In the Grade 6 violin syllabus there is a an Allegro by Vivaldi (A:3). From bar 3 onwards, there are slurs with a little notch in them. I've never seen this before. What does it mean? How are people playing those semiquavers, detached or slurred? Does the little notch mean the slur is optional?

Thanks in hopeful anticipation,

Paul

I don't play the violin and hence shouldn't even be in this forum but slurs with a little notch in them often means the slurs are editorial.

The slurs are editorial suggestions only if they have a little notch in them. The suggested slurring pattern seems to work quite well, though. I would play with the slurs, using a light and long bow for the first semi, then slurring the rest - should give a nice bit of lift to the section.

Allan

They are editorial and my teacher changed a lot of them when I did this piece for my Grade 6. (Not that I actually took the exam, but I learnt it!) I'll go and check what I did...

Oh OK I did play them, it was the pairs at the bottom of the page we changed. Lol.

I'm playing that piece too and i've been told by my teacher to play them slurred. The notch does normally mean optional, but i thnk in this case you should play them as they are written in, in the exam book.

Not much more to add really so I'm not sure why I'm doing this... but just to say its a loverly piece and I did it with all the slurs and it worked well

Just like to say thanks to everyone who replied. It was really helpful. I was playing the slurs anyway, and it looks like this is the way that most people are going with it. Although I did find in the early stages of getting up to the right tempo that sometimes playing detache helped me to get through parts of it.

Best wishes, Paul

[size=4][font=Comic Sans Ms] Hi researchvln
I also play the violin and I am 10 I am also currently on Grade 6.The little notchs are editorial suggestions only this means that you don't have to play them if you don't want to.
Does anyone else think that playing them will get you extra marks? just curious.I am not playing A3 I am playing A1 B3 and I am looking into a C piece (I don't like hardly any of them at all)!!!!This could prove to be abit of a problem.
This hasn't got any thing to do with pieces but does anyone else think that the Violin Grade 6 Scales are hard! I am slowly getting better at them everything comes with pratice.

Love From Daisy (10)

P.S Hope anyone finds this useful

Hi researchvln
I also play the violin and I am 10 I am also currently on Grade 6.The little notchs are editorial suggestions only this means that you don't have to play them if you don't want to.
Does anyone else think that playing them will get you extra marks? just curious.I am not playing A3 I am playing A1 B3 and I am looking into a C piece (I don't like hardly any of them at all)!!!!This could prove to be abit of a problem.
This hasn't got any thing to do with pieces but does anyone else think that the Violin Grade 6 Scales are hard! I am slowly getting better at them everything comes with pratice.

Love From Daisy (10)

P.S Hope anyone finds this useful

I did grade 6 when I was about 17 and I still thought the G6 scales were really hard, Daisy!! So it's not just you

I love hearing professional violinists. I could never bring myself to learning it though, I don't think I could put up with the screeching that one has to go through to begin with.

I really admire those who take up the violin; it can be a great instrument.
To reach such a high grade too. I only know people who just srape through the very early grades.

I've always thought that the violin was one of the hardest instruments to play well. So whenever I hear good violinists I'm in awe...