ABSTRACT
The 1827 committee examined qualities of the Dragonetti-style stick to create a novel shape, better matched to the thick strings. Charles Labro taught at the Paris Conservatoire from 1853 to 1882, during which time he formalized the change in left hand technique, moving away from fisticuffs and adding second finger for semitones. Thumb position was an area less frequently used in the nineteenth century, and even rarer on the second string. The thumb is a “moveable nut” and a great resource which “allows us to cover as many [notes] in the first thumb position as the four neck positions.” Chales Labro gave a discussion of the full range of possible harmonics but did not create exercises to embed them into ordinary technique. The comparison of stroke pedagogy which follows shows that each new method contained more detailed information on stroke definition and execution and added context for sound and notation.
