Introduction to the Variations
Otakar Ševčík (1852-1934) was a Czech violinist and pedagogue who had a…
} New Ševčík Variations
Variation 13 – Kreutzer No.13 at heel of bow
To play Ševčík’s Variation 13 at the heel of the bow use…
The Players
Dindin Jingyi Wang studied in Melbourne for 6 years with Fintan Murphy before…
Twofold Media
Twofold Media was founded by Frances Gall and Simon Veitch in 1996…
Fintan Murphy
Born in Melbourne, Fintan completed further study in Cologne with Helfried Fister,…
Variation 2 – Spiccato teaching point
The outer triangle or ‘frame’ of the bow hand, consisting of 1st…
Variation 35 – Prepare whole finger pattern
Make sure that the left arm is released and available to move…
Variation 9 – Zigzag bowing
Ševčík’s directions indicate that for most bars we move through the bow…
Variation 29 – When to lift the bow
Ševčík gives specific directions to lift the bow after the second slurred…
Variation 32
This variation contrasts the on-string martelé stroke and the off-string ricochet stroke, one…
Variation 23 – Active elbow stroke, Bach excerpt
Notice how we use the elbow to help our bow division. Every…
Variation 23 – Active elbow stroke, Ševčík excerpt
Practicing on the open string helps us to focus on one technical…
Variation 15 – Standing spiccato on an open string
As with all bow strokes it is useful to practice this stroke…
Variation 15 – The pattern on an open string
As with all technical challenges, separate out the different components and practice…
Variation 15 – The pattern on all open strings
After practicing the spiccato stroke on its own, add in the variable…
Variation 15 – Excerpt as written
Notice how the technical impulse matches the musical line. Just as the…
Variation 19 – Grace notes, left hand ready
The whole technical unit can include many things. For the left hand…
Variation 13 – Left hand ready, pizzicato
This variation 13 with its many open strings is an ideal chance…
Variation 13 – Left hand ready
So often coordination issues are caused by the left-hand finger placing the…
Variation 12 – Bow divisions and lifting
Here Fintan plays bars 12-16. Notice how the bow stroke is either…
Variation 12 – Martelé whole bow
When playing martelé we look for a clear ‘click’ at the beginning…
Theme – Gradual string crossing
Using a gradual string-crossing action allows for a more sustained sound. Slow…
Variation 14 – Round bow, arpeggios with double stops
Practice your round bow on simple chords in G minor or G…
Variation 40 – Round bow and whole-arm string crossing
Freedom in the whole-arm string crossing action is important as it supports…