Bowed String Instruments II

Talk about web http://personal.stevens.edu/~abrick/

Do your best with Alto clef on this assignment. Remember, the bracket joins at middle C on the piano. If the reading becomes very problematic we will discuss and work on it in class. I will show you guys how to speed read music. The homwork will be graded but the grade will not count towards your final grade unless you do not complete the assignment at all. Also, dont worry about the questions regarding Harmonics. We will discuss this in class. It gets a little crazy.

Bowing

1. Detache

Separate bows change direction for each note The term détaché simply means "separated" and it can be applied to any notes not linked by a slur.

a. Non legato
a. up/down mark
b. phrase concepts

Adler Movie Detache.mov,
Adler Audio: CD 1-12

2. Legato

In a single bow, without breaks... successive notes in performance, connected without any intervening silence of articulation. Notated by a slur over all notes to be performed in a single bow.

a. phrase marks
b. heavy at frog, lighter at tip
c. limit on number of slurred notes
d. Bass and Celli bows shorter

Adler Movie legato.mp4

Portato

ON THE STRING BOWING

1. Detache

change direction for each note The term détaché simply means "separated" and it can be applied to any notes not linked by a slur.

Detache

a. punta d arco (Adler Audio 1-13) Philharmonia Movie

b. au Talone (Adler Audio 1-14) Philharmonia Movie

2. Loure

This single bow stroke, separates slurred notes slightly to articulate them, without stopping the bow
(Adler Movie: Loure.mp4 Adler Audio: 1-16)
a. show marking

3. Staccato

Staccato notes are sounded in a detached and distinctly separate manner, with silence making up the latter part of the time allocated to each note. They are usually notated by a dot above or below the head of the note

(Philharmonia Movie: staccato Alder Audio 1-17)
a. show marking

4.. Slurred Staccato

Repeated staccato notes in a single bow stroke. (Adler Movie: Slurred Staccato)
a. marking is a set of dots (staccatos) under a slur

5. Martele/Marcato

Common Martele

Common Marcato

Two of the most misinterpreted markings, the Martele and Marcato both imply strong accents.  A quick search on the internet will reveal differing and often contradicting information about these two.  The orchestrator/composer is advised to mark the passage with text "Martele" in addition to the graphic symbol.

Marcato is a general term that can be applied to any instrument.  It indicates that a note is to be played louder or more forcefully than surrounding music.  It implies an accent of greater force. 

Martele is a term used to define a string instrument bow stroke.  It is a type of Marcato that is specific to strings.   The martele literally means "hammered" and starts with a bold heavier attack, rapidly dying away with a gap before the next note. Marcato is a stroke where the bow does not leave the string in between notes and therefore is classified as a staccato bowing  (Adler Movie: martele) (Alder Audio 1-22)

a. Heavier strike. "Hammered"
b. Often marked with "wedge", "hat" & accent

Note the book does not distinguish markings

OFF THE STRING BOWING

1. Spiccato- Conscious (Adler Movie: Conscious Spiccaato)



a. Lifting of bow off the string. The player is aware of the lift and alternates the direction of the bow on eachstroke

2. Spiccato- Spontaneous = "Saltando" (Adler Movie: Spontaneous Spiccaato)(Alder Audio 1-24)
a. Is a fast spiccato where The bow  lifts as a spontaneous reaction to the speed.

3. Spiccato- Slurred (Adler Movie: Slurred Spiccaato) (Alder Audio 1-25)
a. Lifting of bow off the string and in one direction

4. Jete- "Ricochet" (Adler Movie: Jete) (Philharmonia Movie Jete)(Alder Audio 1-27)
a. a fast slurred spiccato in which the player Throws the bow for a ricochet on the strings. A controlled bouncing on the string

5. Arpeggiando- (Adler Movie: Arpeggiando)(Alder Audio 1-28)
La Mer Mvt III  Rehearsal 49.  Approx 02:15
a. the player is asked to bounce the bow on all the strings, one after another so as to produce a broken chord, by nature of crossing strings.

TRILLS AND BOWED COLOR EFFECTS

1. Trills

(Adler Movie: Trill)  (Alder Audio 1-29)


a. a rapid alteration between two pitches either a tone (major trill) or a semitone (minor trill) apart M2, m2, notation

2. Bowed Tremolo

- (Adler Movie: Bowed Tremolo) Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique II A Ball

a. a rapidly repeating single pitch created by moving the bow back and forth in very short strokes extremely rapidly, not in measured rhythm, - notation 3 lines across the stem of the note

3. Fingered Tremolo

- (Adler Movie: Fingered Tremolo)(Alder Audio 1-31) Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique II A Ball

a. Fingered tremolo resembles a trill, but with a larger interval between the fingers.

4. Measured Tremolo

a. Just a short hand notation for rapidly executed notes in time. A measured tremolo subdivides the beat accurately according to the number of bars through the note stem.

5. Undulating Tremolo

- (Adler Movie: Undulating Tremolo)
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique II A Ball



a. Similar to a fingered tremolo, the undulating tremolo is a fast alternation between two notes greater than a 2nd (trill) However in an undulating tremolo, the player creates the undulation by crossing or playing two different strings very rapidly.  Unless one wishes a very specific string designation, the player may decideto execute an undulating or fingered tremolo.

