Posts Tagged ‘Arranging for strings’
Saturday, July 10th, 2010
All the members of the family of stringed instruments (excluding the double bass) are tuned in fifths. This means that (including the note itself), there are five notes in between each of the strings and when musicians tune up these instruments, they tend to play two strings simultaneously as the perfect fifth is a very pure interval.
When composers or string arrangers write fifths, there are a few things that need to be borne in mind to make it feel more natural to the players. One example of well written fifths is in Vaughan Williams’s ethereal ‘Lark Ascending’ - there is a passage where the violin enters very quietly in a ripple of fifths. The composer had a good insight into the playability of this passage as it falls very naturally under the hand and doesn’t go beyond third position on the E string. It’s all a matter of remembering that on stringed instruments, there are only four fingers available (with three intervals between these fingers) and therefore if a run of fifths is written, a gap of more than four notes between any of the consecutive fifths when written rapidly may cause a problem for all but the best of players.
The trickiest fingers to play fifths on are the fourth fingers because these are generally smaller than the other three fingers and therefore can find it more challenging to bridge the distance between two strings (this is particularly the case on the violin between the G and D string as it is on the viola between the G and D and C and G strings). On the cello, such fifths might be played avoiding the fourth finger although I do know some cellists with such sturdy hands that they’d probably be capable of anything!
Another thing that can cause problems (again for all but the most virtuosic players) are sustained fifths, written higher than third position on the E and A strings of the violin. Here the strings gradually become more elevated from the fingerboard as they make their way towards the bridge. With a soft hand and a sweeping motion, fifths can still be played in tune at this register but when sustained may not consistently produce the finest sound, so if fifths are needed up this high, a pianissimo marking would be far more successful than asking your players to attempt this fortissimo!
The quality of a fifth is what we call modal. The modes were a system of scales which were superseded centuries ago by our major and minor scales and crudely relate to the white notes on the piano (although centuries ago the distances between these notes were subtly different due to unequal temperament). Fifths can give an ‘other worldly’ quality and were used by composers like Debussy and Ravel to give a nebulous and dream like feel to a piece. A clever use of fifths can also evoke a slightly archaic feel as they were such a mainstay of 13th and 14th century harmony.
Tags: Arranging for strings, composing for strings, fifths on a stringed instrument, playing fifths on a violin, string arranger, use of fifths in composition, writing for violin
Posted in String Arranging | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
A couple of days ago I spoke to a composer who is looking for strings as part of his composition for three short films. He’d spent a lot of time working with very high quality string samples but felt that when it came to staccato bowings and phrasing, there was just something missing that gave sampled strings an unreal quality.
What differentiates an outstanding string player from an average one (as well as sampled strings) is his or her ability to really sing through the instrument. All the best players ‘phrase’ so the listener can really hear the whole direction of the music, like hearing a whole sentence rather than a series of single words. When the phrasing is done beautifully, the bow seems to disappear and instead of hearing a succession of ‘down’ and ‘up’ bows, there is a feeling of seamlessness with no apparent breaks in the sound. When this happens, the instrument can really seem to glow.
When phrasing is coming through, it can have a very individual sound for each player and with the very best musicians, it is possible to tell exactly who is playing from their unique sound and characteristic tone. This is rather like recognising someone from their speaking voice or accent, but it is the way they use their speaking voice that makes a person sound so individual. If one has a distinctive voice but talks in a monotone, this will be less recognisable than a person who injects real vitality and variety into their speech. A couple of months ago, a composer sent me an mp3 of some of his work that he’d had recorded by a really good cellist - on listening to it, I recognised the cello sound as being played by a woman I had been at college with 20 years ago and when I queried it, he confirmed that it was her.
In order to convey convincing phrasing to an audience (or studio microphone), the player must really project it with clear definition. Without using the word ‘exaggerate’ there must be a level of commitment and passion that clearly conveys whatever the performers intention is.
