Posts Tagged ‘composing for strings’
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.
Tags: composing for strings, Gustav Holst, Intermezzo, St. Paul's Suite, String writing techniques, Third movement
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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.
Tags: composing for strings, Gustav Holst, Ostinato, Second movement, St. Paul's Suite, String notation, Vaughan Jones string arranger, writing for strings
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Saturday, April 2nd, 2011
The Trill (also known as The Shake for some reason…) is a musical device which is common to most instruments as well as more accomplished vocalists. It is written as the letters ‘tr’ followed by a wiggly line directly above the note or notes to be trilled and is performed by rapidly alternating the written note with the note immediately above it in the musical scale. If the trill is to oscillate to a note foreign to the key signature, an accidental (sharp, flat or natural sign) would be notated above the note in question. Apart from this, trills are generally diatonic (meaning the interval between the two notes would be in accordance with the key of the piece) and therefore some trills are likely to be semitones and some full tones. If a composer or orchestrator requires a note to be trilled downwards (i.e. with the note below it), this would generally be written a note lower and start with a grace note above (e.g. if a composer wished to trill downwards between the notes C and B then he or she would write a grace note on the note C followed by a written B with the trill symbol directly above it).
For stringed instruments, trills almost always tend to be played slurred. This means that the fingers rapidly alternate notes as the bow continues it’s stroke. It is very rare for a trill to be bowed separately (i.e. the bow changing direction as each note changes). If this was ever required, generally the composer would have to write out the notes in full rather than applying the trill symbol.
Trills can be highly effective in pieces of music written for solo instruments as well as those composed for larger sections of stringed instruments and provide a graceful and often dream-like character to a passage. They are also associated strongly with the 17th and 18th centuries and therefore can often conjure up an antiquated and charming feel to a piece which will evoke associations with an older style.
Although to the listener it would appear that trills require an advanced level of co-ordination to play, in effect they are slightly more straightforward in that generally the upper finger does the trilling whilst the lower finger remains on the lower note. It is also possible to trill between an open string and a first finger.
If a composer or string arranger would like a player to trill between an interval greater than a tone and a half (e.g. a trill symbol could be applied to the note C and by the use of an accidental could enable a trill with a D#, giving a tone and a half), then like the separate bows, this would usually be notated in full. Depending on the speed of the piece, this could be written with demi semi quavers all slurred in the same bow.
Tags: 17th century music, 18th century violin style, classical music, composing for strings, Orchestration for strings, string arranger, the shake, trilling on violin, Trills
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Wednesday, September 8th, 2010
‘Saltando’ is an Italian musical term used when string players are being asked to play with a rapid, bouncing stroke in the middle of the bow – rather like sautille bowing. The speed at which this is executed allows the bow to bounce slightly off the string between each note of it’s own accord. The natural springiness of the bow gives the feeling that the bow is actually bouncing without intervention (although the reality is that it’s momentum which allows this to happen).
Saltando strokes, like Sautille strokes are both rapid forms of playing ‘spiccato’ (a generic term meaning any bowing where there is a lift between each note).
From a player’s point of view, both saltando and spiccato seem to give the impression – both visually and by the sound they make – of a vertical bouncing of the bow. The reality is actually different, with the bow being encouraged to brush the string in a horizontal way, so there is only a fractional lift at the end of each stroke. When played loudly however, there can be a much more noticeable lift (for example in the final section of Sarasate’s ‘Zigeunerweissen’ which we have a sound clip of on the home page of the String Section website) which gives the sound an energy that lends excitement and dynamism to a string arrangement or composition.
Tags: composing for strings, notating for stringed instruments, Orchestrating for strings, Saltando bowing, sautille bowing, spiccato bowing, string arrangement, violin bow strokes, Zigeunerweissen
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Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Many violinists, violists and cellists have experienced the joys of playing a concerto with an orchestral reduction which has been written for the piano. Often, this is a more fulfilling experience for the string player than for the pianist. Part of the reason is because the reduction of a complete orchestral score to a piano part inevitably leads to ‘un pianistic writing’, but another reason is that tremolos (or tremolandos) are exceedingly hard to play on a keyboard instrument. They are sometimes written for virtuosic effect but the rapid depression of a single key is not practical, therefore the notation changes the tremolo to a rapid oscillation between two pitches an octave apart.
In reverse, there are many phrases that sit comfortably under a pianists hands that might be incredibly awkward when transferred to a stringed instrument which is tuned in fifths. An example of this could be rapid, slurred semiquavers that occasionally jump from an upper string to say, two strings down. This may fall within an octave hand span, yet the effect of rapidly jumping two strings could be clumsy and disrupt the flow of the music, even though it’s technically playable.
As many of the great composers knew, writing for stringed instruments well often involves ‘open strings‘ and writing within the key signatures which naturally suit the instruments. Any key is possible but as an example, the key of D major would project better than that of Db major. The reason for this is that there are more resonating notes in D major than in Db. To give a brief explanation, when played perfectly in tune, any G, D, A or E on the violin can be made to ‘ring’ and resonate more than other notes. As an example, the note A in the first position on the E string is an octave above the open A string and when played in tune can be made to ‘ring’ with the other string in sympathy. The same is true of the note A on the D string (the same pitch as the open A string) which is a very strong note on the violin with it’s ability to resonate with the open string and therefore a really meaty and rich sound can be produced on this note. On the piano, most notes in the middle register of the instrument have more or less an equal tendency to resonate (although I am sure there are many subtleties and differences between them). The ruling principle is not necessarily which key signatures sound strongest but which are easiest to play in terms of hand position. The point is, what sounds easy and right on a keyboard is completely different to what sounds natural and best on a stringed instrument.
