Approaches to
Violin / Viola
Pedagogy
An Intervallic Approach
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December 27, 2008
The essence of music is not
individual notes, but the patterns of
movement that they signify. Not pitches, but
the distances between them – what musicians
call “intervals” – this is the stuff of
music. An exact measurement of intervals,
correlated with an awareness of the relative
positions of the stops – the geography of
the fingerboard – is vital for the string
student.. Especially important is a
knowledge of the larger intervals which
cross strings. A student needs to become
aware, for instance, that to play on the D
string from E to F# (a major 2nd) is the
same fingerboard distance as to play from
that E to C# on the A string (a major 6th).
These are “fingerboard equivalents” – they
need to be drilled into the muscular memory.
THE INTERVAL MELODY.
The
“Interval Melody” is a chart to teach
interval nomenclature – the necessary theoretical background.
The chart is also a map
to be explored by playing. The model below suggests
how this is can be done.Interval names have 2 parts.
One part is the numeral. This is an
alphabetic concept. From A up to B is a 2nd.From A up to C# is a 3rd – there are three
alphabet letters involved: A, B, C. From A
up to Db [the same stop on the fingerboard
as C#] is a 4th – four letters of the
alphabet are involved, A,B,C,D. The number
part of an interval’s name is an
approximation. There are different sizes of
2nds, different sizes of 4ths, etc. The
numeral part of name only approximates the
measurement. Another part of the name –
expressing the quality of the interval--
establishes an exact designation. The
following paragraph explains. It first
divides intervals into two groups – those
that come in 3 sizes, and those that are
found in four sizes.
This figure [learn to write it] is a
convenient way to remember the 2 classes of
intervals: those above come in 3
sizes, those below come in 4 sizes. The
intervals of the major scale [bold type on
the chart] are either P or M; regard these
intervals as “standard”. Then for the upper
group [3 sizes], 1S [semitone] smaller than
standard is diminished [ o ], while 1S
larger is augmented [+ ]. For the lower
group [4 sizes], 1S smaller than “standard”
is m, and 1S smaller than that is diminished
[ o ]. While 1S larger than “standard” is
augmented [ + ]
ROUTINES FOR
PRACTICE/DRILL
Route #1 going left to right
The high road:
short (Major scale – bold italics), or long
(chromatic scale), starting string, then to
next higher.
The low road: starting string, then to the next lower string.
Route # 2 “Navaho rug zig-zag”-- i.e.,
crenelated.
Upper road: P1, up to P5, right to m6, down to m2, right to M2,
etc..
Lower road: P1, down to P5, right to 4+/5o, etc.
On the next page are models for
practicing intervals. The model shown there starts on E,
first
finger on the D string. But in the chart
above, the intervals may start on any pitch,
with any finger – the chart shows
relationships, not specific pitches or
fingers.
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Models for
Interval Practice
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tel. (503) 587-7265
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