The Surprising Secret to Mastering Violin Spiccato

For those interested in Skype (or your favored video chat platform) lessons, email [e-mail].
0:00 - intro
0:37- why is spiccato so difficult?
2:11 - learning the bow's natural bounce
5:17 - learning the correct arm motions
8:08 - BONUS: sautille
Among the advanced bow strokes, the bouncing bow strokes, like spiccato and sautille, can often prove to be the most difficult. But they are also among the most important. While a violinist might be able to go a whole career without ever needing to use a rapid upbow staccato, it would be nearly impossible for a violinist to play professionally without a complete grasp of spiccato and sautille.
However, it doesn't have to be as difficult as it might at first seem. Follow the basic practice advice in this video, and you will be well on your way to not only achieving a working spiccato, sautille, and bouncing bow strokes in general, but MASTERING them.

[@elizabethsteimle2889]

OH, the timing on this is perfect! I played from 9 y/o to 23 and then stopped because I was never going to be able to make a living. I became a nurse. I had put my violin away in 2010, but picked it back up just before Christmas and have been taking lessons every week. We are working on this right now!

[@SF-ru3lp]

Fabulous, Tobiah! Thank you! Adult student here. G Ire

[@violin.music1]

I like the way you explain violin techniques 🎻❤️

[@agatafurczyk9149]

Great explanation - thanks for the video 😊

[@sadhbhdelahunt]

Thanks so much

[@josedasilva7949]

Thank you!

[@danyahal7]

That was explained so very well. Almost all violin teachers that I got to work with were terrifying and very condescending. They also couldn’t demonstrate technical aspects with expertise or in a clear way. Many students are finding amazing teachers online to compensate for the lack of teachers that can explain things and break them down as well as you are doing. Many many thanks 😊 🎶🎶

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

Here's the thing about being condescending. I tried that and it doesn't work very well. Not that I don't push students but I've found being a little more patient works better.
I'm a very practical teacher. If I thought being condescending would get better results, I'd do it. But thankfully for both myself and my students, being nicer (while still being demanding) works better on all accounts.
Glad you enjoyed the video😄

[@sonja4186]

If a teacher is condescending and can't explain things, he probably isn't interested in teaching @danyahal7

[@sonja4186]

@murphysmusicacademy you actually tried being condescending? No surprise that did n't work. Your enthousiasm like in the video's probably works better

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

@@sonja4186 not really condescending, but certainly less patient and more pushy. Sometimes a student will need a bit of a “wake-up call” but I’ve found that being more encouraging and patient produces much better results.

[@sonja4186]

​@@MurphyMusicAcademy ok I get that. You try things along the way. You want to improve your students and every student is a bit different. So maybe the overconfident student needs to hear that the result is n't great yet.
But if a teacher can't explain something like the initial post said, and is condescending he probably should not teach.

[@sonja4186]

Great that you're posting again😊.
Your instruction video's are very helpfull.

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

Yeah, I've had a bit of writer's block lately. Hopefully I can be consistent in the future.

[@user-ly8ew8kw2q]

Merci❤

[@guikentaro]

Such exceptional teaching!! Tysm for sharing your knowledge, and in perfect timing for me! My orchestra will play Rossini's La Gazza Ladra overture, and strings have a lot of spiccato 😅🙏🏻

[@StephaneMeyrat]

Sautille versus lower bow spiccato. I always found the two bow techniques confusing. A good exercise of spiccato is Tchaikovsky's violin concerto third movement. Sautille is more suited for Monti's Czardas.

[@anotherpracticeboy40hrs57]

thoughts on heifetz doing spicatto? I find it extremely interesting seeing where he does it in the bow and the way he does it

[@cavagechannel8141]

It actually works

[@violinist86]

Can you do a video on the best foot positions when playing?

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

I don’t that’s really a thing, bro. Typically just a good stance, feet just a bit more than hip-width apart will do it

[@jackwarwar723]

Very clear explanation! Are there any specific etudes you tend to use for students just learning spiccato and sautille?

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

There is nothing better than Sevcik Opus 2 to help students with the basics of bowing technique. And, of course, always put whatever you are working on bow-wise into your scales

[@ioana938]

So.. I have a question.... does that really mean that each bow has its own unchangeable natural frequency? And if so, how do you adapt your spiccato to the various tempos you encounter in the litterature? Is there such a thing as "faster" or "slower" spiccato?

[@thecatofnineswords]

Was that a piece you played in the opening 10 seconds? I swear I've heard something similar, but cannot recall it.

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

That was Rush E, lol

[@juliejules7780]

What that thing where you slide up and it sounds like separate tiny notes at 00:12 ? Is that still considered spicato? Or upbow staccato? Tutorial?

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

Ricochet. Where you allow a number of bounces within a single bow stroke

[@juliejules7780]

@@MurphyMusicAcademy I hate that thing

[@juliejules7780]

So you have to time the sliding notes to match with the bounces?

[@user-ms1uq4xs2c]

Such as nice loving man

[@oxoelfoxo]

!

[@atlanticking2315]

Are you Spiderman?

[@masterparticular]

I wondered the same. Some kind of a far relationship maybe...? 😂