Finger Traps

BY NATHAN COLE

Directions: Mark up the excerpt each week with the fingering

you feel works best. Post your solution along with the hashtag
#fingertraps and tag @natesviolin.

APRIL 16TH

METRONOME MARK: 8TH NOTE=50

This week’s Finger Trap is clearly from a slow movement, so

let’s go for something expressive. In fact, I’ll even offer you two
solutions next week: one that’s brighter, using higher
strings/lower positions; and another darker, just the opposite.
You may want to try two solutions as well, one above the music
and the other below! But both need to really sing.

BRUCH'S VIOLIN this slow movement, he

CONCERTO IN G MINOR,
OP. 26, II. ADAGIO
The slow movement from
Bruch’s Violin Concerto in g:
What a gorgeous piece of
music! Once Pinchas Zuker-
man was our soloist, and
during a different moment in
turned to me (still playing,
mind you) and said about the
combination of slides he’d
just pulled off: “That’s genius.
I got that one from JH.” At
first unsure of just who he
was referring to, I wore a
blank expression for a
moment before breaking out
in a big grin.

APRIL 16
SOLUTION
I promised you
two, and for the
brighter one,
I’m even going
to allow myself
an open E and A! Both solutions slide down on 4 from the high E,
because I can’t resist that one. For the brighter solution, the final shift
from 2 to 4 is “old finger”: slide and drop. For the darker solution, it’s a
big reach down from 2 to 1 just before the final slide, but you may
surprise yourself at how far your 1 can go back. It’s all worth it for a “new
finger” slide to a 3.

@natesviolin there is method to the mastery