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Arranging String Parts for a Guitar Track

Monday, May 6th, 2013

Recently, I was approached by a singer/songwriter to arrange strings for an existing track that contained an acoustic guitar and vocals. The client was very specific in his brief and sent me over an mp3 of the track as well as an mp3 of the same track with him humming the melody of the strings he wanted arranging. In addition, he sent me a detailed written brief for the track as well as supplying the guitar chords for the entire piece. This all proved to be very helpful and meant that the strings for the entire track could be arranged in a matter of a couple of hours, which saved a lot of time and kept costs down.

It’s always a pleasure to work for someone who has specific ideas about the way they would like the strings arranged for a track. The written brief contained instructions such as ‘…strings supporting and following overall chord’ and ‘…similar part as after first chorus but extended twice as long with more climactic feel’. All of this is really helpful as it gives the string arranger an opportunity to get it ‘just right’ on the first draft.

The other helpful aspect about this particular job was having the guitar chords supplied. The nature of the guitar (with its six strings tuned in fourths with the major third in the middle) means that it is capable of quite complicated harmonies. Whilst a good string arranger will be able to piece together all the notes in a particular key, it is reassuring to know that you have ended up with the right chord (especially when the chord is a mixture of a G and E chord, or has suspensions of a 9th at the top of the chord). Again, this makes things much simpler and inevitably means the job can be completed more quickly.

So, this is a good example of how the more detail and information a client is able to give, the more accurate and cost effective it can be to have a string arrangement professionally written. Although many clients do send across a track without any strings and no specific idea of how the strings are intended to sound, they are then putting the responsibility for original content solely in the hands of the arranger. Very often, this works well, people are delighted with the end result and I’ve had feedback such as ‘that’s not at all how I imagined it, but it works really well!’ or ‘I never would have thought of using a viola for the solo but I really like it’. However, it’s also not unusual for several drafts to be emailed back and forward so that changes can be made as the strings become closer to what the client had in mind, but was perhaps unable to convey from the first instance.

 

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Arranging Strings for a Pop Track – Tips and Techniques

Sunday, April 21st, 2013

Arranging strings for a pop or rock track requires a different approach to orchestrating or even composing original music solely for string orchestra. In a word, versatility is the key to enhancing and expanding an existing piece of pop music. It’s a case of tailoring the strings in a way that each individual piece of music requires.

For example, if a string arranger is sent a pop or rock track that already sounds full and virtually complete, then writing an elaborate orchestral score will simply overburden the track, creating a headache for the producer in the process! In this scenario, a light scoring of violins may be all that is required to add the texture of strings without too much substance. On the other hand, if the arranger has been asked to write strings for a singer/songwriter in which the texture of the track is very thin (with only a vocal and acoustic guitar), then the strings may need to have a greater harmonic depth in order to add a full and rich overall sound to the track.

A good string arranger will have the ability to listen and take instructions from the writer of the track as well as knowing when to introduce a new feature which may give a song that extra dimension. If the writer isn’t a string player and is only arranging his or her own strings to keep costs down, it may be time to be honest and let them know when they are selling their song short or not making the most out of hiring live string players for a recording session. Sometimes, the strings can weave in and out of the texture of a song, whereas at other times the scoring can be simpler, with slow, sustained chords creating a ‘sheen’ to the song.

Occasionally, arrangers will write a ‘hook’ or counter-melody that absolutely makes a track and this can cause a slight problem in that you’ve introduced an original element into the song and have therefore crossed the boundary from solely being an arranger to being a co-writer. In this scenario, all parties need to be clear about who owns the rights to any original material from the outset.

Funk and disco music tends to be produced in a very full way (particularly in the mid and lower ranges) and this is why most strings in these genres are high in pitch and are written as catchy interjections to fill the gaps in the actual melody line.

 So in conclusion, sometimes the strings will be in the background for most of a song, whereas at other times they may make a fleeting but important contribution. Whatever their role is, well written string parts can transform a song into something rich, soulful and deeply moving and it is almost always worth hiring the services of a professional string arranger to bring out the best in strings, writing in a way that really gets the full potential out of stringed instruments.