6. Sul Tasto

- (Adler Movie: Sul Tasto) Philharmonia Movie Sul tasto.mov (Alder Audio 1-34)
La Mer Mvt III  Rehearsal 44.  Approx 00:40


Use Text Marking "Sul Tasto"

a. On the fingerboard. Hazey an indication to bow (or sometimes to pluck) over the fingerboard; the opposite of sul ponticelloNote diff. between solo and ensemb.

7. Flautando

Use Text Marking "Flautando"

a. Literally means "Flute-ing" or "Flutey"  This type of bowing produces a light and airy sound and is produced by moving slightly sul tasto and bowing very rapidly so that the string does not have a chance to vibrate to full fruition.  Although the bow is moving fast, it does not necessarily have to be loud.  Can be combined with other bowed techniques. 

NOTE: Flautando must be written.  To return to normal use "Ord" or "Normale"

8. Sul Pont.

- (Adler Movie: Sul Ponticello) Philharmonia Movie Sul Pont
La Mer Mvt III  Rehearsal 45.  Approx 01.00


Use Text Marking "Sul Pont."

a. Literally means "On the Bridge". HOWEVER: Sul Ponticello is played close to the bridge but not literally on it. If you want the player to play on the bridge you should not use Sul Pont. Errie, glassy-soft, brazen-loud as you get closer to the bridge. Note diff. btwn solo and ensemb.

9. Col Legno.

-(Alder Audio 1-36-37) Philharmonia Movie collegno.mov


Use Text Marking "Col Legno"

a. "with the wood" of the bow
i. Battuto = hit (Adler Movie: Col Legno Battuto )
ii. Tratto = bowed (Adler Movie: Col Legno Tratto )

Note: Can be devoid of Pitch and very soft.

NOTE: Sul Tasto, Sul Pont, & Col Legno must be written. To return to normal use "Ord" or "Normale"

NON BOWED COLOR EFFECTS

1. Pizzicato.

- (Adler Movie: Pizzicato) (Adler Audio1-38)

a. Thickness of string important.
b. Not as much time needed as you might think to set up.

2. LH Pizz

- (Philharmonia Movie LH Pizz )
a. most successful on open string while RH is bowing

3. Snap (Bartok) & Fingernail Pizz

(Adler Movie: snap pizz) (Adler Audio 1-40)
a. Show marking.

4. Pizz Chords

(Adler Movie Pizz Chords) (Adler Audio 1-41)
a. Most often are strummed like a guitar although simple chords can be played as a single simultaneous execution. Use the "pizz" designation with an arrow on the chord to show the direction of the strum.
b. Same guidelines as multi stops but not as broken on trip and quads

Note: Must state "Arco" when returning to bow.

1. Mutes (Con Sordino)

(Adler Movie: Mutes) (Adler Audio: 1-44)
a. There are two types of mute: the wooden mute, which is placed on the bridge, and the sliding plastic mute, which is permanently attached to the strings. Be sure to allow sufficient time for the player tp put on or take off a mute!
b. The sliding mute is most common and goes on/off quickly

Note: must state "Senza Sord." when finished

SCORDATURA

1. Scordatura = alternate tuning of strings (Alder Audio 1-46)
a. must give to player before performance
b. "cheap fiddle" sound
c. Problem retuning quickly with ensemble

HARMONICS

La Mer Mvt III  5 bars after 54.  Approx 4:00
Scheherazade Mvt II Vivace Scherzando

1. Natural Harmonics "Smooth Glassy Sound" (Adler Movie: Natural Harmonics)


a. Harmonics represent the other pitches or "overtones" present in every note. Overtones give color
b. To be safe, dont go beyond 5th partial.
c. Must specify string on which harmonic is played (ie Sul G or IV on Violin)
d. Most common notation is a little circle above the SOUNDING pitch.

Violin Natural Harmonics through 6th partial

Note: Whereas it is perfectly acceptable to be very specific about which partial is to be played via a specific string, and whereas any of the methods of notation presented in Adler are fine, it is common practice that the orchestrator or composer simply write the desired pitch with the "o" denoting that the pitch is to be produced via a harmonic. The decision how that harmonic will be produced is then left to the principal of each section.

2. Artificial Harmonics



"Hazy Flutey, Silvery Sound" (Adler Movie: Artificial Harmonics) Philharmonia Movie artharmvib.mov (Adler Audio 1-48,49,50)
a. Produced by "Touch 4th" or stopping the desired pitch with the first finger and lightly touching the string a P4th above with the fourth finger.
b. Always produces a sound 15ma
c. Avoid on Contrabass
d. Notate as normal stopped pitch with diamond "touched 4th" above : Show notation
e. Range limit is about P5 above the top string (sounding 15ma + P5 higher than top string)
f. Avoid using the little "o" above sounding pitch to denote an artifical harmonic. Other methods of producing artifical harmonics are available and it can be confused with natural harmonics.

3. Contemporary Techniques (play Threnody by Penderecki look at score)
a. Tapping and slapping, behind the bridge, wide vibrato, highest possible note, wrong side bowing, microtones, bowing the tailpiece
b. Its fair to ask anything and you can invent notation but you must specify in score
c. Dont do anything that could damage instrument.
d. Show notation chart Contemp.pdf

4. Combinations of Techniques
a. Think about what the play is physically doing
b. Gliss + Pizz, Gliss + Sul Tasto, Gliss + Sul Pont., Pizz behind bridge, Gliss + harmonics etc....