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New and scientific self-instructing school for the violin.
NEW AND SCIENTIFIC
SELF-INSTRUCTING SCHOOL FOR THE VIOLIN, ON AN ENTIRELY DIFFERNT METHOD FROM ANY WORK OF THE KIND HERTOFORE OFFERD TO THE PUBLIC IN THIS COUNTRY
INDENDED FOR BEGINNERS, AMATEURS, BUSINESS PLAYERS, AND TEACHERS.
IN THREE PARTS, COMPLETE IN ONE.
BY GEORGE SAUNDERS, PROFESSOR OF MUSIC AND DANCING.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE CONTENTS OF THE THREE DIFFERENT PARTS. Part First. — How the Violin should be kept; how it should be strung; of holding the Violin and bow ; of tuning the Violin; of rosin; of repairing the Violin; Rudiments of Music; major and minor keys; preliminary exercises; varieties of bowing, with their explanations; on the management of the bow and right arm; between 80 and 90 favorite pieces, such as Waltzes, Songs, Reels, Gallops, Hornpipes, &c., with the bowing and fingering all marked, and arranged as progressive lessons. In those lessons, the puil is shown the method in which all the major keys are transposed; this is of the utmost importance to him, as it is one of the most difficult things in music for the scholar to understand, and without which he might remain for years in ignorance in regard to them
Part Second. — Of the different positions; example of the different shifts, ascending; exampel of the different shifts, descending; manner of substituting one finger for the other, on the same note; extension of fingering; of borrowed fingering; of the natural harmonic tones; of simple double stops; of compound double stops; 76 select airs, of every description of style; among these will be found a vey rare collection of Scotch and other Reels, Themes, Hornpipes, Waltzes, Gallops, &c., with the bowing, fingering, and positions marked and written in the best possible style, either for progressive lessons amateurs, or business players. Also, 50 different kinds of bowing, continued from part first, and completed;arpeggios on three strings, with twelve dif ferent kinds of bowing; arpeggions on four strings, with twelve different kinds of bowing; chromatic scale, &c.
Part Third. — How to set figures to music, and music ot figures; method of learning to call cotillons; how music, for dancing, should be played; what kind of music ot select for dancing; how the sets are formed on the floor; observations on calling figures; abbreviations necessary to be used in writing figures; thirteen choice sets of cotillons, with all the differnt figures written to them that are made use of in this country; a variety of some of the most popluar contra, Spanish, and fancy dances, with the proper figures set to them.
BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY OLIVER DISTON & CO., 277 WASHINGTON STREET. NEW YORK: C. H. DITSON & CO.
[Page 2] - Index to the music.
INDEX TO THE MUSIC.
Part First. Aria,.....21 Air, by Handel,.....21 Aldrich's favorite Reel,.....36 Alpine Waltz,.....39 Burlington Waltz,.....21 Baltimore Waltz,.....24 Bailey's Waltz,.....39 Cinderella Waltz,.....26 Come, come with me,.....26 Cameron's Reel,.....37 Daufansville Reel,.....31 Erin is my Home,.....23 Egyptian Waltz,.....27 Erie Hornpipe,.....28 French Air,.....21 Freeman's Waltz,.....36 Flowers of Michigan,.....41 Grand Round,.....22 Gallop, No. 1,.....28 Gallop, No. 2,.....29 Gallop, No. 3,.....29 Grand March in Norma,.....29 German Waltz,.....37 Gen. McDonald's Strathspey,.....42 Italian Air, –– Mama Mia,.....33 Kate Kearney Waltz,.....37 La Donizetti. –– A Gallop,.....30 Lady Amelia Murray's Strathspey,.....30 Lake Waltz,.....32 Lardner's Reel,.....32 Lady Melville's Reel,.....36 Logie o' Bucha,.....35 Long Ago,.....40 Last Rose of Summer,.....40 Lady Melville's Strathspey,.....42 Lord Mauchlin's Reel,.....42 My Lodging is on the