 

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Orchestrating for Strings – Techniques and advice

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

The string section is considered by many to form the backbone of the modern symphony orchestra and it’s easy to see why. Stringed instruments are the one section that can play for an extended period of time and still sound complete. Many orchestrators, arrangers and composers tend to write the core of their music for strings, with the woodwind often creating additional interest in the high registers and the brass thickening up the texture in the more climactic passages. This was turned on its head in the late nineteenth century when composers such as Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler expanded the palette of the orchestra by laying more emphasis on the wind sections, but generally a lot of melodic interest will still occur in the strings.

When writing for strings then, context is everything. If writing a soundtrack for a large scale film with epic scenes, then the amount of strings used will be on a large, orchestral scale. If writing for a historic drama set in the days before orchestras became quite so large, then the more intimate sound of a chamber orchestra may be more appropriate. On smaller budget projects, or when trying to create a more intimate feel then a chamber ensemble or even a string quartet could be perfect. Here are the typical sizes of string sections in each:

Symphony orchestra: 16 first violins, 14 second violins, 12 violas, 12 cellos, 10 double basses

Chamber orchestra (size will vary according to repertoire): 8 first violins, 6 second violins, 6 violas, 4 cellos, 2 double basses

Chamber Ensemble (difficult to define but probably no more than 12 players in all): 2 first violins, 2 second violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, 1 double basses

String Quartet: 1 first violin, 1 second violin, 1 viola, 1 cello

If the players in the recording sessions have exceptionally good tone and phrasing, they can make even a small string group sound complete and rich. ‘Fullness of sound’ however more often stems from in the skill in the writing itself. Very often, session string players are presented with orchestral parts to record that have many passages written in unison or octaves without much inherent harmony. This is a shame as it doesn’t make the most of the professional players who will end up recording the music in the studio. The sonorities of stringed instruments best emerge when they are blended together and this is most effectively achieved through different instruments taking on different pars of a given chord.

Here are eight tips for getting the best out of a string orchestra:
1. To get the biggest sound from your musicians you need to write really full harmonies. This means that in major and minor tonalities all three notes of the chord should be represented in the main and for diminished or seventh chords four notes. For more complex harmonies this can of course be increased.

2. It may sound obvious, but make sure that each individual part can be taken out and played as a distinct melody in its own right. So instead of writing ‘vertically’ in blocks of chords on a keyboard, think of writing ‘horizontally’ as each player would naturally play their individual line of music. This will make for interesting bass lines and inner parts as well as opening up the possibilities for counter melodies and engaging interaction between parts.

3. When writing for a smaller number of musicians, composers in the past have created greater impact through the use of arpeggiation. If you break up a chord of say, three notes and play it as an arpeggio on a single instrument, this one instrument will in effect give the impression of three because it will play all three notes of the chord. In this way, the sound seems instantly a lot fuller as well as giving inner parts (such as the second violins and violas) more movement and dynamic interest.

4. Always keep it varied and change the textures regularly. This is where knowledge of string techniques (slurrings, staccatos, accents, spicattos, harmonics, double stoppings, etc.) becomes helpful. For composers who are non string players themselves, it may be worth employing a specialist string arranger or copyist who can help with this. Many of the great composers of the last 2 centuries worked collaboratively with string players when writing and developing pieces which were written with particularly prominent string solos.

5. Understand what it’s like to play the piece you are writing on a stringed instrument. Imagine you’re a pianist and a composer who played say, a flute sent you a solo piece to record. When you put the music on the stand, you might find that all of the notes were in the treble clef range of the flute, that there was a complete absence of chords and everything was in a single line. Part of you would probably feel that the composer hadn’t fully exploited the potential of the piano. And you’d also feel that with a greater understanding of the instrument the piece of music could have been so, so much better – and so it is with string orchestras. What works well on a keyboard as a string ‘patch’ or ‘pad’ does not necessarily work so well with real instruments and scores produced in this way via midi may not even be physically playable. When writing chords for stringed instruments (and they can play up to four notes that sound simultaneous, though spread) composers need to bear in mind that the strings are tuned a fifth apart (and a fourth apart on the double bass).

