The grace notes in the above examples must not on any account be heard. To prevent any possibility of this, the finger stopping the second note must be firmly placed almost before the gliding has ceased, the introduction of the grace notes in the above examples being merely to illustrate the method of carrying the glide up to the necessary position, then firmly stopping the required note.
Other methods of gliding have to be invented for special passages, or for the production of extraordinary effects. One of the most surprising effects is to combine the sforzando with a strongly marked glide, the sforzando being given on the second note of the slur, and the glide being of the most pronounced type. I have heard our great violinist, John Dunn, occasionally give vent to his feelings in a slightly exaggerated glide and sforzando combination of this description, and for waking up a sleepy or apathetic audience, I can strongly recommend it.
Beyond all these hints, and far removed from any explanation, there remains that delicacy of feeling which the artist alone can introduce into his playing—that subtle management of bow and fingers, so necessary to really fine playing. Even in the matter of gliding this is easily recognised; the varying speed at which the glide is taken, the pressure put on the strings or otherwise, accenting the commencement of the glide and lightly approaching the second note, or lightly gliding off the first note and strongly accenting the arrival at the second; the varying pressure brought to bear on the bow, etc., etc. All this must come from natural feeling, and cannot be taught, no matter how clever the teacher or how willing the pupil.
[CHAPTER X.]
Double-Stopping—Useful in Developing the Hand—How to Determine the Fingering of Various Intervals—Gliding in Double-Stops—Chords—A Correct Manner of Playing Chords.
Double-Stopping.
In consequence of the great distances which separate the notes in the neck positions on the violoncello, nothing very extraordinary is written, or is expected in the matter of double-stopping. However as a training for the left-hand, there is nothing to equal a series of well planned studies in double-stopping; by practising such, the student obtains a command of the various "stretches" necessary for a correct use of the fingers of the left hand. Dotzauer, in his famous studies, seems to have recognized this, and by the regular, systematical introduction of double-stopping exercises of varying and increasing difficulty, almost compels the absolute development of the left hand. In practising double-stops, the student must always be careful to cause equal pressure to be applied by the bow to both strings, so that each note of the chord is distinctly heard. Some young players on the other hand, instead of requiring to be urged to do this, are unable to give two strings a continued even vibration, without expending an undue amount of force, but this is really so elementary a matter that a little practice on the open strings (sounding them in twos) should easily set right. Beyond this the player should have all the varieties of light and shade just as much at command in the bowing of double-stops, as in playing single notes.
With respect to the left hand, the chief difficulty which first assails the student is that of judging the character of the intervals, and for their production—in knowing exactly in what "form" the hand should be; thus in certain chords the hand has to assume its most "stretched" form, for others the normal, or closed positions of the fingers are necessary. This knowledge is really of great importance; both notes of a chord must be sounded simultaneously, therefore even before the chord is approached, the player must be conscious of the "form," as well as the position in which the hand has to be, in order to play any combination of notes. A few of the easier chords in double-stops may readily be learned in the following fashion: