The diploma thesis called Correlation of Talent and Progression in Violin Playing is focused on the talent and aptitude for playing the violin. In the first place, it is concerned with the general terms of talent and aptitude and their diverse definitions and it brings findings and opinions of various theorists. It also discusses the difference between these two notions. Further, it narrows its focus on musical talent and related concepts, such as musical development of children, the inheritance of talent as well as brilliance. The second part of the theoretical part deals with the specifics of talent for playing the violin and important prerequisites for the interpret successful development of interpret. The practical part introduces eight semi-structured, qualitative interviews with professional violin players about their talent and musical development. The aim was to compare the theoretical findings with the real experience followed by a summary.

This thesis addresses sound production in bowed-string instruments from two perspectives: the physics of the bowed string, and bow control in performance. Violin performance is characterized by an intimate connection between the player and the instrument, allowing for a continuous control of the sound via the main bowing parameters (bow velocity, bow force and bow-bridge distance), but imposing constraints as well. In the four included studies the focus is gradually shifted from the physics of bow-string interaction to the control exerted by the player. In the first two studies the available bowing parameter space was explored using a bowing machine, by systematically probing combinations of bow velocity, bow force and bow-bridge distance. This allowed for an empirical evaluation of the maximum and minimum bow force required for the production of a regular string tone, characterized by Helmholtz motion. Comparison of the found bow-force limits with theoretical predictions by Schelleng revealed a number of striking discrepancies, in particular regarding minimum bow force. The observations, in combination with bowed-string simulations, provided new insights in the mechanism of breakdown of Helmholtz motion at low bow forces. In the second study the influence of the main bowing parameters on aspects of sound quality was analyzed in detail. It was found that bow force was totally dominating the control of the spectral centroid, which is related to the perceived brightness of the tone. Pitch flattening could be clearly observed when approaching the upper bow-force limit, confirming its role as a practical limit in performance. The last two studies were focused on the measurement of bowing gestures in violin and viola performance. A method was developed for accurate and complete measurement of the main bowing parameters, as well as the bow angles skewness, inclination and tilt. The setup was used in a large performance study. The analyses revealed clear strategies in the use of the main bowing parameters, which could be related to the constraints imposed by the upper and lower bow-force limits and pitch flattening. Further, it was shown that two bow angles (skewness and tilt) were systematically used for controlling dynamic level; skewness played an important role in changing bow-bridge distance in crescendo and diminuendo notes, and tilt was used to control the gradation of bow force. Visualizations and animations of the collected bowing gestures revealed significant features of sophisticated bow control in complex bowing patterns. / QC 20100809

The purpose of this essay is to explore how the application of the Alexander Technique, as taught from the point of view of the Interactive Teaching Method (ITM), can be of benefit in performance preparation as well as in the enhancement of the musician’s practice and performance in general. Although the specific performance described in this paper was for violin, the argument is made that the exploration and methods of practice would be of benefit to any musician. This paper describes the experience of a study of the Alexander Technique. Information is provided about the Alexander Technique, its origins, principles and practices. The application of Alexander’s work to violin playing in general is discussed, and specifically to the preparation for the performance of Sonata Duodecima by Isabella Leonarda. / <p>Isabella Leonarda: Sonata Duodecima Opus 16</p><p>Elizabeth Jackquet De La Guerre: Sonata No 1 in D minor for Violin &amp; Cembalo</p><p>Antonio Bonparti: Invention No 1 in A major (from 12 Inventions for Violin)</p><p>Baroque Violin: Aingeala De Búrca</p><p>Cembalo: Mayumi Kamata</p><p>The sounding part has been archived.</p><p></p>