6. Experiment with the spacing of chords and harmonic writing. ‘Closed chords’ are ones where each note is adjacent to the next. ‘Open chords’ however are when the notes are spread out (leaving gaps between them) and this can affect the texture and sonority of the string writing considerably. Experiment with clustering the notes close together near the bottom of the violin range (so that the violins, violas and cellos are close together), then try writing for the violins and violas close together in a high register with the cellos and basses close together in a low one (so with a sizeable gap between the two). Both will create very different effects, the first being a dense and clashing sound and the second capable of sounding very ominous and uneasy (listen to Jean Sibelius’s orchestral tone poem ‘Tapiola’ for an excellent example of this).

7. In point 4, the need for detailed scoring (including articulations) was briefly mentioned. When orchestrating for strings, composers can really exploit dynamic markings. Knowing how to use crescendos and diminuendos can create powerful and stunning orchestral effects. The use of a well judged subito marking (where the dynamics suddenly change to loud or soft) can add real drama to a score. As can an awareness of the difference between an sfz (sforzando) and an accent. The more knowledge composers gain of these, the bigger their sound palette becomes and the more interesting the music can sound.

8. Once a composer has a good grasp of articulations and dynamics, then they can move into the realms of more advanced string techniques such as the different harmonics (both natural and artificial), left hand pizzicatos, ricochet bowings and up-bow staccatos. A great example of modern string writing combined with weird and wonderful combinations of instruments occurs in Bela Bartok’s ‘Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta’.

When it comes to recording, composers have the option of using mainly, synthesized strings, hiring a real orchestra or the increasingly popular choice of a combination of the two. Many film and television soundtracks are now created using a background carpet of synthesized strings with a few very good professional players layered over the top to sound more convincing and to enable the composer to exploit the many sounds and effects which are only possible with the real thing.

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String arranging tips, how to learn orchestration.

Thursday, February 21st, 2013

Most of us when composing for a string section or full orchestra will do so in front of a keyboard. In this respect, the process isn’t too different from the time when a composer’s only tools were a pen, a bottle of ink, a blank manuscript and a piano. The gear may be a lot more sophisticated nowadays but the same essential problem remains: namely, how to make our ‘vertical’ keyboard tendencies sound convincing when scored for the ‘horizontal’ melodic lines of orchestral instruments.

When we think and write in chords, we are effectively dealing with harmony. And in its most basic form, harmony occurs in a vertical way (ie. the various notes of a chord are stacked up, one on top of another). However, once the music is distributed between different instruments, these individual notes are then read as a melody (so are in effect played horizontally, one after another). So, the most important conundrum is to ensure that each instrument (or section of instruments) ends up with a melody line in their own right, even if they are merely supporting or harmonizing a more prominent melody. In this way, music notation programmes (such as ‘Sibelius’ or ‘Finale’) are essential in their ability to display and play back each individual instrument’s melodic line. There may be occasions when a section does have sustained notes within a chord, but even here, the subsequent notes need to follow on smoothly (avoiding awkward-sounding leaps). In order to achieve a convincing overall sound, each detail within that sound needs to be melodic in nature.

It helps to get to know your orchestral instruments. If you’d like to learn more about what an oboe can do, for example, look on ‘Youtube’ under ‘oboe concerto’. It may demonstrate the compass of the instrument, techniques such as staccato and slurring, as well as its dynamic range and ability to sustain notes. Then try and write a piece blending the sound with a flute, clarinet or bassoon.

One thing that many of the great orchestral composers and string arrangers have in common is their ability to continually share more than one melody happening simultaneously. Often there are four or even five strands of different melody which can captivate the ear on several levels. And these strands sometimes overlap to provide a unity in the musical line. That’s one of the reasons that the most creative composers are able to achieve clarity, by assigning different instruments and textures to simultaneous points of musical interest.

