Solutions for Tone Quality and a Resonant Sound

In this video, violinist Steven Lu walks us through how to practice tone quality and a resonant sound.

First, practice sinking your right hand into the string while you listen for the instrument's natural vibrations and overtones. Remember, if you hear crunches, you are using too much pressure for the speed. Experiment with how much pressure you can use for the amount of bow speed you are using. 

Second, relax your right hand to ensure flexibility of your fingers. Often, when we are using too much pressure and the sound is crunchy, the right hand is tight, rigid, and inflexible.

Third, instead of hitting the string with the bow in a linear motion, use an arched motion for increased resonance.

Practice your tone quality slowly on an open string to ensure consistency. Listen for the instrument's natural vibrations. Practice and down a scale, at 1, 2, 4, 8, etc. notes per click of the metronome. The key to knowing that you are producing a resonant sound is hearing the instrument's natural overtones and vibrations without hearing crunches.

Do you have practice solutions for tone quality and a resonant sound? Tag us in your video this week sharing your solutions and progress on Instagram @project.practicenotes or Youtube @PracticeNotes. Use #practicenotes and the title "Week 5" so we are sure to see your video! Videos will be featured on our website https://practicenotes.us and Instagram.

THANK YOU so much for watching and happy practicing!