Intonation routine with Roy Sonne

[@mickscrafts]

I just found you and a light bulb went off. I can't wait to try this. I think in patterns so it makes sense to me. I'm 70 but I'm having a great time with violin. Thank you so much.

[@roysonne]

Thanks, Maxine. Very glad that this resonated with you. Please keep me posted.

[@rossmcintyre3228]

Maxine Meloche , haha I’m a 72yr old Australian who’s just taken up the violin, and intonation is the most important skill for me to attain.

[@nickjakeman4516]

Thank you for the help and ideas. This will form the first part of tomorrow's practice session.

[@kenhimurabr]

Thank you. I never thought study intonation this way. I'm gonna use it and teach this way to my pupils.

[@markyboo]

I love your teaching style. You're very personable.

[@roysonne]

Thank you, Mark!

[@dianal.1279]

Another fantastic lesson from you. Thank you for being so generous and sharing it with us!

[@eyadha1]

thank you sir for your generosity. You are a great person and musician. I learn from you a lot

[@roysonne]

Thank you, Eyad.

[@lalchhandami]

This is one of the best explained video i find 💕

[@lis819]

Such a beautiful way to study intonation...thank you... can't wait for the next practice session now :)

[@roysonne]

Thank you in turn, Elizabeth, for your appreciation and your lovely comment. You might enjoy checking out some of my other videos. The website of School of Violin Artistry has been discontinued but all the videos are here on KZbin.

[@jgunther3398]

Thanks, Roy!

[@MsrAlaindeFerrier]

Lovely tutorial thank you sir

[@RonnieMinh]

Great video, thanks!

[@carlosvnegas552]

Thanks Roy your a nice and very generous person. I'm learning snd my 50's so it a bit more to don't say a lot difficult.

[@roysonne]

Hi Carlos. Yes, I empathize. Bravo to you for sticking with it.

[@fernandavillalvazo2329]

This is a particurarly difficult tonality, I like your approach of building a frame and your advice about keepping a good relaxed sound very much!

[@roysonne]

Thank you, Fernanda.

[@josemchrist]

Awesome ideas! Thanks for sharing them!

[@roysonne]

+Jose M Christ thanks in turn to you, Jose. Best wishes for violinistic fulfillment.

[@NathanMeltzer]

Such great ideas! Thank you!

[@edwardemanuel1033]

Did you learn this in the high baroque? Wonderful!

[@ruipinghou]

Thanks for helping me you are AMAZING

[@roysonne]

Thanks in turn to you Rae Weeks.

[@lalchhandami]

Its a wonderful video thank you... How can i find the part 2 of this video minor scaleintonation ..? Sir could you upload videos of hooked legato bowings which are mostly in 32 notes ...which are advanced ...example in vivaldi autumn. Rythmic bowings are very helpful ...hooked bowings of legato of 32 or 64 notes please

[@roysonne]

Hello Lalchhandami Adhikari. Thanks for your appreciative comment. I have not made part 2. Since I spend a lot of time making each video, I can't take requests. However if you would like to contact me using FB or Skype perhaps I could help you.

[@jerryagin2202]

Thanks, Roy, I'll give this a try -- Jerry

[@TheNeilsolaris]

I used to think the same way as you regarding intonation, but not anymore. I think usually it sounds better (at least to most people's ears) to use expressive intonation for melodic notes, i.e. high 3rds and 7ths. Single notes scales should be tuned this way in my opinion, as you are in effect practising melodies. 3rds and 6ths double stoppings can be practised using pure intonation of you like, if the context is harmonic rather than melodic. The result for the E major Gavotte is that double stoppings involving octaves, 4ths and 5ths would be tuned using pure intonation (otherwise it'd sound horrible), and 3rds and 6ths would sound out of time in a pure, harmonic context, but overall it would sound more pleasing to most people's ears if the melodic structure of the scale was maintained (on the whole).

[@roysonne]

Hi Niel. Thanks for your contribution to the conversation. Obviously I don't agree, but you're in good company. Casals was a big proponent of expressive intonation as was Szigeti. For me, I have gotten so accustomed to chordal intonation that anything else sounds out of tune to me.

[@TheNeilsolaris]

@@roysonne Hi Roy, thanks for replying. Did you have any links to any KZbin versions of the Gavotte of players using the same timing system as you? All the ones I've found (obviously ignoring any dodgy versions!) use Pythagorean intonation for the melodic line.

[@roysonne]

Hi Neil - I haven´t searched. I suspect that there are a lot, but I don´t know for sure.

[@TheNeilsolaris]

I've found one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3nFooZvjbiAbpo (Gavotte starting at 7:58). Obviously we have to allow for the fact the strings are tuned differently and I don't think he's on great form, but he's using the same tuning system as you. It sounds ok me, but it's interesting to compare it to this performance, using Pythagorean intonation, but by a player who is otherwise aiming to be authentic. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqKrfpRjg758hsk The result for me is that in the second performance, the character of E major is much clearer, i.e. bright and lively. But I'm not pushing my preference on you. There's no right and wrong, just what we prefer.

[@roysonne]

Hello Neil: Well -- you are making me think ! I believe that the intonation of any given note, F#, B, etc, will change according to the context, i.e. according to which notes come before and after and which notes are with it in the ensemble. I think that the approach that I give in the video is a good starting point, but everything is going to change according to circumstances. The Bach E Major gavotte lends itself to this approach because so much of it is squarely in the key of E Major. But then in the second section, starting in m. 9 it goes into C# Minor so we have to deal with E# and B# and everything changes. And of course, if we try to apply it to something like the Franck Sonata it falls apart completely. That being said, I do believe that in the basic E Major scale the second finger goes in the same place for F# and C#. However this also depends on the context. Anyway I don't apply this system usually in my practice, because I don't want to get bogged down. However I think it's a good introduction to help people to gain a basic understanding about intonation.

[@mohammedkebir8696]

Excellent video Professor Sonne. I could not find a part 2 of this intonation lesson. Did you post it under a different name? Thank you

[@roysonne]

Many thanks MNK Kiki. Unfortunately my plans to make part 2 never materialized. Maybe one of these days :-)

[@hanhan3946]

sir,what string that you use sir?

[@roysonne]

I use Dominant strings except for the E which is Pirastro Gold Label.

[@Lalo1]

Well, sounds interesting and fun but I'm 57 yo and I started playing violin over 2 years ago with a private teacher and no previous music experience at all. I would like to give these exercises a try but it is assumed that I know what mayor seventh, minor third, etc means but I don't . Unless I have a music sheet with the exercises I cannot give it a try

[@roysonne]

Hello Abelardo. If you've been playing only two years, you're probably not ready to study this Gavotte. You might want to check out the videos of Professor V. I think you'll find them understandable and very helpful.

[@1048496771]

Is this all written out somewhere? Thanks, Carol

[@roysonne]

Hi Carol, If you want to establish contact with a PM on Facebook, I can send you the text.

[@kadoct13]

I love you

[@pedrojr.ocampo7987]

N

[@MarkDiSciullo]

It's so awkward watching this guy obviously read directly from a script, next to the camera, and over articulate everything...but I have to admit, this exercise is extremely helpful, and very enjoyable.

[@SuperTekton]

Make videos is not easy pal.