Any half measures will strike the listener as bland or uninteresting. There are many excellent players who are so concerned with accurate intonation and note perfect playing that they risk sounding ’safe’ with little or no phrasing to characterise their playing. This is often evident in good string quartets who display excellent ensemble and great tuning but don’t inject their playing with enough character and inflection.
In the studio, the best way of a string section sounding really impressive is for all of the players to phrase at the same points and really feel the music together. No sound sample as yet can achieve that human soulfulness that gives real strings their ability to move the listener.
Tags: arranging for sampled strings, Arranging for strings, composing for sampled strings, composing for stringed instruments, good phrasing for strings, hire a string section, hiring string players, musical intelligence, musical phrases, musicianships, phrasing strings, real strings, sampled strings, session cellist, session strings, string phrasing, violins
Posted in String Arranging | No Comments »
Friday, May 21st, 2010
The viola (like the cor anglais) is one of those often neglected instruments that has such a unique tone in it’s own right that it’s a surprise that it is not written for more often. It’s sound is warm, mellow, thick and less penetrating than the violin. A viola is also capable (in the right hands!) of being immensely passionate and powerful and not just an instrument to ‘fill out’ the quartet sound or provide chords whilst a violin or cello gets all the glory.
Sometimes when we are approached by clients to arrange strings, they ask for ‘violins and cellos’ and seem to be oblivious to the many possibilities which are opened up by using a viola effectively. Just like a violin, a viola can be played virtuosically with rapid scales and arpeggios, or with double stops such as octaves, thirds and sixths. Up on the A string (this is the highest string with the D, G and bottom C string below it) the viola can soar with a beautiful, high register that despite only being a fifth below the violin nevertheless takes on a completely different quality.
As a string arranger, if I were looking to create a thick sound that shared most of the range of a violin but could sing out in a slightly lower register I would write primarily for the viola (or viola section) with the other strings in more of an accompanying role. The secret to good writing, whether it be a string quartet or string orchestra is the constant interplay between the various instruments - if one instrument has the melody throughout, it soon becomes slightly monotonous but if there is a constant exchange and ‘conversation’ between all of the parts, this adds a much greater texture and sense of interest to a piece. Rather than being static, when all the instruments are exchanging melodies within the ensemble, the music becomes much more fluid and alive.
So, let’s banish the days where the violin is the ‘king’ of the string section and bring forward the viola for a gentler but no less distinguished sound!
Tags: Arranging for strings, hire a string section, hiring a string section, live strings for a track, Orchestrating for strings, session musicians, session viola, string arrangements, string arranger, string section, studio musicians, studio violin, viola, viola player, violin, violinist, violist
Posted in String Arranging | 2 Comments »
Saturday, March 20th, 2010
Really, I don’t like the term ‘up and down bow’ very much because the motion of a bow is very fluid and when played artfully, gives a seamless, warm, glowing sound - nothing to do with ‘up’ or ‘down’ which sounds very rigid. My violin teacher (Kato Havas) says that all a bow going ‘up and down’ does is iron the music flat, so to get to the essence of the music the player should try and achieve a naturalness of phrasing which transcends the bow.
Nevertheless, there are instances when composers or string arrangers purposefully write a certain bow direction to attain a musical effect. For example, Stravinsky wrote several down bows (travelling in a downward motion repeatedly, lifted from the string in between notes) in a row to create an aggressive, percussive effect. An example of ‘up bows’ is in Paganini’s 24th Caprice where he alternates left hand pizzicatos (a future blog entry!) with ‘up bows’ played near the tip of the bow - the effect is of a whipping, pecking sound that goes well when alternated with the pizzicato.
Symbols are added to a score to indicate when there is a particular ‘up or down’ direction to the bowing. In 18th and 19th century music, this was often left to the discretion of the individual player but increasingly in the 20th century composers began to specify up and down bow markings more, frequently seeking the advice of professional string players on how best to ‘bow’ the piece.
In a live orchestral performance, bowings are marked into the parts in advance to enable each section to play with synchronised bows travelling in the same direction together - although Leopold Stokowski’s Philadelphia Orchestra were famous in using ‘free bowing’ which the conductor felt achieved a more glossy sound, even though it didn’t look as impressively uniform.This leads onto the phrase ’staggered bowing’. This is where longer notes which would require more than one bow direction to keep sustained are bowed in such a way that members of a string section change in different places, this gives a smooth and continuous effect so that the change in bowing is inaudible.
