Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado


Hanna C. Hann

Faculty Sponsor

Robert Ehle


Effective technique in violin playing evolved due to several historical pedagogical treatises written by knowledgeable masters. These treatises have greatly influenced the development of today’s pedagogical approaches. Unfortunately, many students may not know why a technique has been prescribed or how the various aspects of technique work together. Understanding why these techniques are used today, and even how they evolved, can help a student correctly apply and reach the desired result. The treatises of Francesco Geminiani (1751), Leopold Mozart (1756), L’Abbé le Fils (1761), and Pierre Marie François de Sales Baillot (1834) shaped performance practice and contributed to the development of today’s optimal Franco-Belgian violin technique. These masters understood effective technique. They had defined approaches to various performance matters including left hand dexterity, posture, bow hold, and the performer’s knowledge of theory and styles.

Included in

Music Commons