I'm a violinist and teacher in Houston, and my mother - also a violinist and teacher, semi-retired - studied with a man named Harold Hess. Mr. Hess was in the US Navy in WW1. When the war ended, he found himself in Europe, and he elected to remain in Belgium to study with Master Ysäye. Hess learned this exercise from Ysäye and would go on to employ it with all his students. My mother had me work scaled back versions of the exercise from an early age. I now work it with all of my students, to varying difficulty levels suited to their playing level. There are two variations that Ysäye would use which you don't mention here. First, in regard to bow distribution, yes, he would shorten the long note. But he would also significantly lengthen the long note with an extended fermata, forcing oneself to fit all of the moving notes into the final four or five inches of bow at the tip or frog, and still maintaining tonal quality. This was somewhat a combination of this bowing/string crossing exercise with his one-minute-long single bow exercise (albeit with less scrutiny on measuring the minute). He also would have students turn this exercise into a three octave G major scale, with all the shifts on the E string. I'm SO THRILLED you've given this exercise new life to breathe in this wonderful video! It's an absolute treasure, and you understand and explain it very well here. I don't have a published copy of the exercise, just scraggly notes on yellowed paper of Mr. Hess from his studies with Ysäye and word-of-mouth handed down from teacher to student. That said, we teach it much the same. I'm so impressed!! Thank you, and all the blessings. Keep playing!!

When I tune my violin I'm thinking "my teachers gonna kill me during this lesson"

Speechless. Your lesson is a piece of art on its own.

Most helpful violin tutorial found on KZbin

I'm not a violinist (pianist instead), but this is now my favorite Instructional video on KZbin.

I just wonder, how is it that I CANNOT GIVE YOU 5 MILLION LIKES... Thank you so much ❤️🎻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I'm an adult intermediate violin player and had never heard about this exercise, you have no idea how much it helped with my overall playing (especially string crossing and bow distribution), I must say that your tutorials are remarkable, quite easy to mentally grasp I look forward to watching videos about bow strokes and more violin technique from you :) Regards from Mexico!

Dude, def do more of these. 10/10 on all aspects.

Wow. Just realized Ysaye put those technical trick all over in his sonatas!!

this is literally exactly what the world needs. excellent job. please continue!!!

An outstanding tutorial, and a very important lesson. I also first learned the Ysaye exercises from the late, and great, Aaron Rosand. Aaron believed they should form part of every violinist's daily regimen, along with some Kreutzer. I always start my practice with them now. There is so much packed into these deceptively simple exercises. They are golden. Thanks for posting this!! I also really liked your little meditation scene with the burning incense :). We all need some calm at this time, and we certainly need our violins more than ever!

Have seen many good tutorials, this one of the best

I found Ysaye a few years back ! Major influence for me as a #guitorchestra ! Thanks for being a real teacher ! 🙌🏼🙏🏼

Mr, Daniel. Thank you for sharing this video, Basically, this is a very important exercise that must be done daily for a violinist.

I am not a violinist. I am a guitarist. However I really enjoyed this video!!! Thank you for posting!!! 👍

This is the best tutorial I've seen on Ysaye's Exercices et Gammes. I found your commentary and insights, as well as your demonstrations, to be absolutely wonderful! Aaron Rosand recommended these to me about 35 years ago, but they were out of print then. Glad to see that they are easily obtainable now. I look forward to more of your excellent instructional videos. Thank you Daniel!

Very interesting ! William Primrose describes a version of this exercise in one of his books . He has an illustration of the exercise written out in Ysye's own hand and a photo of the master holding up his violin so as to look down the strings from the lower end as they cross the bridge . Ysaye intended this exercise to be performed with the bow flowing IN A CONTINUOUS ARC with no audible change of string .

I agree with all the wonderful comments here. I've never played Ysaye's music. I'm going to check it out more! Thanks for sharing!

You are so clear and Structured in your explanations, that I am really analyzing it, to find out how to apply some of it into my way of teaching. Totally loved it.

One of the best tutorials OMG thank u so much love from the Philippines! 😘

Bravo! A masterclass in how to give a masterclass. Crystal clear explanations and brilliant execution of the studies. As an additional insight into Ysaÿe s personality, it's well worth searching out Frederick H. Martens's 'Violin Mastery: Talks with Master Violinists and Teachers' (published in 1919) which includes an interview with Ysaÿe himself. He says 'Too many of the technicians of the present day no longer sing. Their difficulties - they surmount them more or less happily; but the effect is too apparent, and though, at times, the listener may be astonished, he can never be charmed.' Ysaÿe is not referring to a laudable precept: he is talking about the constant internal singing that is the root and motivation of all subsequent actions, anticipating every mood and atmosphere. In short, the gateway to the active musical imagination, which is sadly absent from many of the current crop of leading violinists.

I love and appreciate all of this, I usually never comment but for you I do :)

I also want to say how much I value your instruction. Thankyou

Great technique! Great sound! Great tune! It’s really coming from within!

Thank you soooo much for masterclasses God bless you

I studied with a student of Ysaye and learned this exercise. Your extrapolations are wonderful...and this is a great video explaining its power. Wonerdeful!!!

thankyou for this good tutorial. greeting from bali island

Excellent work brother..I was thinking to resume violin after 10 years..and was searching for tutorials like this .. thanks a lot

Wow, right know I can feel and understand my violin in a completely different way. Tnx a lot🎻

Thank you, Daniel. This tutorial is extremely helpful! You provide a path to "violin literacy" to feel comfortable with the technical aspects and musical opportunities of the violin.

When I tune my violin, I feel as though I am about to embark on a passage somewhere that I have been, and at the same time look forward to a new adventure. Tuning is the place where I fly when I know that the harmonics and overtones are speaking to me.

