Why do violinists move so much?

Motion is an inherent part of playing the violin -- certainly we must move our fingers and arms to create sound. Adding a little more motion can actually help promote more relaxed, natural playing, to a point.

violinist.com - V.com weekend vote: How much do you move while you are playing?

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V.com weekend vote: How much do you move while you are playing?

How much do you move when you play?

When it comes to motion while playing the violin, there is a wide range among the great artists, from the relatively steady stance of the great Russian violinist David Oistrakh to the kinetics of American violinist Joshua Bell. And among pop artists, of course we have the dancing Lindsey Stirling and more. Motion is an inherent part of playing the violin -- certainly we must move our fingers and arms to create sound. Adding a little more motion can actually help promote more relaxed, natural playing, to a point. I've actually had students who have said, "I don't know how to move!" Certain motions such as a bit of swaying from side to side, some bending of the knees with bow changes, cuing motions, a nice sweep at the end of a piece -- these things can be taught. And then there are the more individual motions, which can get downright quirky and if done inexpertly, can cause "over-playing" -- crunching of the bow, etc. One funny story is about a student violinist who became so engrossed, moving about while playing for a master class, that by the time he was finished with the piece, he found himself with his back to the audience!

But as I said, moving can work, when done right.

What works for you? Do you employ a lot of motion when you play, or do you stand or sit relatively still? Is motion something that you had to learn, or want to learn? Or do you find yourself needing to reign things in? Please answer the vote and then share your thoughts in the comments.

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