US88423A - Stephen u p s o n - Google Patents

Description

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@tI-lidad xsf/@bhw STEPHEN UPSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 88,423, dated liIcLrch 30, 1869.

DEVICE FOR VIOLIN-PRACTICE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the Asame.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN UrsoN, of the city, county, and Sta-te of New York, have invent-cd a new and improved Device for Practising the Handling of Violins and Bows; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear 'tud exactdesc-ription thereof, whichwill enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference heilig had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this s1')ecificat-ion.

Figure` l represents a plan or top view of my improved practice-block for violins.

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the saine, the plane of section being indicated by the line fr rc, fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invent-ion has for its object, to teach beginners the manner of handling the bows of violins, and equivaient instruments, and the inode of using the fingers, and practising the shifts on the finger-board of the instrument, all without producing any noise, and without exposing valuable instruments to the risk of being spoiled bythe practitioners.

The invention consists inthe use of a block, A, which is shaped, more or less, like a violin, and which has a scale marked on its finger-hoard, upon which the ngers may be practised as on a real instrument.

rlhe block has also a transverse groove, a., in which a stick, B, can be drawn back and forth, to teach the movements of the bow.

It is one ofthe first requisites in violin-playing, that the b`ow should always be held parallel with the bridge. The direction of the how, in this respect, should never be changed. If the. bow is-'drawn at another than a right angle across the strings, a very impure, shrieking sound will he produced. The scholar should, therefore, firstpractisc, to produce the. requisite straight motion of the how.

Thev stick is preferably made prismatic, so as to have sharp corners, that it may not be turned in the similarly-shaped grorwe of the block.

The person using it, will be obliged to move the stick straight, as it will not move otherwise in the groove. The muscles of the hand and arm will, by constant practice with this stick and block, be trained so as to become accustomed to the proper motion.

Short and long strokes may be used to represent short and long bowing.

Another great advantage of this device is, that the practitioner does not produce the disagreeable noise generally made by scholars on musical instruments.

The block is or maybe provided with another groove, b, which is not as deep as the first, and which has its bottom bevelled down at the ends, as in iig. 3, for the purpose of allowing the position of the bow, for playing single strings, to be practised. Three planes are, by the bevels, formed on the bottom of the shallow groove b, as shown, and the scholar can hold his bow on any one ofthe four corners of the same, and change from one corner to the other, as if from one string to the other, always, however, keeping the stick parallel with the bridge,-that is to say, in the groove.

On the neck and finger-board, is a raised rib,c, on which the fingers should be held while they are prac tising on the aforesaid scale. The fingers are thereby compelled to follow a straight line in their'motion on the scale. The scale need only represent one octave. If the scholar has become familiar with it, the other scales will be easy for him to produce.

In order to teach the lip-and-down motion of the bow, that is to say, to have it shifted more or less far from the bridge, toward the neck, without ever llosing its parallel direction with the bridge, I have arranged two guide-bars, C C, on the upper or lower side of the block, and a sliding case, D, suspended therefrom. i

The stick B can be fitted through the case D, and can be moved back and forth in the same, and at the same time shifted up or down with the same. The requisite shifting is thus produced, while the stick is constantly in the correct position.

I claim as new, and desire to secure -by Letters Patent- 1. A block, A, when provided with grooves, or their equivalents, to allow the motions for playing a violin to be practised uponiit, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The groove b, having the bevelled'bottom, when arranged in the block A, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

3. The straight groove (t, or its equivalent, when arranged in the block A, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

4. The sliding case D, when arranged on the block to practise the shifting motion of the bow, as set orth.

5. Providing the block A witha scale for fingerpractice, as set forth, and with one or more raised lines, c, as specified.

STEPHEN UPSON.

Witnesses:

A. V. BRIESEN, FRANK BLocKLEY.

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