course great judgment is required in this
development, or the personality will become marked mannerism, than
which nothing could be worse. True art always displays a certain
reticence; excess at either end of the gamut of emotion is avoided.
Calmness is not coldness, and passion carried too far becomes
caricature. Tone must be developed also, but it should always be
borne in mind that exertion is not power; a mistake too frequently
made. How often do we see a well meaning but physically weak player
trying to tear the tone out of a violin by "main strength." Such
efforts are useless, particularly when practised on a fine violin. A
really good instrument is of too sensitive an organisation to respond
to bullying. Teachers cry out to their pupils sometimes "lay it on!"
"pull it out!" and other contradictory sounding phrases with the same
meaning, and occasionally such admonitions and encouragements bear
good fruit, but there is always the danger of "effort" being
engendered thereby. There should be no effort in art. Effort, too,
defeats its own ends. It weakens; exercise strengthens. Therefore let
the strength with which to "lay it on" or "pull it out" be gradually
and naturally developed by constant and gentle practice. The muscles
will gain strength thus, and the result will be a full round tone,
capable of every inflection and free from everything like harshness.

Power should be implied rather than displayed. The instrument will
then respond freely and fully as a woman to the caress of a strong
manly arm.

CHAPTER XV.

BOWING HISTORICALLY CONSIDERED--THE OLDEST ENGLISH VIOLIN
METHOD--SYMPSON'S INSTRUCTIONS IN BOWING--THOSE OF MACE (1676)--THOSE
OF VARIOUS MODERN MASTERS.

If the history of the bow's development _per se_ presented a misty
aspect we must not be surprised to find that of bowing similarly
obscure.

Just as the violin arrived at its state of greatest perfection long
before the bow developed into a fitting companion.

When we consider the enormous progress in left hand technique
accomplished by the earlier violinists and 'cellists, such as
Corelli, Tartini, Bach, and a host of others, it seems
incomprehensible that the bow should have so long remained in such a
comparatively crude and primitive condition, and its mode of use so
limited and undecided.

The best drawing I have seen of the manner of holding the bow in
playing a higher pitched viol is in a miniature representation of a
state b