The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-21
On The Study
OF The Violin.
Pertinent Advice from the Pen of
One Well Qualified to Give 1t.

From the Musical Record, Published by
the Oliver Ditson Company.
Students of the violin are becoming
very numerous in America, and girls
even more than boys seem to throw
part of their energy in that direction
with will that, while praiseworthy
is none the less curious, if one bears
in mind the fact that until a few years
ago the violin was considered mans
attribute and an instrument altogether
out of women's province.
This being taken into consideration
l feel it my duty towards parents to
say a few words of warning against
the harmful ways in which the violin
is often taught. I have made these
observations since I have devoted part
Of my time to violin instructions. I
think it advisable and timely to speak
on this subject. Students should be
made aware of the wrong path they
are following.
How often, / may say nearly always,
do pupils who come to me for ad-
vice, in reply to this question: How
long have you played the violin?" an
sWer: 80 MANY years off and on"
This "off and on" is the mistake; you
,
sons ''off and on" and expect to make
progress in violin playing any more
than ycu would in ordinary instruction
by attending school in the same man.
ner. Is it to be expected that children
can secure a good scholastic education
by attending their classes "off and on"
and would parents be thoughtless en-
| ough tt keep their children out of coll
n month a
imperative motives, such as reverse
of fortune or a serious illness of the
pupil, compelled them to do so? Inter-
rurtIon in any study is a great draw
back. Why is it then that parents
think so lightly of doing this in an
art which is so difficult to acquire and
retain as violin playing. This fact, in
my observation, exists only in the Unit
ed States, and l can presume that the
fault lies in the ignorance of the great
difficulties of the instrument. which are
not in the province of the initiated to
understand.
CHOOSING A TEACHER.
When one has decided to learn the
violin, the essential consideration is
the choice of a teacher, and parents
err greatly when they imagine that
for the elementary lessons any cheap
teacher is good enough. Upon that
first teacher depend ultimate results.
and the cheap teacher often becomes a
dear one.
Parents as a rule select at the begin
ming the best establishment of educa-
tion for their children, but are loathe
to follow the same course where the
violin is concerned. The result is that
pupils come to me with little knowl-
edge after six or more ;e1rs of study.
and often that knowledge is wrong.
heard a pupil not long age who had
been taught for eleven years eff and
on" and it was pitiful 10 see her
handle the bow.
There is in violin playing tie same
graduation of studies that exists in
.choOl education: first, comes the al
NJ abet, then spelling, and so on until
~ each the highest classes. One
Gocs not begin by conjugatlng verbs.
rG more can one play studies of Kre-
tier. STOhr. etc, prior to learning the
scales; and how many students upon
examination can play a 3CaIe in three
nctaves when they come Ia me? |
have not found one capable of doing it
properly. Then, to bridge over this
gap, one will say, 'I have gone through
concerto by Mendelssohn or Bruch"
One had even played the first concerto
of Paganini. However, let il be said
that they realized 1t was all wrong,
and as one expressed it: 81 play at it,
Madame" This is like trying to solve
problem in algebra. without having
learned the fundamental rules of arith-
metic. l remember another who re-
piled when she was asked to play
scales, why, Madame, ] finished those
long ago." not having been told that
1t was to be a daily task.
When ! belonged to the faculty of
the National Conservatory of Music of
America, at one of the yearly exam
nations fifty-four boys and girls pre-
Sc nted themselves for admission i'm the
classes as free pupils. This opportun-
ity is offered by that excellent institu-
tion to any student i'm any branch of
music who shows promising talent.
out of those fifty-four who competed
for admission to enter these classes
only two were accepted. The appli-
cants had all studied for several years,
and they came from all parts of the
United States. The two admitted were
the only ones who filled satisfactorily
the requirements exacted, simple en-
ough as the requirements We're. All
that was asked of them was TO play
| accertably the elementary exercises.
Thara should he q limit Of ,i,,o IL,