressure simultaneously takes years of practice. Being aware of the basic principles is a good start though.

I really like this guy's videos. He gives real practical advice on many violin topics.

That was very informative. Thank you!

Thank you Sir for sharing your expertise

I appreciate these thoughts. I’ll be thinking about this next time I play. Especially the sounding point.

Methodical and very well explained. I'm going to recommend this video to my students to reinforce the information I give them in their lessons. Thank you!

Loved this video. You explain things very easily and quickly. Sometimes I will hear dreadful sounds coming from my violin, and I’m sure it’s because my bow arm isn’t as good as my left hand.

Thanks for the video very helpful

Thanks, very useful information!

Awesome lesson with great reminders of how to create natural resonance from our string instruments. Thank you for sharing your instructional ideas with us. I found them helpful.

Thanks, great video!

Thank you so much this really helped

Awesome thank you!!

Will most definitely make use of this...will get back to you 🙏

After wanting a violin for almost 3 years, im finally going to get one this december! your video helps me so much in understanding the instrument better since im completely a beginner on the violin.🎉

There are also really small thing that give you better tone quality, Like good posture and having a good bow hold. Having a good bow hold gives you more control over the bow, and most bow techniques require a good bow hold. Ex: Wrist movement. Good posture should make you more in tune, raising your. violin/viola high makes gravity force your bow into the best point for sound quality.

Great tips! Thx

Yes, it helped immensely. Thank you.

I was lucky enough to find a Russian teacher who was a former coach of soloists in Russia and member of Leningrad Philharmonic, before moving to the US (Chicago), Abram Dukor. He was a student of a student of Leopold Auer, and told me he was sick often as a child, so needed to about how to play and exactly what went into executing technique while in bed sick. He taught me tone, first. For our initial 3 months he had me play ONLY open strings. (I was 25, had played violin since I was 9, and piano since 7 so could read music.) He taught me to allow the weight of my arm-coming-from-my-BACK to cause pressure on the bow, versus using pressing via any hand or arm weight. After 3 months, he had me place only 1 finger (each finger) onto 1 string, and focus on LIFTING the finger, vs on placing the finger onto the string. Then once placing fingers on strings, he told me to do so as if peas falling from a can, and to play using my bow arm -against- left thumb (ie grasping my violin using my chin). I really wish I'd recorded our lessons. And I really miss him, he was like another parent to me. He finally turned me into a violinist, and multiple teachers I had after him told me I should practice full time for a year to start auditioning for pro orchestras. I never put in the hours, but did get jobs here and there, though I disliked "gigging". I should probably teach though, and did enjoy teaching grammar school and high school students.

Many thanks for the tips.

Makes sense, thank you!😃

Loved it, thanks❤ Hoping you would have more subscribers this year🎉

I love your video! Great explaination❤

Oh yes! This lesson helped me! My playing sounds much better already! Thanks!

Finally, I lessened the creaking sounds that I get everytime I play my violin. Thank you for this video :)

I had hand surgery two years ago on my left hand. My orthopedic surgeon plays cello and really did a fantastic job of transferring the extension tendon from my index finger to my thumb. Playing violin went out the window till I saw a couple your videos. This is going to be messy but I gained some inspiration to start over from scratch. Wish me luck. And thanks 🙏

Thank you so much it’s very helpful

Love the ground rules. I’ve heard the sounding point, pressure, speed explanation many times… but the ground rules help a lot. Also getting real about the fact that most of us could get more bow speed if we improve our technique.

very good advices , thanks a lot Murphy . Greetings from Brazil

Thank you for this

Thank you so much. This was news to me and I´m sure will help me a lot. Blessings.

You're an amazing violinist and teacher!

Gonna experiment wth these tips ❤ . THANK YOU.

Very helpful ty

Thank you!!

That is easily the best violin lesson that I have seen on RU-vid!

Great ! thank you!

I was about to give up on violin but you helped me out so much! Thank you

Beautiful sharing. Really like this clip. A violinist from Paris. 😊

Thank You so much for your teaching it realy help me to improve my sound on my violín 🎻

Wonderful information, even for someone who does not play the violin, but who is fascinated by the acoustics of all musical instruments. Thanks !

Beautiful practical high level explanation!! Many thanks!!!

WOW! That was a great video! I have always wanted to know that.

Excellent lesson...excellent comments...

Amazing. Shall practice. Thank you.