Tags: Arranging for strings, bow direction, bow markings, bowings, composing for strings, down bows, Live strings, orchestration, session strings, staggered bowing, String Arranging, string composing, String orchestra, string section, studio strings, up bows, use of the bow, violin bow
Posted in String Arranging | 1 Comment »
Monday, March 15th, 2010
The literal definition of the Italian word ‘Rubato’ is ‘robbed time’, which doesn’t seem to be a particularly attractive way of describing something that adds such emotional meaning to a piece of music. In essence, it is where music is slowed down or speeded up to create an expressive effect. When done with artistry and musical sensitivity, rubato can subtly ebb and flow but without distorting the rhythmic pulse. What is taken away is always added back, rubato would never slow a pulse down and then not regain it later on, it is in a sense elastic.
In the studio, the only way of effectively playing rubato in an ensemble is through playing ‘live’, where all the musicians are actively listening to each other and making minute adjustments as they play. It would not be possible to achieve a natural ‘pulling up’ or quickening with a click track. A click track is frequently used in recording situations, especially where string parts are to be added over existing instruments or vocals - it takes the form of a metronome beat heard only in the headphones of the session musicians who are working on the track. A click can be speeded or slowed to suit the beat of the music players are working on and can even accelerate or slow down, but this rarely sounds very natural.
When music is of a metronomic nature (such as rock or pop music), then a click track can be highly effective and when used well, will not be betrayed in the end result. Recordings can sound perfectly natural where a click track has been used and often can have a tightness and accuracy that could only be achieved with a lot of rehearsing. Of course, if multiple overdubs are used then a click track is an essential tool and will cut down the studio time needed.
In more sophisticated music which is ever changing, the use of a click track can be more of a hindrance than a help and in that situation, musicians opt to use their ensemble skills and the end result will hopefully be far more natural.
Tags: Arranging for strings, Click Track, composing for strings, Live strings, Orchestrating for strings, Robbed time, Rubato, session musicians, session string players, string arranger, String Arranging, String orchestra, studio musicians, studio strings, Writing for stringed instruments
Posted in Recording Projects | No Comments »
Monday, February 8th, 2010
Now, I have to admit I don’t think I’ve used Scordatura more than a handful of times in my entire life, but thought it worth writing about anyway as it could be an interesting compositional technique to experiment with in relation to a string arrangement. Scordatura comes from the word ‘Scordare’ which means to ‘mis tune’ and applies to any piece or passage where the normal tuning of the strings is altered. One famous example is the violin solo at the beginning of Saint Saens’ ‘Danse Macabre’ which de-tunes the perfect fifth of the A and E string to a diminished fifth (the E coming down to an E flat) - to represent the dissonant interval of the devil! Some violinists however prefer to simply play the passage with normal tuning so that they don’t have to fiddle around re-tuning the violin during the piece.
Apart from when you want your strings to represent the devil (!) there are other reasons for using Scordatura: one is to extend the range of the instrument down or upwards and the other is to change the tone colour of the instrument, either making it brighter by tuning upwards or mellower by tuning downwards (an example is Paganini’s violin concerto no. 1 in D major which the composer instructed should be played in the key of E flat major by tuning the entire violin up a semitone to create added brightness).
In terms of string playing, I am scratching my head to think of a single instance where I ever de-tuned my violin during a piece of orchestral music, but that’s not to say that an innovative or enterprising composer should be put off from trying it, to create an effect. With a whole section (e.g violas) having a string de-tuned, it could create some striking sonorities and would be well worth trying out if a suitable mood is required from the strings.
