What is Western Classical Violin playing?

We are often asked by music enthusiasts, “What is the difference between Western Classical Violin and Indian Classical – Hindustani and Crantic Violin playing methods?” In simple words, Western Classical Violin playing is a method of Violin performance based on traditional European Classical music. Western Classical music learning method consists of following the Western staff notation system, the students are taught to play the Violin as a solo instrument and also as an orchestral instrument. They are taught to understand, interpret and subsequently play the compositions of famous composers such as JS Bach (Baroque period), WA Mozart (Classical period), LV Beethoven (Romantic period), and Dmitri Shostakovich (Modern period). There are thousands of such composers who have written amazing musical works over the centuries for beautiful solo, duet, trio, quartet, and quintet pieces, also, wonderful sonatas and chamber compositions, and of course, glorious symphonies, and magnum operas. A Violin student learning Violin under the Western classical music method shall learn to play all these styles of music in the entire music education period.

On the other hand, the Indian classical Violin learning and playing method are very different. Though there is a universal similarity, which is the Sargam – Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa. In the Western music system, it is Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do. Music can be defined as 7 notes Sa to Ni and similarly Do to Ti, this is universal. But the playing styles of Western and Indian are completely different. In Indian classical music, there are two classical music systems – Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian). The Violin tuning of the Strings is also different between the Western and Indian music systems. In Western music, the Violin is tuned to the perfect 5th, G,D,A,E from the lowest sounding string to the highest. In Indian classical music, Violin can be tuned in more than one arrangement – for example, Pa,Sa,Pa,Sa and Ma,Sa,Pa,Re. In western style, the Violin is held on the shoulder and often used vibrato (vibrate the finger). In Indian style, the Violin is rested on the feet and it doesn’t use vibrato but uses gamaka (oscillation).

As we are mainly trying to understand the Western classical music style of Violin playing in this article, let me share a few videos for your better understanding.

SONATA

Many people in India have been opting for private one-to-one online Western classical music lessons in recent years, click on the instruments below to learn more: