Posts Tagged ‘String Arranging’
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 it’s 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, hire a string section, session string players, string arranger, String Arranging, strings arranged, synth strings, transcribing synth strings to real instruments, writing for sampled strings, writing for strings, writing for synthesised strings, writing string parts, writing strings for keyboard
Posted in String Arranging | No Comments »
Monday, July 26th, 2010
This weekend was quite full with two separate recording sessions of a contrasting nature. In the first, I had been given the brief of arranging and notating some string parts for a dance track and on Sunday we went into the studio to record these. The track itself had a strong and catchy riff and some very contemporary sounding vocals, all superbly mixed and produced, so my job was to add strings which would be complimentary and supportive, without in any way detracting from what was already in the mix. All together there were 10 parts to be added for various stringed instruments and as such, the range of writing covered overall about four octaves (although not simultaneously!). Sometimes, the strings lay beneath the track adding a rich body of sound and expanded near the end of the track, allowing the music to naturally open out and reach a climax with a catchy hook in the strings - this adds a completely different dimension to a track which is hard to achieve by electronic means.
Tags: adding string parts to dance music, real strings on a track, recording sessions, session string players, String Arranging, strings for dance music, Vaughan Jones string arranger, violin parts for a track
Posted in Recording Projects | No Comments »
Monday, May 17th, 2010
This is a technique reserved for the most skillful players and when executed rapidly and cleanly, up and down bow staccato can have a mesmerising effect. It is different from normal staccato in that the bow in effect scoops several times in an up or down direction with a gap in between each note. Slowed down, the bow presses into the string (like the martele) and then releases as the bow travels before stopping - and then the whole process starts again. The movements and distances involved are minute and many players find that stiffening the bow arm is a way of playing this effectively.
Up and down bow staccato is notated as a series of notes with dots above the note heads all slurred together, often as many as 24 notes in one bow. This is exactly the same notation as for an up or down spiccato passage and it is up to the players judgement as to which technique to use. As an example, in Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen there are many such passages but as they are notated so rapidly, they cannot be played as staccato at such a high speed and therefore must be spiccato whereas in Wieniawski’s second violin concerto (first movement), there are passages of semi quavers that are written at a speed where an up bow spiccato wouldn’t be impressive, but an up bow staccato would wow the audience!
In a string arrangement, it would probably only be written at a very slow speed - perhaps accented to create an attacking or percussive feel with the strings. Only in a string concerto that was designed to show off the talents of a virtuosic performer would the rapid up or down bow spiccato be written.
It may well be that putting a passage of rapid up (or down) bow staccato in front of a group of studio musicians could cause a few raised eyebrows and would generally be written for a solo instrument (where the player was warned in advance!)
Tags: down bow staccato, flying staccato, martele bowing, ricochet bowing, session musicians, session string players, string arranger, String Arranging, studio musicians, up bow staccato, Writing for stringed instruments
Posted in String Arranging | No Comments »
Monday, March 29th, 2010
Left Hand Pizzicato is a specialised technique which is generally employed in more virtuosic string music and involves the fingers of the left hand actually plucking at the string, often with another finger ’stopping’ the string to create the pitch. It differs in sound from a normal pizzicato because of the place on the string where the plucking occurs. Normally, a pizzicato would happen within two or three inches of the top of the fingerboard whereas by it’s nature, left hand pizzicato occurs much further down, a few inches from the ’start’ of the string, near the nut (raised area at the bottom of the strings).
When the strings are plucked in normal usage, the sound is fulsome and (depending on the string) will take a slight amount of time to die away, whereas in L.H pizzicato, the sound is much tinnier and has a thin, pecking sound. Paganini uses it in his 24th Caprice to great effect by alternating it with ‘up bows‘ which have a similar sonority.
In L.H Pizzicato, the strength of fingers is important and those string players with well developed finger muscles will find it easier to perform than those with weaker fingers. Like normal pizzicato, the string is plucked sideways with the finger applying lateral pressure in a ‘dragging’ motion followed by a rapid release.
Most importantly of all, it is marked by a cross (+) above a note. The effect of L.H Pizzicato is a surprising one and gives a very flashy touch to a piece. It very rarely occurs in orchestral music but appears more in the solo repertoire.
Tags: Left Hand Pizzicato, String Arranging, String Playing Technique, Violin technique, Writing for stringed instruments
Posted in String Arranging | No 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 »
Saturday, February 13th, 2010
To begin with, a Cadenza is not something a string arranger would usually write into an average 3 minute pop song or rock track but they can be added into other styles of music and apply to any instrument (not just strings!). A cadenza comes from the word ‘Cadence’ (a cadence is an ending either to a phrase or even section of a piece) and is essentially an ad libbed passage in a piece of music (usually at a Cadence) where a solo instrument breaks out from the rest into a flourish. In the baroque era, a singer would often embellish a cadence with an improvisation (normally near the end of an aria). Later, in the classical period the cadenza developed into an improvised solo at the end of the recapitulation section and before the coda of a first movement (normally a concerto). In this form, the soloist would take themes from the piece and develop them, often changing the form into something quite different yet still related to the original melody. Cadenzas became increasingly virtuosic, allowing the performer the chance to really demonstrate their skills on the instrument - and in many cases became quite a few minutes long. Nowadays, a cadenza is less commonly improvised and more often carefully composed before the performance to cleverly capture themes from the piece and gain the maximum impact whilst still feeling ‘improvised’. The performer has the complete attention of the audience during a cadenza so it’s important to ‘get it right’ and most cadenzas are carefully prepared beforehand.
In a string arrangement for a song, the length of the track will determine how long a cadenza might last but in modern pop or rock music it now takes the form of an instrumental break - where the vocalist and other instruments takes a pause and one of the instruments comes to the fore with a solo phrase or quick flourish, possibly only lasting a few seconds. An appropriate section could be at the end of the introduction, before the first verse begins.
So how does a cadenza differ from say, a guitar solo? In a guitar solo the beat or pulse of the track continues underneath - sometimes the same chords repeat, allowing the guitar to float over the top with improvised runs. In a cadenza, the beat of the music stops completely (like a pause), allowing the instrument to provide a fill in until the music starts where it left off. A cadenza is usually a solo instrument, but there’s no reason why a whole section of instruments couldn’t play one!
Tags: arranging for violin, cadence, cadenza, guitar solo, improvisation, instrumental break, scoring for violin, session strings, String Arranging, writing for orchestra, writing for strings
Posted in String Arranging | No Comments »
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: composing for strings, composing for violin, divided string parts, divisi, divisi parts, double stopping, double stops, String Arranging, string writing technique, writing for string orchestra, writing for strings
Posted in String Arranging | 1 Comment »
Monday, January 25th, 2010
When a string compsoser or 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 players 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 Arranging, string articulations, Sul tasto, warm string sound, Writing for stringed instruments
Posted in String Arranging | 1 Comment »
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010
Col Legno (meaning ‘with the wood’) is a special technique where the main wooden stick of the bow is tapped against the string - this percussive effect is rarely used but can have a distinctive sound when used in an orchestra or string section.
Col Legno is even less commonly used for a solo instrument and therefore it is at it’s most effective when a large group of players are doing it simultaneously.
Pieces to listen to that use Col Legno to great effect are Saint Saens’ ‘Danse Macabre’ where it is used to suggest the rattling of skeletons and also in Berlioz’s ‘Symphony Fantastique’ to represent the Dream of the Witches Sabbath, thirdly it is heard in Mars from Holst’s ‘Planets Suite’.
Some string players are nervous of using the technique as it can create scratch marks on the back of a pernambuco bow, however when used as Col Legno Tratto, the sound is very quiet and yet the pitch of the note is still evident with very little risk of damage to an expensive bow!
Tags: back of the bow, bow technique, Col Legno, col legno tratto, composing for stringed instruments, dramatic strings, playing on the back of the bow, String Arranging, violin bow, writing for strings
Posted in String Arranging | No Comments »
