[[Listen]]
In unisons, the note given by the open string is produced simultaneously on the next lower string. The fingering adjusts itself according to the position in which one is playing, and it may be practised in the first four positions.
Seconds:
[[Listen]]
At a, the lower note will be played on the lower string, but at b the upper note is produced on the lower string. The fingering at a is conformable to the position employed—either the 3ʳᵈ, 2ⁿᵈ or 1ˢᵗ finger may be on the lower note. At b, the upper note can be played either in the 2ⁿᵈ, 3ʳᵈ, 4ᵗʰ or 5ᵗʰ position and either the 4ᵗʰ, 3ʳᵈ, 2ⁿᵈ or 1ˢᵗ finger may be placed on the upper note.
Thirds:
The thirds at a lie in the first two positions. At b, the upper note is taken on the lower string, and either in the 3ʳᵈ, 4ᵗʰ, 5ᵗʰ or 6ᵗʰ position.
Fourths:
[[Listen]]
a lies in the first position, at b the higher note is again produced on the lower string (as a harmonic note) in the 4ᵗʰ position.
Fifths:
[[Listen]]
The perfect fifths in this example have each two open strings; the imperfect fifths are played either in the first or half position.
Sixths:
[[Listen]]
in the first position.
Sevenths:
[[Listen]]
in the first and second positions.
Octaves:
[[Listen]]
in the first three positions.
Ninths:
[[Listen]]
The upper notes in the 1ˢᵗ, 2ⁿᵈ, 3ʳᵈ or 4ᵗʰ positions.
Tenths:
[[Listen]]
The upper notes in the 2ⁿᵈ, 3ʳᵈ, 4ᵗʰ or 5ᵗʰ positions.
Double stops without open strings.
Unisons.
[[Listen]]
Seconds.
[[Listen]]
Major Thirds.
[[Listen]]
Minor Thirds.
[[Listen]]
Thirds are fingered with the 1ˢᵗ and 3ʳᵈ, or the 2ⁿᵈ and 4ᵗʰ, also with the 3ʳᵈ and 4ᵗʰ fingers in a series of thirds.
Fourths.
Perfect 4ᵗʰˢ.
[[Listen]]
Augmented 4ᵗʰˢ.
[[Listen]]
| Fingering: | 1 | , | 2 | and | 3 |
| 2 | 3 | 4 |
Fifths.
Perfect 5ᵗʰˢ.
[[Listen]]
Imperfect 5ᵗʰˢ.
[[Listen]]
Perfect fifths are fingered
| 1 | , | 2 | , | 3 | or | 4 | . |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Imperfect fifths are fingered with the same fingers as fourths.
Sixths.
Major 6ᵗʰˢ.
[[Listen]]
Minor 6ᵗʰˢ.
[[Listen]]
| Fingered | 1 | , | 2 | and | 3 |
| 2 | 3 | 4 |
Sevenths.
[[Listen]]
| Fingered | 1 | , | 2 |
| 3 | 4 |
Octaves.
[[Listen]]
| Fingered | 1 | , in the upper positions frequently | 1 | and | 2 |
| 4 | 3 | 4 |
It is necessary to remark that the foregoing examples do not give the fingering of the scales in double stops, only the fingerings which may be used in double stops as met with singly.
To these double stops without open strings, those in conjunction with an open string (pp. 53, 54) can still be added by this means, —that they are played on two lower strings; e. g.
The first stops on the D and G string are obviously excluded from this.
Chords of three notes.
In triple stops the two upper notes have mostly the same duration, the lower note being previously released by the bow. Three notes may, however, be made to sound simultaneously, but special skilfulness is requisite, and the sounds cannot be of long duration. Formerly Paganini, Ole Bull, and other violin virtuosi, used a very flat bridge in order to play in three and four parts. Such tricks may be produced even with the ordinary bridge, by unscrewing the nut of the bow, passing the stick underneath the fiddle, letting the hair lie upon the strings, and holding both hair and stick together with the right hand.
As a rule, when several chords in three or four parts succeed each other, they are played with down bows in order to obtain the necessary power and equality of tone. Here and also in the four part chords which follow, the easiest are those which make use of the open strings:
Triple stops with two open strings:
With one open string:
[[Listen]]
Without open strings:
[[Listen]]
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 2 | 3 | and | 4 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 3 | and | 4 |
| 2 | 3 | ||
| 1 | 2 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 2 | and | 3 |
| 3 | 4 | ||
| 1 | 2 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 4 |
| 2 | |
| 1 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 4 | 4 | and | 3 |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 2 | 1 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 3 | and | 4 |
| 1 | 2 | ||
| 2 | 3 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 1 |
| 1 | |
| 4 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 1 | and | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | ||
| 2 | 3 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 4 | 4 | and | 3 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 3 | 2 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 2 | 2 | and | 3 |
| 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 4 | 3 | 4 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 2 |
| 4 | |
| 1 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 1 |
| 2 | |
| 4 |
[[Listen]]
| Fingering | 4 |
| 1 | |
| 2 |
Chords in four parts
(quadruple stops).
With two open strings:
With one open string:
Without open strings:
[[Listen]]
[[Listen]]
Harmonics.
Natural and artificial Harmonics, or Flageolet tones, may be produced on the violin. The natural harmonics are obtained by placing the finger quite lightly, and without pressure, upon the string, and bowing with great care. From the middle of the string upwards towards the bridge, and also from the middle towards the nut, lie natural harmonics at the nodes of the string. The sign indicating that a note is to be played as a harmonic, is either 0, flageolet or son harmonique.
In the case of harmonics which yield a note differing from that stopped by the finger, the actual sound produced is indicated by the sign ⟡.
G string.
[[Listen]]
D string.
[[Listen]]
A string.
[[Listen]]
E string.
[[Listen]]
Natural harmonics are also produced by placing two fingers lightly and simultaneously on one string:
Artificial harmonics.
These are produced by playing two notes on one string, the lower one being pressed down firmly, the upper one lightly. The distance of these two notes from each other may be either a third, fourth, fifth or octave. The most usual artificial harmonics are those at a fourth.
At a fourth:
[[Listen]]
[[Listen]]
At a fifth:
At a third:
Artificial harmonics may also be produced at the distance of a minor third, but these speak with difficulty.
At an octave:
[[Listen]]
In like manner on the higher strings.
In the lower positions those at the octave necessitate a wide stretch between the 1ˢᵗ and 4ᵗʰ fingers, rendering them impossible for small hands.
Double harmonics.
Both natural and artificial harmonics may be played as double stops. The former speak best, the latter being more difficult. They require very thin stringing.
a. Natural double harmonics:
[[Listen]]
Similarly on the upper strings.
b. Artificial double harmonics:
The large notes indicate the notes which are to be pressed down firmly, the small notes those to be lightly touched, and the sign ⟡ the actual sounds produced.
a. Fifths, produced at the distance of a fifth, fourth and third:
b. Thirds.
[[Listen]]
c. Fourths.
[[Listen]]
d. Sixths.
[[Listen]]
e. Octaves.
[[Listen]]
The pizzicato.
The most usual method of playing pizzicato is by means of the index finger of the right hand, by which the string is gripped and plucked. The thumb is placed against the fingerboard. In pieces to be played pizzicato throughout, the thumb may be employed. In this case the violin is held down (underneath the right arm), as, for instance, in the Serenade in Don Giovanni, when the violin replaces the mandoline:
[[Listen]]
The sign used is pizz., its cessation, arco. The pizzicato is also possible with the left hand, and is chiefly thus employed when notes played by the bow and pizzicato notes follow each other quickly. Left hand pizzicato is indicated by + over the notes, and is usually executed by the finger which has pressed down the preceding note, or else with the fourth finger.
[[Listen]]
[[Listen]]
Notes may be also played arco and pizzicato simultaneously, for example,
[[Listen]]
Chords also sound well pizzicato, as for instance,
[[Listen]]
If it is desired that the tones shall vibrate well, the thumb is released from the fingerboard, and the fingers of the left hand remain pressed down on their notes. Pizzicato stops in chords are also mixed with notes played by the bow, and are then plucked with the second finger of the right hand.
[[Listen]]
The arco notes are played at the heel of the bow, and with the up stroke.