As such, many major film score composers often study works by the likes of Richard Strauss, Sibelius, Ravel, Holst, Prokofiev, Janacek and Copland (to name but a few) to see how they combine different instruments and continually keep the music fresh by changing instrumentation. This blending and changing of the orchestral palette is a perpetual and ongoing process that unfolds naturally from phrase to phrase in an accomplished composition or arrangement.

When working on an orchestral piece, try dissecting it. So if, for example, you have a violin melody with supporting string parts, rapid woodwind scales and rhythmic french horn parts, try listening to each instrument individually, then pairs of instruments and so on. This way, you’ll develop a feel for sonority as well as individual melody lines. Also, try practising writing a small section, resisting the urge to use playback at all! This will hone your ability to think in terms of individual instruments. This is the opposite approach to assigning a chord to an unrealistic body of instruments, without knowing how the individual parts will sound. It will also avoid the problem of the orchestra ending up sounding ‘muddy’ and noisy.

So in a nutshell – go horizontal and cut out the vertical. . .!

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A very good sound engineer at work….:-)

Friday, February 1st, 2013

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Holst St Paul’s Suite: A Guide to String Writing (Part 4)

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

This final movement of the ‘St Paul’s Suite for string orchestra’ is a reworking of Holst’s Second Suite in F for military band. The tune which appears throughout the movement is the folk tune ‘Dargason’, a 16th Century English dance tune included in Playford’s famous publication entitled ‘The Dancing Master’. A ‘dargason’ is defined as a country dance or ballad tune which consists of an 8-bar circular tune and this is exactly what the last movement of the ‘St. Paul’s Suite’ is. What is of interest to composers and string arrangers is the way the composer skillfully weaves this melody throughout the entire movement without it becoming tiring to the ear. At times it is prominent, whilst at others it is hidden within layers of melody or as an ostinato underneath the tune ‘Greensleeves’. It is a model approach in these days of ‘copy-and-paste’, where lazy arrangers/composers repeat identical swathes of music at the click of a button.

The tune is first stated by the first violins on their own, before being passed onto the second violins (whilst the firsts play a repeated figure that sounds a little like an inverted mordent). Soon a tonic and dominant pedal is alternated between the violas and cellos (with pizzicato and bowed chords), before an attractive pizzicato figure grabs the attention. This soon passes through a number of sequences, and this harmonic change (juxtaposed with the melody in the tonic) brings about a surprising harmonic effect.

Bars 41 – 48 are well worth studying from a string arranging point of view, as violins 1 and 2 generally move in the same direction, whereas the viola and cello parts undulate in arpeggios. This contrast gives the sound its fullness, as the arpeggios lead the ear to perceive more sounds than there really are. Soon, both the ‘Dargason’ and ‘Greensleeves’ are happening simultaneously – another technique which occupies the listener fully. This soon dies down before a sudden change of mood and the direction ‘pesante’ (meaning ‘heavily’). The accompaniment to the melody is mainly homophonic here, before being stated above a jaunty tonic-dominant pedal. Trills in the first violins help build up the tension further, as do the upward duplet scales and guitar-like spread chords.

In any composition that is written around a repeated figure, the composer/arranger has to continually invent new ways to embellish the subject, as well as making it appear interesting. This must be done whilst keeping a coherent whole, and in bar 136 Holst finds that now the music has peaked, it must build up once more. This is achieved by writing tremolandos to keep the tension going, over a rising chromatic scale. This leads to a magnificently dissonant section at bar 153, before return to a more tonic-based approach. Finally, ‘Greensleeves’ returns triumphantly at bar 186 before fading away to a short coda, consisting of fragments of the ‘Dargason’. A final upward scale from a solo violin heralds the end of this inventive work.