Tags: Add new tag, Arranging for strings, De tuning string instruments, Paganini violin concerto, Saint Saens Danse Macabre, Scordatura, session musicians, Tuning of a violin, tuning of violins, violas
Posted in String Arranging | No Comments »
Sunday, January 24th, 2010
The phrase ‘Sul Ponticello’ written in a score means ‘play near to the bridge’. When string players play, the bow is continually making tiny adjustments, resulting in it moving nearer or further away from the bridge, according to what sonority or strength of sound is required. In Sul Ponticello however, the direction is for the bow to be as near to the bridge as possible - and this creates a harsh, metallic sound, unlike the normally warm and rich tones produced by the instrument.
A string arranger could very well write in Sul Ponticello if they wanted the effect to sound chilly, or tense. Often Sul Ponticello is written as a tremolando (rapidly repeated note) which gives the music a sinister quality and lends itself well to film or television music of a suspense / horror genre.
On a solo instrument, Sul Ponticello can sound scratchy and unpleasant, but in a whole section the effect is of a blending of sounds, resulting in an eerie and uncomfortable feel - which may well be what is required!
Tags: Arranging for strings, bowing near the bridge, effects on stringed instruments, scratchy string sounds, spooky strings, string arranging for suspense, strings for horror film, Sul Ponticello, Writing for stringed instruments
Posted in String Arranging | No Comments »
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
In earlier blog entries, I wrote about how different bowing techniques can affect the sound of a violin or string section and how it can also help to create different moods or feelings within a string arrangement. Previously, I covered Martele, Spiccato and Marcato bowings and today I wanted to write something about Sautille bowing.
Sautille bowing is a form of spiccato which allows the natural bounce of the bow to create it’s own momentum and seems to allow the bow to bounce of it’s own accord. When the spiccato bowing is propelled at a fast speed, the amount of bow used becomes less and the area of the bow which touches the strings becomes further up (higher towards the tip of the bow). When this happens, the bow begins to spring with very little effort from the player.
In a string arrangement, this could be used for highly virtuosic passages where either a single note is repeated or the passage work is quick and furious. To write this in, an arranger would notate this the same as most other detached bow strokes with a dot at the top of the note head, but what would suggest to the player Sautille would be the rapid speed of the notes.
Sautille can be played at any dynamic or accented or double stopped to give real energy and flair to a string part.
Tags: Arranging for strings, flying bow, notation, Satuille bowing, string arranger, String Arranging, string articulations, virtuosic strings, virtuoso violin, writing for string section
Posted in String Arranging | No Comments »
Saturday, August 29th, 2009
The word ‘Glissando’ comes from a French verb ‘to slide’ and applies to any passage where one note slides rapidly up or down to another. On the piano this is done by drawing the finger quickly up or down the keys and the technique is often used in music written for harp, trombone or any of the string family.
On a stringed instrument, this glissando effect can be achieved by simply sliding from one note to another on the same finger on the same string - it can be used to give a slightly ‘folky’ feel (swooping up to a note as in bluegrass or Celtic fiddle music) or could be used more slowly to add tension or suspense to an arrangement. A common use of glissando is in horror films or psychological dramas when anticipation of something sinister is being built up. One well known pop song which utilised glissando effectively in the strings was ‘Day in the Life’ by the Beatles and it features quite widely in quite a few tracks by ELO.
Although Portamento seems quite similar to glissando in the fact that it’s a gliding from one note to another, it is different in the fact that it doesn’t tend to connect the two notes with the slide but is more of a gentle sliding at one end of the interval or the other. For example, a violinist could go from say, a D to the same note an octave higher, with the portamento providing a shorter slide at the beginning of the interval, before landing accurately on the higher D - or it could leave the first note, then land a little bit early and swoop up to the upper D. This gives an expressive slide but without the two notes being completely connected. In its’ best use, writing in portamento can add real character and feeling to a phrase, making it full of character and adding interest / life to the strings.
Including both glissando and portamento in a string arrangement can work well for solo instrumentation or a full string section, adding either one skilfully can liven up strings and add excitement or expression.
Tags: Arranging for strings, expressive strings, Glissando, Portamento, session musicians, Sliding Strings, string arrangements, string arranger, studio strings, Violin technique
Posted in String Arranging | No Comments »
