Effects of Physical Motion on Sound

Performance technique is described in terms of the effect that physical motion creates in the sound produced. The sound that students produce is consistently the focus of the teachers’ attention. Irrespective of the physical aspect of playing (physical technique) that may be the immediate focus of attention, teachers systematically pair physical motion with its effect on sound production. In this way, physical technique simply supports the main goal of creating characteristic sound quality. Pointing out the relationship between physical motion and the effects that physical motion produces is true not only with regard to tone production, but also in the production of musical effects (e.g., phrase endings, sense of line).