Den här studien handlar om min upplevelse av att spela Johann Sebastian Bachs Chaconne med en barockstråke och med en modern stråke. Den handlar också om huruvida detta påverkar mitt val av hur jag väljer att spela stycket på i slutändan. På ett tidstroget sätt eller på ett modernt sätt. Mitt syfte är att undersöka om det är någon skillnad att spela ett stycke med en tidstrogen stråke samt med en modern stråke. Finns det några fördelar och nackdelar med samtliga och har någon utav dem bättre förutsättningar i valet av stycke som man ska spela. Arbetet har utförts i Kungliga Musikhögskolans lokaler och inspelningarna i min egen studio. Några av de resultat jag kommit fram till är att jag ännu inte har hittat endast ett sätt att spela chaconne på. Det beror helt från dag till dag och vilket humör jag är på. Det vill säga att jag väljer att spela på ett sätt som känns bäst i stunden. Jag har också upplevt att det känns bättre att spela med den barocka stråken när jag spelar på ett tidstroget sätt och vice versa.

Giuseppe Tartini is one of the most important personalities in the history of violin playing and literature. His rich heritage has contributed to the development of both, and his influence has crossed afar the Italian borders. This diploma thesis brings a complex view into the life and creation of this 18th century violin virtuoso. His composing activity uprose from his master violin skills, and therefore he composed especially for this instrument. Tartini transmitted his knowledge to the students of paduan School of nations, which he himself had founded. His treatise on ornaments Traité des agréments, compiled of the practical comments on the ornament interpretation, is of great significance. No small attention deserves also his letter to the pupil Maddalena Lombardini. As a matter of fact, it is a violin lesson in a letter form, and the value of the letter is by no means just historical. Another area of Tartini's interest was music theory, in which he invented so called difference tones. His contribution to the development of violin bow is also praiseworthy; he made several adaptations which brought the bow nearer to its current shape.

This thesis treats the control of sound synthesis of bowed string instruments based on physical modelling. The work followed two approaches: (a) a systematic exploration of the influence of control parameters (bow force, bow velocity, and bow-bridge distance) on the output of a physical model of the violin, and (b) measurements and analyses of the bowing parameters in real violin playing in order to model and parameterize basic classes of bowing patterns for synthesis control.First a bowed-string model based on modal solutions of the string equation is described and implemented for synthesis of violin sounds. The behaviour of the model is examined through simulations focusing on playability, i.e. the control parameter space in which a periodic Helmholtz motion is obtained, and the variations of the properties of the simulated sound (sound level and spectral centroid) within this parameter space. The response of the model corresponded well with theoretical predictions and empirical expectations based on observations of real performances. The exploration of the model allowed to define optimal parameter regions for the synthesis, and to map sound properties on the control parameters.A second part covers the development of a sensor for measuring the bow force in real violin performance. The force sensor was later combined with an optical motion capture system for measurement of complete sets of bowing parameters in violin performance.In a last part, measurements of the control parameters for basic classes of bowing patterns (sautillé, spiccato, martelé, tremolo) are analyzed in order to propose a realistic control of the sound synthesis. The time evolution of the bowing parameters were modelled by analytical functions, which allowed to describe and control simulated bowing patterns by a limited set of control parameters. For sustained bowing patterns such as détaché, control strategies for basic elements in playing (variations in dynamic level, bow changes) were extracted from exemplary measurements, and simple rules deduced, which allowed extrapolation of parameters to modified bow strokes with other durations and at different dynamic levels. / Denna avhandling behandlar styrning av syntes av stråkinstrument med tillämpningar inom fysikalisk modellering av musikinstrument. Problemet har angripits i två steg, först genom en systematisk undersökning av inflytandet av styrparametrarna i violinspel (stråkkraft, stråkhastighet, och avstånd stråke-stall) på utsignalen från en fysikalisk modell, följt av mätningar och analyser av stråkningsparametrarna i normalt violinspel med syfte att modellera och parameterisera grundläggande klasser av stråkarter för styrning av syntesen. En modell av interaktionen mellan stråke-sträng har utvecklats baserad på modal syntes och modellen har implementerats för syntes av violintoner. Modellen har utforskats genom simuleringar inriktade dels på spelbarheten, dvs. gränserna för den parameterrymd inom vilken en periodisk Helmholtz-rörelse erhålls, och dels på variationerna hos det syntetiserade ljudets egenskaper (ljudnivå och spektral centroid) inom detta parameterområde. Modellens egenskaper motsvarade väl de teoretiska prediktionerna och förväntade resultat från observationer av violinster. Utforskningen av modellen gjorde det möjligt att definiera optimala parameterområden för styrning av syntesen, och även avbilda ljudens egenskaper på styrparametrarna. En sensor för mätning av stråkkraften utvecklades för att kunna genomföra mätningar under normalt spel. Sensorn kombinerades senare med ett optiskt system för rörelseanalys vilket gjorde det möjligt att mäta kompletta uppsättningar av stråkparametrar under spel. Uppmätta styrparametrar för grundläggande klasser av stråkarter (sautillé, spiccato, martelé, tremolo) analyserades för att ge tillgång till realistiska styrförlopp av syntesen. Stråkningsparametrarna modellerades med analytiska funktioner, för att kunna beskriva och styra simulerade stråkningsförlopp med ett begränsat antal modellparametrar. För stråkarter med uthållna toner som détaché utvecklades styrstrategier för grundläggande element i spelet, som ändringar i styrkegrad och stråkväxlingar, utifrån mätningar på typfall. Enkla regler formulerades för att kunna extrapolera parametrarna till modifierade stråk med andra durationer och styrkegrader. / Cette thèse porte sur le contrôle de la synthèse sonore par modélisation physique des instruments à corde frottée. Il se base, d’une part, sur l’exploration systématique de l’influence des paramètres de contrôle (pression d’archet, vitesse de l’archet et distance au chevalet) sur le comportement du modèle, et d’autre part, sur la mesure et l’analyse du contrôle effectif qu’exerce l’instrumentiste afin de modéliser et paramétriser des modes de jeu typiques pour le contrôle de la synthèse. Un modèle de corde frottée basé sur la résolution modale de l’équation de la corde est d’abord présenté et implémenté pour la synthèse sonore du violon. Le comportement du modèle physique est ensuite examiné en effectuant un grand nombre de simulations et se concentre sur deux aspects : la “jouabilité", c’est-à-dire l’espace des paramètres de contrôle dans lequel un mouvement de Helmholtz périodique est obtenu, et les variations des propriétés du son synthétisé (niveau sonore et centroïde spectral) à l’intérieur de cet espace de paramètres. Un très bon accord a été trouvé entre, d’une part, le résultat des simulations et, d’autre part, les prédictions théoriques ou empiriques basées sur l’expérience des instrumentistes. Cette exploration systématique a permis de définir des régions optimales pour le jeu dans l’espace des paramètres de contrôle et de décrire quantitativement la correspondance entre les propriétés sonores pertinentes et les paramètres de contrôle. La deuxième partie de ce travail concerne la mise au point d’un capteur pour mesurer la force d’appui de l’archet sur la corde dans un contexte de jeu réel. Le capteur est ensuite combiné avec un système optique de capture du mouvement afin de mesurer les paramètres de jeu du violoniste. La dernière partie présente l’analyse des mesures de ces paramètres de contrôle pour des modes de jeu typiques (sautillé, spiccato, martelé, tremolo), afin de proposer un contrôle réaliste de la synthèse sonore. L’évolution temporelle des paramètres de jeu est modélisée par des fonctions analytiques, ce qui permet de décrire et de simuler différents modes de jeu par un nombre limité de paramètres. Pour les modes de jeu soutenus tels que le détaché, les mesures permettent de décrire des stratégies de contrôle pour des tâches typiques (variation de niveau sonore, changement de direction d’archet), et des procédures simples ont été déduites, permettant d’extrapoler les paramètres de contrôle afin de changer le niveau sonore ou la durée des coups d’archet. / QC 20100714. Gemensam forskarutbildning KTH och Universite Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI).

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