Posts Tagged ‘Arranging for strings’
Thursday, August 18th, 2011
A few months ago I blogged about composers/producers who are inexperienced with working with real stringed instruments and therefore aim and make them sound more like the sampled strings they work with routinely.
This same issue occurred again recently when a client received files of his music that had been recorded by many solo instruments. Each one had been recorded with a close microphone and sent as a separate stem in a dry and unaltered state, ready for him to re-mix and master on top of some sampled strings at his end. The recorded sound was of a high quality (as was the playing) yet on receiving them he noticed ‘clicks and pops’ and ‘hissing’ on some of the files. The recording engineer sent him some advice on receiving files and also re-checked the files at the studio. They sounded perfect, yet the client still complained of the same problem.
Eventually (after much scratching of heads) it dawned on us that what he was picking up on was the sound of our fingers touching the strings when producing the notes (’pops’) as well as the sound of our bow hair on strings (’hissing’).
The first remedy in production would be to merge all the various stems together to create one integrated string sound. This can take skill and a good ear to achieve a sound like a real orchestra but eventually with everything balanced and panned, the end result would be a rich and powerful sound. Secondly, reverb will help to give the sound some distance. When we listen to an orchestra in a concert hall we don’t sit one foot away from one of the violinists. At this the perspective you would hear every ounce of surface noise (bowing and fingering) that the player would naturally make.
With an audience sitting between ten feet and a hundred feet away, the close details vanish and what is heard is a smooth, clean sound with the 50 or so members of the orchestra merging into one integrated section. That is what the careful application of discrete reverb will achieve. On top of that, some equalising of various registers (even individual stems) and a touch of compression will help to make the overall sound even more balanced. So listening to each single stem with the aural equivalent of a microscope achieves very little towards an end result. Certainly listening to live recorded strings and wondering why they have human noises which aren’t present in sampled strings is of no benefit.
The conclusion to this is that people playing real instruments make real sounds - whether it be the breathing of a saxophonist, the keys on a clarinet or the surface sound of bow hair against string of a cello. Listening closely to any recording of some of the greatest chamber music ensembles reveals all kinds of human sounds which can seem slightly ‘imperfect’ when compared to air brushed, auto-tuned commercial pop tracks and heavily produced synthesised strings. Most classical music producers would leave these noises in because they all subtly add to the ‘live’ feeling of the recorded performance, rather than an overly manicured recording which might be more ‘perfect’ yet leaves the listener cold. It’s a tricky balance to attain - skilled post production mastering can work wonders and enhance live instrument recording, but excessively doctoring the sound (to bring it into line with the clean samples that the modern ear has become accustomed to) can lead to the blandness and uniformity of samples!
Tags: Arranging for strings, Bow noise on violin, Close mic strings, hiring a string section, Post production of live strings, programming sampled strings, Recording an orchestra, recording live strings, Recording studio live strings, String orchestra recording, String surface noise, Using sampled strings, Violin fingerings
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Monday, April 18th, 2011
About a year ago I wrote a blog entry called ‘Bring on the Viola‘ which discussed the merits of this sometimes overlooked and under-appreciated instrument of the string family. I thought it worth adding another blog entry as in the intervening year, we have worked with a number of clients who seem unaware of the existence of the viola!
If a songwriter has written some string parts and found that three of them are in the register of the violin and the fourth down in the cello register, then it may be worth transferring one of the violin lines to the viola to create a more natural and full sounding string section.
So why do people forget this important instrument? I don’t know… but we get plenty of enquiries from people requesting violin and cello parts to be added to a track, yet omitting the viola. As an analogy, this would be like a rock band having a lead guitar and a bass player, but no rhythm guitar to fill out the middle register.
Although only five notes lower than the violin, the viola has a completely different sound. It is more rounded and mellower, making it the perfect instrument to blend with both cello and violin and it can be brought forward in a song as a solo instrument in it’s own right. A violin is more frequently chosen to perform solos in an instrumental break, but there are certain tracks where the viola would be much more at home and give the song a softer edge.
Tags: Arranging for strings, Orchestrating for strings, qualities of the viola, session string players, session viola, string arranger, violin and cello parts, violin instrumental break, writing for strings
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Sunday, March 13th, 2011
Grace Notes fall into the category of ‘ornamentation’ as they are embellishments which help to give life and energy to a phrase. They are not unique to strings and may have originated in the late baroque period when used as a keyboard ornament and can be performed on almost every orchestral instrument.
A Grace Note is written in notation smaller than the standard size of a note on the stave and often has a diagonal line struck through it. It is a brief note which has no measured time allotted to it and is basically played as rapidly as possible before the main note itself. In folk music, this note is often referred to as a flick and it helps to give a note or phrase a sprightly, dancing quality. Often a string arranger may add grace notes if a phrase is repeated in an identical fashion, so by adding these notes (also known as appoggiaturas) it helps to give colour and variety to a phrase that would otherwise be a bland repetition. There is nothing worse than a ‘cut and paste’ approach to arranging where phrases are repeated without any variety giving the impression of an unvarying theme.
Interestingly, the term ‘acciaccatura’ is often wrongly applied to grace notes. This term actually means a ‘crushed’ note where two notes are played simultaneously and the dissonant note released immediately rather than being an independent note performed before the main note - again this happens a lot in folk and traditional music. So when a string arranger is writing string parts for a folk track, this could also be a technique to be made good use of.
Tags: acciaccatura, additing strings to a folk track, appoggiatura, Arranging for strings, composing for strings, dissonant notes, grace notes, notating string parts, orchestration, string arranger, String Arranging, strings for a folk track
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Sunday, November 14th, 2010
Yesterday evening we worked with a talented vocalist and composer who had written his own string parts to compliment a song he is releasing as a demo. I had assisted by notating the music a few weeks ago and therefore when we started working in the studio, he was eager to resolve some timing issues which were difficult to notate as they were to do with ‘feel’ in certain phrases and were therefore a little too subtle to have discerned from the original midi strings. The string parts had been scored for viola, violin 2 and violin 1 so we laid down one track of each from my notation so that the composer could then easily identify which parts needed a different emphasis with timing and bar numbers as a reference point. Once we found the small phrases which needed to be changed, he was able to sing the phrase as required and easily convey what he intended - I quickly notated this on manuscript and we were then able to proceed without a hitch.
This was a very good example of how written notation sometimes needs to be augmented by verbal instructions. The convention among orchestrators is to write an Italian phrase underneath the stave which clearly tells the musician what the composer would like - the alternative is for the composer to be present in the recording studio and to instruct the session musicians of the ‘feel’ of certain passages.
Tags: adding real strings to a song, Arranging for strings, online session musicians, orchestration, recording stringed instruments, session string players, string arranger, String Arranging, String notation
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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