[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 begin-
ning, 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 - differ-
ent 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 alto-
gether 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.