Note that the tune remains in the tonic key, never modulating throughout the entire movement. This is why Holst has to find ways of ‘spicing up’ the movement through interweaving interesting harmonies. A harmonic analysis of bars 137 – 168 would be a very good way of exploring different tonalities whilst dealing with a melody that stays the same. The whole piece is a model in varied string writing, which explains why, after 100 years, it is still immensely popular.

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Holst: St. Paul’s Suite (3rd movement)

Sunday, January 6th, 2013

In the first two blogs in this four-part series, I took an analytical look at the ‘Jig’ and ‘Ostinato’ movements of Gustav Holst’s ‘St Paul’s Suite for string orchestra’ from the perspective of analyzing the string writing and techniques used.

Now, focusing on the third movement, entitled ‘Intermezzo’, further interesting and useful examples of good string are found. An instrumental intermezzo is a movement which fits in between other movements or is a character piece in its own right. Some composers (such as Mendelssohn and Brahms) used it as a middle movement in their chamber works and the character became lyrical and melodic. Holst’s intermezzo is in 3 time, with the composer instructing it to be performed in three bar phrases. He starts with an effective string orchestra sonority: namely, homophonic chords played by the use of soft pizzicato with rests in between. This provides a sense of stillness which helps to bring out the poignancy of the solo violin melody. As we have seen in the first two movements, it is the contrast that Holst achieves that is key in creating a special atmosphere. It is also harmonically effective, in that it is again modal in nature (being in A minor yet possessing an F#). In bar 19 all of the strings (with the exception of the first violins) are suddenly asked to strike their strings with forte pizzicatos, some being asked to pluck three notes simultaneously (two of which are open strings). As in the first movement, this allows the instruments to ‘ring’ and creates a striking effect.

It is not too long before the mood changes and a lively vivace section breaks the spell. Here, the cellos and double basses have a repetitive quaver figure with the double basses being written an octave lower than the cellos. Holst maintains clarity in the texture by not allowing the bass notes to go too low. Again, the violas and cellos are asked to play four notes simultaneously to create a resonant sound. This sets up the reintroduction of the opening melody, as it now returns in a full-bodied triple fortissimo. This is followed by a particularly beautiful passage where one solo violin soars high above the other strings, who return to the soft pizzicato motif of the opening (albeit with changed harmonies).

No further original material is introduced in this movement. The vivace section is given another brief outing, before the opening melody reappears in a fragmented form. Bars 101 to the end are also worth studying, both from a harmonic point of view as well as a string writing perspective. Holst uses downward chromatic harmony to great effect, giving the opening theme a totally different sheen. The close harmony writing has the violins and cellos descending in major 6ths to give a peculiar yet haunting atmosphere; the whole movement dropping away to nothing with a final pizzicato.

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Holst St Paul’s Suite: A good example of String Writing (Part 2)

Friday, December 28th, 2012

The second movement of Gustav Holst’s ‘St Paul’s Suite for string orchestra’ is entitled ‘Ostinato’. This Italian word has the same basis as the word obstinate (meaning ‘stubborn’) and with good reason, as an ostinato is a persistent note or phrase (often in the same voice) that repeats, regardless of the musical context. Chords and harmonies may change but the ostinato figure will remain the same.

In this particular movement it is the 2nd violins that start with this figure. It is a 12 note quaver motif that is slurred (with the slur overlapping the barline). Soon, the 1st violins, violas and cellos join in with a pizzicato hemiola (in this instance, the pulse of the phrases are in 2 across a ¾ barline). So already we have very useful techniques being employed that are useful not only for the purpose of string writing but in composing for any combination of instruments. In bar 13 a solo violin brings in a flowing, legato melody which is based on a four note descending diatonic scale. This soon gives way to a waltz like feel (in bar 37), all the while with the ostinato flowing through it. The notes of the melody now become more staccato as we are led towards a duple metre. At this point, the ostinato is reduced to a four note figure with the 1st violins and violas accompanying with offbeat notes. As in the first movement, contrast is achieved by using different string techniques but also constantly varying the musical feel and content to keep the listener alert. In bar 69 the mood turns more pleasant with a rustic dance like section that has contrary motion between the violins and cellos. Eventually in bar 93 Holst returns to the musical material of bar 13, but this time the 1st violins have the twelve note ostinato in a high register, gliding high above the melody in the 2nd violins. Again, Holst doesn’t simply present us with the same repeated section but varies the orchestration in order to keep it fresh. He also does this harmonically, with an accented chord of A minor with an unusual F# in the bass rudely interrupting the otherwise serene scene. The whole movement ends with quicksilver slithering strings, descending down to the note C. The piece ends with the violas, cellos and double basses playing a pizzicato note, leaving the violins on a sustained chord of C major.

