A
New Approach to violin is the title of the first book written by
the violin player and teacher Kato
Havas, first published in 1961, when nobody talked about
physical injuries caused by playing an instrument. Nowadays everybody
is well aware of this issue, there are even clinics for musicians'
injuries.
It was published with a preface by Yehudi Menuhin saying:
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Here
you can see the book cover: A New
Approach to violin
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“It is a sad
comment on man's perennial ignorance that the rare and the original are
usually the obvious. Miss Havas is original in her approach to violin
playing because she insists that violin technique must be reducible to
basic motions involving more than just the fingertips. … It is also
heartening and equally ‘original’ to find a kindred spirit who holds
the whole body to be engaged, thus offering non
resistance anywhere - only support - and who realises that of all
things - the state of continual balance, the equilibrium of all parts,
fingers against thumb, arms against shoulder-blades, etc., is the
object of all training…”
Yehudi Menuhin
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The books and other
teaching material by Kato
Havas have been published over many years, since 1961 (in the order: A new approach,
1961; The twelve lesson course,
1964; Stage fright,
1973; the teaching DVD,
1989, videos on the Internet,
2008).
By studying them in chronological order
you'll notice some slight differences. As Kato Havas herself says,
these changes, in the terms used and in the indications, based on
teaching experience, became necessary in order to simplify more and
more, eliminate those terms, exercises, movements that
could have arisen physical and mental tensions. Therefore each
book/video is a widening of the previous ones, so it's highly advisable
to read in this website the pages about the various books, then the
books, watch the teaching
DVD and the workshop
videos available with subtitles.
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Indeed the New Approach to violin (which applies to the viola too)
proposes a way of playing based on the use of our body's natural and fundamental balances
instead of the use of a lot of force and pressure that, sooner or
later, will cause many physical problems and difficulties in playing.
So
as when we walk all our body takes part in the movement and, in
particular, our arms naturally move back and forward to keep the
balance, similarly when playing there should be that same suppleness
and naturality of movement, with the whole body elastic the contributes
to the movements. On the contrary, in the great majority of cases, we
focus on what
is more evident as a movement (the left hand fingers and the right
hand) ignoring all the rest.
Books Contents
The book opens explaining the concept of the balance which is
more powerful than force itself, analyzing what a good tone is, what is
composed of, to get to illustrate how to achieve it, providing real
explanations. Here are the chapters titles:
1)
THE SEARCH OF THE TONE PRODUCTION
2) THE VIOLIN HOLD
Shoulder rest
The stance
The violin hold
The left arm position
The left hand position
3) THE BOWING ARM
The bow hold
The thumb
The upper arm, the elbow and the forearm
The bow stroke and the bow change
4)
THE TONE
PRODUCTION
Regular and irregular
sound vibrations
The fundamental note and its harmonics
The tone quality
The finger base joints
Intonation
The ear training
The anticipation of the note
The control and preparation of the finger base joints
The fourth finger
The string change
5)
THE
TONE PRODUCTION APPLIED TO SHIFTS AND DOUBLE STOPS
The order of learning of positions
The shift
The shift with the same finger
The shift to a different finger
The intermediate notes
The fourth position and higher positions
Double stops
6)
THE TONE PRODUCTION APPLIED TO STACCATO, DETACHÉ,
MARTELÉ, ETC.
The staccato
The springing
staccato (sautillé)
Detaché
Martelé
The legato bowing
7)
THE
TEACHING OF TONE PRODUCTION
8)
THE
TONE PRODUCTION APPLIED TO SIGHT READING, MEMORIZING AND TO STAGE FRIGHT
Memorizing
Stage fright
Buy A New Approach to violin in English or German or in Italian
Buy Kato Havas's teaching
DVD
Other books
by Kató Havas:
Stage fright
Causes
and cures for physical and mental tensions caused by playing, that
afflict the majority of players. How to eliminate them and play with
more agility and pleasure (for listeners too)
The 12
lesson course in A New Approach to
Violin Playing
The
New Approach organised in 12 lessons, with practical
exercises and pieces to play as a pupil-teacher duo. For beginners
and advanced players as well.
The Violin and I
Kató
Havas's autobiography, with the story of how the
New Approach came to life and the correspondence, which went on
for years, among readers on The Strad magazine
Buy Kato Havas books
Buy the teaching DVD
Go to Kato Havas (with videos of a workshop)
Go toViolin and viola books
Go to Violin and viola teacher
Go to Home
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