cold Ground,.....22 My pretty Gazelle,.....24 My own one,.....33 Miss Muir McKenzie's Strathspey,.....33 Miss Gibson's Reel,.....37 Mrs. Adye's Strathspey,.....38 Nelson's Fancy,.....23 Non piu mesta,.....25 New Orleans Waltz,.....25 On the Mountain high,.....27 Penny Post,.....20 Quickstep, No. 1,.....38 Quickstep, No. 2,.....41 Rondo,.....21 Rural March,.....22 Rose Aileen,.....28 Rousseau's Dream,.....34 Rhine Hornpipe,.....38 Spring's Waltz,.....20 Spanish Dance Waltz,.....24 Spanish Waltz,.....26 Smith's Reel,.....30 Silver Miner's Waltz,.....30 Scotch Fiddle,.....34 Stewart's Reel,.....38
Sweet Afton,.....40 Streathearn. –– A Strathspey,.....42 'Tis said that Absence conquers Love,.....24 Tell him I love him yet,.....25 The celebrated Almacks' Waltz,.....28 The Watcher Waltz,.....31 The Boys of Kilkenny,.....32 The handsome Louise,.....35 The Tulip Waltz,.....35 Violet Waltz,.....35 Weber's last Waltz,.....23 Why say Farewell,.....25
Part Second. A favorite Hornpipe,.....56 A Redowa Waltz,.....52 Aurora Waltz,.....64 A favorite Air,.....67 A Bohemian Redowa Waltz,.....68 Air, by Joseph Mayseder,.....68 AEgean Waltz,.....71 Bonnie Annie,.....57 Braes of Aughtertyre,.....60 Baltimore Hornpipe,.....60 Beaux of Albany,.....61 Balerma,.....67 Baden Baden Waltz,.....73 Chlopicki Waltz,.....50 Colberth's Hornpipe,.....55 Crief Fair,.....57 Capt. Kennedy's Reel,.....59 Dandy Jim of Caroline,.....54 Douglass's Reel,.....58 Darmstadt Waltz,.....64 Edinburg Reel,.....54 Frankfort Waltz,.....50 Flora Waltz,.....53 Fife Hunt,.....58 Fanny's Delight,.....60 Glee on the Shore. –– A Reel,.....54 Harmonic Waltz,.....66 Humphrey's Hornpipe,.....57 Johnson's Reel,.....54 Juba Dance,.....56 Kincaldrum,.....61 Kelton's Reel,.....56 Lady Betty's Reel,.....56 Lord McDonald's Reel,.....58 Lady Dumfrie's Reel,.....59 Lawrence Waltz,.....62 Lady Madeline Sinclair's Birthday,.....63 Lady Campbell's Reel,.....67 La Carlotta Grisi's Polka,.....72 Landler's Waltz,.....72 Mademoiselle Sonntag's Waltz,.....49 Mountain Waltz,.....55 Maid, those bright Eyes,.....65 Madam Nouville's Waltz,.....73 Nightingale Waltz,.....66 Ostinelli's Reel,.....72 Pic-Nic Reel,.....51
Push about the Joram,.....53 Paine's Reel,.....56 Pheaton Waltz,.....61 Post-Horn Waltz,.....71 Rosebud Reel,.....55 Rose Waltz,.....66 Rose Gallop,.....70 Sherman's Reel,.....55 Suky bids me,.....59 Still so gently o'er me stealing,.....61 Saratoga Lake Waltz,.....69 Sweet Allen,.....70 The Dream,.....51 The first fond Lines,.....51 Theme, by Joseph Mayseder,.....52 The favorite Oberon Waltz,.....53 The Gipsy's Chorus,.....54 The Miller of Drone,.....57 The Mason's Apron,.....58 The Bonnet-makers of Dundee,.....58 The Green Tree,.....59 The Braes of Athol,.....60 The Frosch [Frog] Waltz,.....63 The Bottom of the Punch Bowl,.....69 Theme by De Beriot,.....70 Waltz, from Fra Diavolo,.....51 Waltz, in Der Freyschutz,.....64 Wiesbaden Waltz,.....65
Part Third. COTILLONS. Dartmouth Set,.....80 Lewis's Reel,.....81 Coquette Set,.....81 Nickerson's Reel,.....82 Knickerbocker Set,.....82 Pic-Nic Set,.....84 Polka Set,.....85 Flora Set,.....87 Nickerson Set,.....88 Burlington Set,.....90 Juvenile Set,.....91 Harmonic Set,.....93 Pantomime Set,.....94 Pantomime Reel. –– Finale,.....95 Basket Set,.....95 Grand Military and Contra Dance Set,.....97
CONTRA, SPANISH, AND FANCY DANCES. Chorus Jig,.....98 Derby Hornpipe,.....100 Draw the Sword, Scotland,.....99 Durang's Hornpipe,.....100 Fancy Dance. –– Scotch Reel,.....100 Fisher's Hornpipe,.....98 Hull's Victory,.....99 Miss McLoud's Reel,.....99 Money Musk,.....98 Opera Reel,.....99 Soldier's Joy,.....99 Spanish Dance,,.....100
ENTERED according to act of Congress in the year 1847, by GEORGE SAUNDERS in the Clerk's office of the District Court of Massachusetts
[Page 3] - Preface
PREFACE.