So, what can a string arranger or composer learn from the techniques which Holst employs in this second movement? Firstly, Holst knew stringed instruments: he knew how they felt to play and therefore his familiarity with the four strings tuned in 5ths (or in the case of double basses 4ths) lent him an ease to his writing that can only be gained by the real knowledge of a player. Secondly, there is a naturalness to the way he employs string techniques. He is not trying to convince the listener of his knowledge, but rather has the ability to use his knowledge in service of the idiom and flow of the music at any particular point. Finally, there is variety. The listener is kept involved through melodic and harmonic interest but also by the way these are adorned by various textures.

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Holst, St. Paul’s Suite – an exceptional example of string writing.

Friday, November 30th, 2012

Gustav Holst was one of England’s most eminent composers in the first half of the twentieth century. From 1905 until his premature death in 1934, Holst held the post of Director of Music at St Paul’s Girls’ School in Hammersmith and he wrote many pieces of music for pupils to play during his tenure. None is better known than his St Paul’s Suite for strings (later enlarged to allow wind players to participate) which is now celebrating its centenary, having been written in 1912. Its beginnings were humble enough, Holst writing it in gratitude for the soundproofing which the school added to his studio! It is now one of the best loved works in the English string orchestra repertoire and the next four blogs (one dedicated to each movement) will explore precisely why it is so well written for strings and such a good model for string arranging.

The first movement is a Jig and is given the tempo marking Vivace (meaning lively) with a time signature alternating between 6 and 9 quavers in a bar. The movement introduces the main theme in unison, with all the instruments playing exactly the same notes simultaneously. This is an effective beginning as it opens up contrast when all four instrumental sections inevitably go their own way (the tune itself is a combination of slurred and staccato notes which has an inherent contrast of its own). This eventually happens in bar 13 and his writing here is well worth studying as it is an excellent display of four part counterpoint (although in reality it is homophonic in nature). Holst uses contrary motion in the top and bottom parts with the middle two filling out the chords.

At bar 25, the double basses join in for the first fortissimo of the movement. Holst employs open strings to give a more resonant, ringing sound which is characteristic of the English folk idiom and in bar 33 uses double stops to extend the range of harmony to nine simultaneous notes.

Throughout the movement, Holst continually uses contrast to create musical interest and prevent us from tiring of the simple Jig. Apart from the different string techniques of slurring, staccato and double stopping he has also used the differing pulse (changing from 6 to 9 beats in a bar) to give the piece a jaunty quality. So far he has remained harmonically rooted in the tonic key of D minor, but all that is about to change. In bar 40 he starts to unsettle this by introducing B flat major, which oscillates with a C major 7th chord before entering into a passage of tonal transition (amidst a fragmentation of the main theme). This eventually leads us into a second subject (at bar 60), which, despite being in A major (due to the presence of two sharps) is clearly modal in nature, with an ambivalent fluctuation between the chords of A and G. In the whole of the passage from bar 60 to bar 103 most of the accompaniment is made up of shortened homophonic chords which give the music an insistent feeling, as if marching onwards. Again, Holst effectively makes use of three open strings to allow the sound to ring out and when this piece is played in an arrangement for string quartet, people often comment that it sounds as if a whole orchestra is playing it!