BRAVO !

Keep doing these kind of videos! They're really helpful

Love, love, love! I am taking notes!

Máster. Muchas gracias por el aporte al mundo hispano, estoy aprendiendo a mis 53 años y tus máster clases, son fantástico. Thank so much.

This was really excellent! Oh, and your violin has a lovely tone! Your L’Aurore was beautiful, Daniel! It occurred on my iPad just as dawn was occurring in the morning!❤️😌

Wow. I'm just here to learn. And to rediscover the great Ysaye. Bravo

Amazing! Thank you for sharing!

Wow. My teacher currently has gone over some of these concepts without explicitly giving me Ysaye's music but this is fantastic. I hope someday I can teach like you

wow one of the best violin teaching video I have seen. Thanks I will use it for my students in switzerland . Thank you a lot for your work

Excellent tutorial! Please share more!

Thanks for sharing your wealth of insight into some our great grand-teachers technical and artistic mastery and approach. I had a revelation into the process of warming up when I played through Kreutzer’s Book #1, EXCERCISES 1-12 or so, followed by a Sevcik book on bowing, starting sequentially. After about 1 hour and 20 minutes, I was able to jump to the Ysäye Ballade and play the entire piece. It had been nearly a decade since I had last studied this, and at the time, wasn’t even aware of Sevcik and Ysaye’s collaborations. I am a jazz violinist, and find these exercises you have shared bounteous in their universal applicability. Looking forward to seeing what happens as I incorporate them into my efforts to get better technique and solidify my evolution into better practicing technical and aesthetic mastery. Bravo and all best to you, good sir!

So inspiring to practice this exercises. Thank you !

Wow, amazing content. I studied violin and viola and now I'm currently studying the bachelor for viola and I have been always complaining about the lack of technique we sometimes experiment as violists. I may borrow some of them because they build an incredible strength and hand frame that is welcome when playing (besides, I just love Ysaye). Thank you for your approach, it is really pure.

Gorgeous, thank you

This is extremely useful!!!

Wow. This video is perfect in every way!

Oh dude this is absolutely amazing! I'll start today doing this exercises. Lovely sound, lovely violin and lovely sweater!! Hahah. Hugs!!

Thank you so much for this!

woah i can’t believe i’m saying this but i can listen to you play these exercises on loop. i’m actually being put to sleep listening to it now; it’s so sooth...

Pff this is mind blowing, one of the best tutorials i have ever seen on Ysaye :)

Perfect. Many thanks for these great exercises!! BRAVO for your playing as well!!

Love this exercise, thank you! ♥️

Спасибо! Очень полезное упражнение.

Thank you for this great material.

Excellent video 👍👍👍👌👍

Your sound is so crystal clear. I admire it. Thank you so much for this!!! Been working on the Ballade, so this is PERFECT, also for quarantine!

Brilliant video!!!

Another series great daniel

Fantastic video. Thank you, and bravo!

Your tutorials are wonderful and it really helps me a lot! I always enjoy because your violin sound is so beautiful. Thank you so much from Japan!

Fantastic Daniel!!!!! This is really helpful!

I was literally in awe from the first couple of notes 😱

Amazing, thank you. Looking forward for more videos.

This is brilliant.

I use this exercise with my students it’s great

Awesome tutorial! One of the best of violin tutorial i ve seen

Thanks for this - you express everything so clearly and succinctly. I will be trying this tomorrow :-)

You have a great gift for teaching; not to mention your playing, too. Fantastic details I’ve wondered about. I didn’t even have to ask. Your answer beat me to my question!

Thank you for providing the excercises!

Thank you!!!

Muito bom! Tudo muito claro. Bravo!

Bravo!

Tks for the tutorial, Daniel ! Very well made and played ! Gonna tell all my students to subscribe. Big hug from Brazil !

your are brilliant... you are helping so much thank you

Fantastic! I love it!

Wow I love your tone

this helped me alot 👏👏👏

That is the metacarpal falangeal joint. Super nice video

Amazing explanations! Definitely adding these exercises to my practice routine. Also would love for you to upload full performances of the sonatas. .

Awesome,thank you so much!

I find your videos fascinating! Could you please make videos about basic bow techniques? Looking forward to more vids! Thank you.

Great job! Looking forward for more excellent tutorials!

These videos are great!! Bravo!

Brilliant. Thank you Daniel.....

Thank you so much for your demonstration and tutorial. It's amazing. Can't appreciate more.

Great video! Looking forward to trying these exercises. Thank you!

Wow, you are amaaaazing. And the information is great, I'm always looking for good online teachers with really informative videos. Definitely just found a new one! I was a late-comer to violin so unf. it will be a long time before I can play Ysaye though :(

This is friggin brilliant!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! So much!

Thoroughly enjoyed this! Gave this exercise that my teacher gave me a while back exciting new lights!

Thanks a lot for your fantastic explanation of the exercise and Ysaye's approach to the instrument

This is fascinating, please make more videos like this -- I'm an ultra beginner and find it very difficult to do anything if I can't understand WHY I am doing it/playing it. It's just too big a physical challenge to learn as an adult; I really need the intellectual support, I can't just mimic/copy.

Amazing explanation and demonstration! Thanks for sharing all of these.

Very well done and interesting! Bravo.

Beautiful, instructive and inspiring! Thank you!

You are great!

Many thanks for posting this excellent video. I love Ysaye but was unaware of his exercises and scales. I look forward to watching more of your videos.

Love it thankyou😊💜

Thank you so much for this wonderful exercises ,Thanks a lots.

your sound is so pure and on point! do you play solos with orchestras? if not, do you plan on doing that? also i would like to hear you play full pieces.