This work is particularly intended to give the scholar a short, thorough, and scientific method of playing the Violin in all of its different branches, in less than one half the time that is required from any other work of the kind ever published or introduced into this country. It contains every thing that is in any of the European works that are in general use for the violin, and many things that are not found in them, which I have thought necessary to add. Instead of hard, dry exercises, which generally constitute the greater part of all the foreign works of this kind, and which I think are detrimental to the study of all new beginners, I have, after the preliminary exercises, introduced pleasing airs of every description of style, arranged as progressive lessons. This method of studying is far more pleasing and advantageous to beginners than exercises which should never be introduced until the pupil has advanced far enough to have an inclination for practising them. Then they will be understood and appreciated; and, of course, will be beneficial to him. A work of this description has long been called for, as there is no one either fit or adapted to the means or course of study pursued in this country, for which this is particularly intended. If I could have obtained a work like this when I first commenced playing the violin – as I intended to make a profession of the art – I would willingly have given a hundred dollars for it; and it would have been money in my pocket in the end, as the violin is frequently learned, if I may be allowed the expression, by piecemeals; that is, the pupils will give up business, and go and take lessons of some one who, perhaps, cares more about getting his money than for the proficiency of his pupil; writing lessons many times in a hurry, without being particular to mark the bowing and fingering; and, at other times, allowing him to practise music not written for the violin, and rather leaving him to study the lessons out himself, and letting them pass by, whether right or wrong, and after spending five or six months in this way he finds that he has made but little progress, although it has cost him a considerable sum, and at the expiration of four or five years he finds himself placed, in a situation that he must give up what he has obtained, or push farther ahead, and by the time he has made proficiency enough to make a profession of his art he will find that it has cost him several hundred dollars; whereas, if he could have had a work like this, he could have practised it himself, at his leisure, without the assistance of any one, unless it should be to take a few lessons, in the first beginning, of some competent teacher, in order to lay a good foundation to start upon. I would advise every one who takes up the violin, with the intention of learning to play it, to have nothing to do with any of those violin books gotten up by mere publishers, who, by their works, show that they know nothing about the instrument, or music – therefore their works must be detrimental to the practice of new beginners; and furthermore, to avoid taking lessons of any one unless he is a competent teacher of the violin, as, if bad habits and positions are contracted in the beginning, it is ten chances to one if they do not spoil the pupil's playing forever, unless he breaks up and commences entirely new again. There are many persons who, because they can play one instrument, pretend to teach all others; that may be the case with some instruments where the method is very similar - but that is not the case with the violin. No person, no matter how great a performer he may be on any instrument, if he does not understand the violin, he can neither write for nor teach it. To write for the violin, or to teach it, it is necessary to understand all the different varieties of bowing - different positions and methods of fingering - art of skipping or jumping from one note to another, &c. It is the same with the piano-forte. In order to teach that instrument, it is necessary to understand all the different methods of fingering. The violinist knows nothing about playing the piano-forte, unless he has studied it; neither does the pianist know any thing about playing the violin. The study of the violin, compared to that of the piano-forte, in this country, has been very much neglected. There are a number of fine methods for the piano-forte written by experienced masters, and a great many fine teachers, who make that their business - consequently they feel an interest in the advancement of their pupils; whereas, the teaching of the violin is only resorted to by violinists when they have nothing else to do. That is the reason, probably, why there have been no methods written by them adapted to the means and course of study pursued in this country. Spohr's and Campagnoli's European Schools for the Violin, are excellent works, but they are altogether too difficult for new beginners, especially Sphor's; they are intended for advanced scholars, or for a long scientific course of study under the best of masters - consequently they are worth but little or nothing here, except to those who have some considerable knowledge of the instrument. Whoever takes up this School for the Violin, with the intention of studying it, may rest assured that there is nothing left for an uncertainty, as every thing is explained and marked throughout, which is not the case with any other work of this kind that has ever come under my observation - Sphor's and Campag- noli's excepted - and, in order to understand it well, it will be necessary for the pupil to commence at the beginning, and go thoroughly through it, step by step, reading all the explanations, &c. and by so doing he will be possessed of information that would have taken him years, perhaps, to have obtained from other works, as this system has been selected from the best authors in Europe, and will always be good so long as the violin is played with four strings and bow - which has been the case for upwards of three hundred years - and is supposed to be brought to perfection. After this he will have no difficulty in studying any of the European works with advantage. He will then begin to appreciate the powers and beauties of this most wonderful of all musical instruments - which has, for centuries, taken the lead in all complete orchestra music - and which is universally admitted to be the only instrument that claims the honor of rivalling the human voice. Sphor says that "it is only by a perfect command over the instrument that its advantages can be shown to the fullest extent. All the music having the initials of my name, "G. S.," is my composition, and has been written expressly for this work. GEORGE SAUNDERS
PROVIDENCE, R I December, 1847.
[Page 4] - Remarks concerning the violin, &c.
REMARKS CONCERNING THE VIOLIN, &c.