In bar 89 Holst allows the melody to be played in simultaneous octaves. This gives it a yearning, soulful quality and the same effect can be heard in many pieces including Beethoven string quartets and Dvorak’s Serenade for strings. It allows the music to float onto a higher level and is followed by a soaring theme which is interspersed with a subito (or sudden) softly answering phrase.

At bar 116 Holst introduces duplets to give a less rounded rhythmical variant of bar 3. This sets up the subito pianissimo tremolando which builds in tension (and volume) above a pedal A flat note in the bass and bursts into the most climactic rendition of the main theme so far. One can appreciate the range of instrumental as well as harmonic techniques employed in order to pace the music, allowing it to simmer at times and at others, bringing it up to the boil.

Inevitably, a folk tune or original melody in that idiom will run out of steam as there are only so many repetitions and variants that can be sustained. So at bar 152 Holst gives us the most forceful rendition of bar 3, in preparation for bar 170 when an upward surge of triplet quavers (above a duplet bass reinstatement of the second subject in F sharp major) leads the music unexpectedly into C major, a key associated with clarity. After all the struggles, we have reached the final key destination and all that is left is a rousing Piu Mosso to see us home. Home however, isn’t the tonic key of D minor, but nonetheless leaves us with a feeling of resolution at the end of an uplifting movement.

In the next blog I’ll explore the second movement to seek more insights into Holst’s exquisite string writing.

So, what can a string arranger or indeed any composer writing for strings learn from this first movement? Here are some of the techniques used in summary:

• Irregular time signatures
• The contrast between unison and full harmony
• The contrast of homophony with polyphonic writing
• Staccato and legato (often slurred) bowing
• ‘Full’ writing (with all five sections involved) and sparser writing for fewer sections
• Double stopping and open strings to create a ‘ringing’ sound
• Interesting modulations and key changes (starting in D minor yet ending in C major)
• Modal melodies
• Sudden changes in dynamics from loud to soft (and vice versa)
• The use of tremolando

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Bow Markings in Notation for Strings

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

String players often discuss the need for ‘bow markings’ or simply ‘bowings’, but what are they and why do they matter?

The basic premise is that the bow travels in two directions (down and up) and whereas a versatile player should be able to play all but the most challenging passages of music starting with either direction, often one direction leads to greater ease and comfort than another. As intricate passages of music often involve many changes of string (bowing from one string to another) the direction of the bowing takes on a greater significance as it will lead to a clockwise or anti-clockwise movement of the arm (whether that be emanating from the elbow or shoulder). Generally, if a rapid bow stroke starts on the lower string and leads to the upper string, then a clockwise movement is more effortless (although there are many instances where the opposite can create a desired effect!). In this instance, a down bow on the lower string followed by an up bow on the upper string could allow the player to perform the passage smoothly. This is just the beginning, as the array of different musical contexts where an appropriate bowing can help create the desired effect are almost limitless.

Bows are also weighted in favour of the bottom part (the ‘heel’) with a much lighter upper part (leading to the ‘tip’). This means that the proportion of weight isn’t evenly distributed (which is why the point of balance on a bow is approximately a third of the way up the bow from the ‘heel’). Again, an accomplished player shouldn’t need to crescendo down to the ‘heel’ or diminuendo up to the ‘tip’ but acheive the opposite with ease. Nevertheless, there are many examples where this knowledge can be put to good use. 

In a more ‘legato’ context, all of the members of the string section are capable of acheiving a seamless, singing line where the changes of bow become invisible and the sound takes on a glowing, expressive quality – like an endlessly spun sound. This is where we can close our eyes and forget that the bow exists at all (an aspiration of most string players!). Whereas the composer’s intentions are always paramount, if more bow strokes are needed to play a certain passage, they can remain invisible if placed at natural ‘breathing points’ along the way.

If you are a composer, string arranger or orchestrator and are unsure of the role of bow markings in a composition, the best advice would be to spend an hour in the company of a professional player who could explain bowings in different contexts. Or you could take a leaf out of the great Baroque masters’ book: simply leave your score blank and leave it up to the string players to bow it to their satisfaction!

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