I enjoy learning more about the refinement of the classical approach to playing the violin. I am not playing to be or sound like anybody else, but rather to be able to express myself through this instrument. I am a composer on a journey. Thank you for your willingness to share these gems of experience and information for those of us who may be searching. I resonate with your purpose and wish you success in your endeavors.

This video definitely helped me realize getting good tone isn't just about have your fingers in the right place. Ill definitely take this into consideration when practicing.

This is fantastic. 😍

Thank you for this basic, helpful information. I have never been successful in balancing these 3 factors for tone production. Now I have some tools for improvement! I suspect I have been using too much pressure in my effort to "play into the string."

Thank you for this very basic, helpful information. I believe I have been using too much pressure in my effort to "play into the string."

Wowww! I wish I found this video earlier!! I've been playing violin since I was about 7, so that's 8 years, and I think tone is something I've always struggled with more than other areas. I've been trying to find ways to really improve and this video helped me so much. literally, the moment I finished this, I went to my violin and recorded the difference between applying your tips and doing it how I normally would and the difference is tremendous. Even my mom, who doesn't play an instrument, noticed that I sounded a lot better. so THANK YOU SO MUCH!! 😊

I don't even play the violin, but I loved your explanation. It will help me to listen to violin players better and how to hear the quality of a player. Thanks!

Brilliant!

Yes, very helpful to this viola newbie :) Thank you for all your great vids. Tim O

Thanks, good advises.

my second attempt on wqtching yhe video fully and It took me almosy two years to finally get the gist or message of what this video is all about

I've never been told to prioritize this way. I've been using pressure first then bow speed. I'll try using speed first. Thanks. Not many instructors get into the details of techniques. I look forward to watching more of your videos. Especially videos about how to do the different bow strokes.

Sounds like good advice ... will try.

I can’t tell you how much this video has helped in the matter of an hour of watching this. Thank you

Thank you🤗

Thank u !

Things my violin teacher never taught me. Thanks so much for this informative video. I am putting it into practice now.

thanks! subscribed.

😎Thanks a lot for this video! ☕️I’m at that stage where I need to be reminded of this stuff !! 👍👨🏻 🎻🥳

This man makes a really full expressive and pretty sound

I have picked up a violin this week, after playing guitar for 45 years. Your video has just lifted the lid, on the mystery of violin sound - master vs student. Wow. Subscription clicked instantly. And you play beautifully. I may not be able to play the violin yet, but have 45 years of ear training, for pitch. You sound absolutely superb. If I ever come even fractionally close to your sound, i will drop to my knees and thank the universe....and you.

Thanks again 😮

I can't stress enough the use of a well balanced practice. Some teachers only use Suzuki repertoire. Students must be guided into major, minor and modal scales too. Arpeggios and useful etude studies. I love for my students to study the Wolfhart foundation Studies, Mazas, and like repertoire. So many tried and true. In retrospect my biggest lack as a student ( back in the day) was double stop playing. It haunts me to this day. My teachers barely had me study double stops. 😢 Do it and listen listen listen.

Thank you Tobias for this wonderful lesson I just discovered you today on RU-vid I live far away from you on the West Coast ALAMEDA I am an old man of 78 I am a violinist and I play every Sunday at my church My sound is okay but I realize that I need work I now realize that you can help me with my playing Unfortunately with such a busy life and family I get depressed because I know that in order to master my violin 🎻 must practice many hours 🎼🎼🎻🎻👍😞

💥 Thanks. So good. Jeff

VERY helpful

Great video i will be going to violin 🎻 classes very soon

Perfect ❤

Going into school for violin i appreciate you!

I adore how you explain that,you Americans 🇺🇲make into the point! 🎼🎶🎻🧡👍 Thank you Murphy, Kind regards from an Classical-Tenor-Violist-Panpipeflutist from 🇪🇺🇩🇪 to 🇺🇲 J.B.

You play beautifully. I am going on 5 yrs. Playing. I love it!! ❤️😃👌🌺

That’s a load of help!!

Where on the string to bow is really a topic of overtones that you want to produce, with frequencies thought of as wavelengths the higher frequencies have shorter and lower have longer. The distance from the sounding point to the bridge is essentially the shortest wavelength of the overtone you will produce. So when you are bowing further from the bridge you will have a more mellow sound with lower frequency overtones and when you bow close to the bridge you will produce more harsh higher frequency overtones. And in the case when you are fingering a very high note the bow needs to be more than half the distance form the finger to the bridge to get any descent complexity of sound and volume. Very fun topic to deconstruct from the physics perspective.