When writing for strings (e.g a string quartet), the importance of using counterpoint (where each instrument has its own independent melody line that enhances and complements the others) is very possible on a piano, but for those writing chords it’s essential that each instrument in the string section has a line of melody which could be played in it’s own right and still sound musical. When writing chords, which notes are assigned to which instrument (whether violin, viola, cello or double bass) can make a huge difference to the overall sound and flow of the track.
Tags: composing for strings, counterpoint for strings, String quartet, string section, synth strings, transcribing synth strings to real instruments, writing for sampled strings, writing for synthesised strings, writing string parts, writing strings for keyboard
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Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
When a string player refers to an ‘open string’ it means that one of the four strings is being played without the left hand fingers being involved or touching the string. The word ‘open’ is appropriate as the sound the strings make is highly resonant and pure in sonority. Pieces of music based on scales or arpeggios that derive from open strings have a powerful, projecting quality that allows the stringed instrument to resonate freely. It’s no coincidence that many of the famous violin concertos have been written in the keys of an open string (G, D, A and E on a violin), for example the Beethoven and Brahms Concertos in D major or the Mendelssohn Concerto in E minor. Bach wrote violin concerto’s in E and A minor and Mozart’s three most famous violin concertos were written in G, D and A major. One notable exception of a great Concerto that is not written in an open string key is Elgar’s Concerto in B minor but this is still a very strong key on the violin with an open D string present in a B minor scale. It could be said that this work has a more complex key character which Elgar would have chosen for a reason.
Boccherini (who was himself an accomplished cellist) used the keys of the open strings of C, D, G and A on the cello in several of his cello Concertos, however two very celebrated Concertos for cello are written in less likely keys with the Dvorak Concerto being in B minor and Elgar writing in E minor. Elgar’s choice of key is interesting because it relates to his choice of key for the violin Concerto (both being a fifth above the highest open string of the respective instruments). The Dvorak Cello Concerto is a bit puzzling because B minor may not project as well on a cello as say G major but then a B minor arpeggio also can include an open D string.
Open strings on a viola are C, G, D and A (being an octave above the cello) and Concertos for this instrument include works by Bartok, Hindemith, Walton, Telemann, Stamitz and Rolla. Telemann, Walton, Stamitz and Rolla followed the norm of writing for open stringed keys and made the best use of the wonderfully resonant sound of the viola.
In a string arrangement or composition for string orchestra, the use of open strings can have a striking effect as the simultaneous ringing of several open strings generates a marvellously full and resounding note. When a composer sits down with the aim of writing a work for string ensemble or solo stringed instrument, by harnessing the qualities of an open stringed key this can help the piece to be comfortable to play and utilise the benefits of open strings to the utmost.
Tags: cello concertos, composing for strings, key signatures for stringed instruments, open strings, projecting string sound, resonating strings, string arrangement, viola concertos, violin concertos
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Monday, February 1st, 2010
‘Double Stopping’ is a term used to describe the simultaneous playing of two notes on a stringed instrument. It is a versatile technique which can encompass melodies, harmonies, accompaniments and can be played in a virtuosic fashion at high speed. In the context of a string quartet, it can have the effect of making the group sound as if it is playing up to 8 parts at any one time which can create (when skillfully written) the impression of a far larger ensemble.
In the context of a string orchestra, the individual parts can either play double stopping – giving the music a thick and full feel, gaining in energy and effort or can ‘divisi’ – this means that on every ‘desk’ (two players to a desk) the left hand player plays the lower note whilst the person sitting on the right plays the upper note. This can thicken the harmonies with less effort required from the players, potentially sounding more lyrical and flowing.
One problem with writing double stops into a string arrangement, particularly when composed by non string players or composers writing at a keyboard is that they can end up being awkward or unplayable. If two notes are written on the same string (such as an E and a G to be played on the D string of a violin), this is not necessarily impossible to play as the musician can play it in a higher position but could in context make it uncomfortable or impractical to play. Composers must have a good insight into how stringed instruments work in order to write passages containing many double stops that feel ‘right’ under the fingers. Clients who have written their own arrangements, but who have less experience writing for strings are always welcome to send us through parts before a recording session. Sometimes it’s worth us spending a short amount of time re-notating some of the double stops so that they are written less awkwardly for the player – this saves time in the studio and gives a more natural feel to the music.
Tags: arranging for string quartet, composing for strings, composing for violin, divided string parts, divisi, divisi parts, double stopping, double stops, string arrangement, string arranger, string writing technique, writing for string orchestra
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Monday, January 25th, 2010
When a composer or string arranger wishes to create a specifically warm or hazy sound, they may well write in the direction ‘Sul Tasto’ meaning ‘on the touch or on the fingerboard’. In effect this means bringing the bow further away from the bridge until it is over the end of the finger board. Here, the string has less tension as it is further from the point of suspension on the bridge and therefore has less resistance, so cannot take as much pressure. Generally Sul Tasto is used for a softer dynamic (such as p or pp) and like a harmonic, a faster, gentler bow is utilised.
Yehudi Menuhin defines it as giving “….a velvety and cooing sound. The string is soft, not as resistant, and cannot take any pressure….”
When a full string section plays Sul Tasto, the effect can be of a very soft sheen with any surface noise absorbed by having so many players. In a solo instrument, recording with a close microphone can pick up some of the surface noise (the bow against the string), but it has a lilting, ethereal quality, not unlike a flute.
Tags: bowing over the fingerboard, composing for strings, hazy strings, string arranger, string articulations, string section, Sul tasto, warm string sound, Writing for stringed instruments
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