This book reveals that there are innumerable thoughts and ideas—aside from
those that one learned during one’s early period of study—which can be helpful
in the pursuit of one’s technical, musical and artistic goals. These helpful ideas
can be extremely diverse, and the many choices which an aspiring musician/
artist needs to make should ideally be intimately connected with his or her
own individual personality, temperament and physique. This approach will
produce a broad outlook and multiple benefi ts for one’s professional and
artistic future.

Foreword by Gunther Schuller
Observations and Recollections by Mark Ptashne, Ben Sayevich and Ariadne Daskalakis
Acknowledgement
Chapter 1. Opening Thoughts
Chapter 2. Matters Primarily Involving the Left Arm
A. General Observations
B. The Thumb and Closely Related Topics
C. Topics Related to Finger Activity
D. Shifting
E. Vibrato and Expressive Emphasis
F. Fingerings and Choosing Fingerings
Chapter 3. Topics Related to the Functioning of the Right Arm
A. General Thoughts
B. Fundamental Assumptions
C. Bow Speed, Contact Point, Weight of the Arm, Inclination of the Bow
D. The Role of Each Part of the Right Arm
E. Articulation
F. Bowings
G. Chords
Chapter 4. Posture and Physical Relationship to Playing the Violin
Chapter 5. concluding Thoughts
Appendix 1. "On Practising" (and Additional Thoughts on Practicing)
Appendix 2. Quotes from "Violin Fingering: Its Theory and Practice" by Carl Flesch