We've all been there. You listen to a recording of yourself playing and you just can't believe your ears. Or maybe your teacher finally gave you an ultimatum. Whatever your reason for realizing your intonation just isn't cutting it, you can take steps to make it better.
I had a teacher that gave me exercises and drilled my scales for intonation with such a nit-picky ear that I wanted to throw my violin against the wall and walk out. But, do not give up hope. While it is a long road to acceptable intonation, you can make leaps and bounds in a short time.
The key to developing your intonation is to use the open strings of the violin for reference notes. This means that if you are playing a 'C' on the 'A' string you will check it with the 'E' string. To apply this to your practice in an efficient way, use it on your scales. You can also buy a drone tuner and play the root of the scale and adjust every note to be in tune with it. Also play your piece at a very slow tempo and only do these checks for intonation. This is a tedious process, but the benefits are incredible. Check out Simon Fischer's "Basics" book for a great explanation of this process.
In the "Art of the Violin, Vol 1", Flesch talks about his experience of students being discouraged after using this method. After having played and listened to the pitches for so long in this manner, students think they are playing even more out of tune than before. The truth is that they are hearing how out of tune their technique is. They have not gotten worse, but the ear has developed.
Another great resource for this is "Sevcik's School of Violin, Op 1." I especially like the 2nd part, because it does the best exercises from Book 1 in every position from 2-7. If you really want to perfect your intonation, just spend a few minutes with Sevcik everyday.
The "Flesch Scale System" is also a good resource for scales. It takes you through every major and minor key with one string scales and arpeggios on every strings, three octave scale and arpeggios, broken thirds, stacked thirds, stacked sixths, stacked octaves, fingered octaves, stacked tenths, harmonics, and harmonic chords. I always tell my students that Flesch is one of the best investments you can make in your violin career, because it will last a lifetime.
Tim is a violinist who is pursuing his master's degree in Violin Performance. He has played in many high quality ensembles, recitals, and has written several compositions that have been performed. Besides learning about the performing side of music, he also has a big interest in the academic side such as Music History, Theory, and Literature. Tim has attended many workshops, clinics, and festivals specific to the violin, and has picked up on incredible advice that he would like to share with string players. For more tips and information for violin players, visit http://www.squidoo.com/all-things-musical. This site offers great information for any level of player.
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