How the Violin should be kept. The Violin is a very delicate and brittle instrument, and requires the utmost care to prevent its being damaged. The best method of keeping the Violin is to put it in a cloth bag lined with silk, and packed into a trunk, which should be laid in a dry place, and not left hanging up or lying round the room exposed to the air and dampness. Whenever the Violin has been used, always accustom yourself to wipe the rosin and dust from it, as they not only disfigure the instrument, but obstruct the vibration, and attract humidity.
Of the Violin Bow. A good Violin Bow should always be stiff and springy, and perfectly straight - if warped it is good for nothing; and when unscrewed, the hair should touch the stick near the middle, which should always be done after it has been used, to preserve its elasticity. The hair should be large and even; and in width it should be spread from three-eighths to nearly half an inch. The Bow should be fastened in the case; if left lying about, it will be bent.
On Stringing the Violin. When the scholar has ascertained the size strings that best suit his instrument, he should be particular to get that size - as too often shifting them may be injurious to his Violin, as well as to his playing. Good strings are of a glassy color, transparent, and very elastic; old and poor strings are easily known by their dull, yellow color, and want of elasticity. The distance from the nut to the bridge, on a common-sized Violin, should be thirteen inches. The finger-board must be straight, and considerably rounding. The strings on the nut must be placed an equal distance apart, and about twice the thickness of thin writing-paper from the finger-board. They must also run an equal distance on the bridge, and just high enough so as not to jar on the board when put in full vibration. The right side of the bridge is somewhat lower than the left, and should be kept perpendicular, with the feet adhering close to the top of the instrument. In order to ascertain which kind of bridge will produce the best tone on a violin, it is necessary to try a number of different heights and thicknesses, and of soft and hard wood. The sound-post must be moved to different places when the different bridges are tried - as a different bridge may require the post to be moved to a different place.
Of Rosin. As there is as much in having good rosin on the bow in order to produce a good rone as there is in having a good instrument, the scholar should be par ticular to get that which has been prepared expressly fot that use. Good rosin is generally of a light brown color, and transparent; there is a good quality which is yellow, and not transparent. That which has been prepared for the bow comes in small boxes, or paper rolls, and is generally found at music stores. The unclarified, or cask rosin, is not fit for use, as it is too gummy. When a bow is new, or first haired, the rosin should be finely pulverized, and rubbed in. In applying the rosin, it should be held in the left hand, and the bow in the right, drawing the hair across it from one end to the other a few times, as occasion may require. The dust and rosin that stick to the bow must frequently be wiped off with a dry cloth; the rosin that flies off the bow while putting it on, should also be wiped off the fingers before taking hold of the instrument, as it would have a tendency to gum up the strings.
On Repairing the Violin. When the scholar finds it necessary to have any repairs done to his instrument, he should be careful to address himself to a person of known experience; and, if possible, see to the repairs himself, as every one has some peculiarities of his own about his instrument. The old saying is, (by those who have no knowledge of the instrument,) "that after a violin has been broken all to pieces and patched up again, it is the better for it." If the scholar has a good violin, I should recommend him not to try the experiment, as I think there was never a violin broken without its being some way or other more or less injured. If breaking a violin improved the tone, the manufacturer could easily do that when he made it. Scraping and varnishing old violins are alike detrimonial to the tone.
[Page 5]
THE FIRST RUDIMENTS OF MUSIC
The seven sounds in Music are represented by characters, called Notes, named after the first seven letters of the alphabet, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. A Staff consists of five parallel lines and their four spaces: lines, spaces, always counting upwards. When the air or melody runs above or below the staff, short lines are added, called ledger lines; thus: In order to determine the pitch of musical notes, certain signs, called Cleffs, have been invented, which are placed at the beginning of the staff. The clef used for the violin is called the treble or G clef, and is placed on the second line of the staff, thus:
G, which gives to that line the name of G. The following are the names of all the notes on the stafff, spaces, and leger lines above and below, as used for the violin, in the first position.
G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B
There are seven different sorts of notes in general use, viz.: the semibreve or whole note, ; minim or half note, ; crotchet or quarter note, ; quaver or eighth note, ; semiquaver or sixteenth note, ; demisemiquaver or thirty-second note, ; and the hemi-demisemiquaver or sixty-fourth note, . The relative proportions they bear to each other are as follows: the whole note is as long as 2 half notes , or 4 quarters or 8 eights, or 16 sixteenths, or 32 thirty-seconds, or 64 sixty-fourths. The stems may trn up or down, and be hooked , or joined, without making any difference in their time. A Dot after a notes makes it half as long again; thus, . is equal to one quarter and eight, thus . Sometimes the second dot is used, and half as long as the first; thus .. is equal to . The Rest is mark of silence, and corrsponds with the note for which it stands. Example: [image of the example metioned above] Dotted rests are of the same duratin of time as their correspond-ing dotted notes: thus [image of the example] is equal to [image of the example]. When a rest of two or more measures occures, figures are used to express the numbers of measures; thus: [image of the example] and sometimes marks, thus [image of the example]