Chats To 'Cello Students Part 6

In pa.s.sages composed of thirds (slurred), the player must leap firmly and rapidly from one chord to another, and where necessary withdraw the pressure from the bow, so that although the pa.s.sage is yet slurred, the connecting glide is not too much in evidence.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EX. 41.]

A striking example of the need of this advice is found in the Military Sonata by Boccherini in G (Ex. 41). This pa.s.sage is played throughout with the first and fourth fingers--that is the first finger plays the upper melody, the fourth finger playing the lower.

It will be evident that the beauty of the above melody will be destroyed if no division whatever is made between the notes. This must be accomplished without spoiling the legato effect of the three slurred quavers. A skilful management of the bow may also serve to hide a difficult and awkward move; thus in cases where the fingering is reversed for two succeeding chords (Ex. 42), it is liable to let the open strings be heard during the changing of the fingers, especially if a big leap has to be made to reach the second chord. This will be very slovenly, and on no account must be allowed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EX. 42.]

The portamento may be introduced in double-stopping progressions for effect, but more knowledge and judgment is necessary for its successful use than in single melodic progression. It is generally safe to introduce it on two chords taken with the same fingering in different positions, with the exception, of course, of whole pa.s.sages in thirds, etc., like the "Menuetto" in the Boccherini sonata previously mentioned.

Occasionally, when moving from one position to another, it will be found advisable, or necessary, to let one of the parts cease, until the required position is gained, the glide being executed between the upper notes only; the player must study any such special pa.s.sages, trying them over in various ways, until he is perfectly satisfied that the correct, and yet most effective method, is arrived at.

CHORDS.

Owing to the arching of the bridge, it is impossible to sustain more than two notes during the whole stroke of the bow. Therefore, three or four part chords are only possible as "broken" chords (Ex. 43). A bold attack is necessary to play chords at all effectively, the fingers of the left hand should be placed simultaneously on the strings, the necessary changes in fingering for a succession of chords, being accomplished rapidly and neatly during the moment of reversing the bow-stroke.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EX. 43.]

It is general to explain that although chords are written as in Ex. 43, yet it is only possible to play them as in Ex. 43_a_. However, if the chords have to be played in strict time, it will also be evident that even this method cannot be followed--each minim would receive three beats, one for the two lower notes and two for the two upper. A correct way of portioning out the time to be allowed for each couple of strings is shown in Ex. 43_b_. The student should here count four quavers to each chord.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EX. 44.]

In some cases the chords are intended to be firmly and smartly struck, such as repeated chords at the end of a brilliant allegro, the chords should be divided, allowing half the time for the lower strings and half for the upper, and instead of sustaining the upper portion, the bow should be immediately taken off the strings, thus allowing them to vibrate freely and vigorously (Ex. 44). Chords of this description are usually taken with down bow-strokes. The player should take care, however, not to make the chords sound too harsh, or crabbed.

CHAPTER XI.

ARPEGGIOS--THEIR EVOLUTION FROM VARIOUS CHORDS--THE BOWING OF ARPEGGIOS.

ARPEGGIOS.

Arpeggios are chords, the notes of which are sounded separately. A modified way of expressing that chords are to be played in arpeggio, is by placing a curved line immediately preceding the chord, thus:

[Ill.u.s.tration: EX. 45.]

Key arpeggi are formed from the common chord, that is the tonic, mediant and dominant; they may be practised as running arpeggi in three octaves. These arpeggi are published for 'cello in a very useful form, together with the major and minor scales, etc., by the St. Cecilia Music Publishing Co.; the arrangement is by Coward Klee.

The notes of a chord which are to be played as arpeggios, are sometimes interspersed with notes foreign to the chord in the form of pa.s.sing notes, and nearly always one or more notes of the chord are reiterated (Ex. 46).

[Ill.u.s.tration: EX. 46.]

Ex. 46 will ill.u.s.trate how arpeggios are usually evolved from a chord.

First is shown the G major triad; 46_a_ gives the three part chord played in arpeggi form; 46_b_ has the mediant and the dominant repeated, and 46_c_ introduces the C and the A?, both notes being foreign to the harmony, but used as pa.s.sing notes. Many otherwise difficult pa.s.sages, are rendered quite simple to the student, who only considers of what chord the scattered notes form the harmony.

In playing arpeggios the hints previously given in the remarks on the "Left hand," "Positions," "Double-stops and Chords," concerning a correct management of the left hand fingers are applicable. The remainder of the present chapter will be chiefly devoted to the management of the bow, in several of the standard forms of arpeggio.

ARPEGGIOS (BOWING).

The manner of bowing the various forms of arpeggio, offers difficulties of a peculiar nature to the student; this is chiefly occasioned by the crossing and recrossing of the strings, which although greatly adding to the possibilities and brilliance of many of the various modes of phrasing, also in most cases adds to the difficulty of a quiet performance. A thorough knowledge of the arm and wrist movements which are brought into use in approaching any of the four strings with various parts of the bow, and with either up or down bow-stroke is essential; this knowledge is not to be gained by hard practice, but rather by a careful a.n.a.lysis of the "mechanics" (if the word may be used in this sense) of simple bowing.

The end to be kept in view should be to accomplish the crossing of the strings in as quiet a manner as possible, that is with a minimum of effort; as an aid to this, wherever possible the elbow and upper arm should be held in a quiet position near the side, the changing of the bow from one string to another being chiefly accomplished by a wrist movement, or by a slight upward movement of the fore-arm.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EX. 47.]

Arpeggios on three or four strings phrased as Example 47_a_ should be played with alternate down and up bow strokes, always attacking the arpeggio commencing with the lower string with the down bow. For a moderate allegro, about half the bow's length may be used, the two middle fourths (upper and lower) being the most serviceable; the bowing should be as smooth as possible, each note being of equal length; in the triplet arpeggio the customary accent on the first of each group must be observed, and in every case the groups should be quite distinctly separated.

In mixed bowings as Example 47_b_, the same quant.i.ty of bow stroke must be used for the detached note as for the slurs; the detached quaver or semiquaver in each case being taken with a light up-bow.

Exercise 47_c_ is a very brilliant style of bowing, yet generally very easy to acquire. The bow is thrown with force for the first note of each group, then with a nicely regulated wrist movement, a.s.sisted by the fore-arm to allow sufficient stroke, the three or four springing strokes fall, one for each note. Any slovenliness in the management of the wrist will result in some of the notes being missed, and others obtaining more than one of the springing strokes. Although this style of bowing is expressed exactly as solid staccato, it is very seldom that arpeggios would be played other than with slurred spiccato, the unhelpable roughness which accompanies a short staccato stroke on an open string, renders the solid staccato impracticable for pa.s.sages regularly crossing the strings. This bowing is often used with alternate groups of smooth slurred bowings.

Example 48_a_ is a style of phrasing which should always commence with the up-bow; the reasons for this are as follows. Foremost and most important is that the wrist action which one observes in reversing the bow from an up-stroke to a down-stroke, may be utilized to serve the double purpose of changing the bow-stroke and leaping to the A string; this could not be accomplished in so quiet a manner with the reverse stroke. If the above phrasing was commenced with the down stroke, it would be necessary to make two distinctly separate movements to reach the A string; one, a wrist movement from side to side to reverse the stroke, the other an upward movement of forearm and wrist, to obtain the necessary elevation which will allow the bow to leave the D string and touch the A. Another reason is that the nearer the heel of the bow is approached, less leverage and consequently less arm movement is required to cross the strings; this is counterbalanced by the lack of control over the bow at the heel in rapidly changing from one string to another. The bowing should be commenced slightly nearer the point than the middle, especially for Example 48_b_, so that the spiccato semiquavers may be played at the middle of the bow, with a wrist movement only.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EX. 48.]

In Example 48_a_ the upper arm should move backwards and forwards (the elbow must not project) the bow being thrown on the upper string by the wrist as previously explained. The student should play an arpeggio phrased as above, at the same time carefully a.n.a.lyzing each arm and wrist movement; he will thus realise the importance of utilising every movement to a.s.sist in giving a quiet and finished performance.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EX. 49.]

Example 49_a_ should be played with alternate down and up-strokes, commencing with the down bow near the heel; the bow should be drawn say one fourth part for the two lower notes, then the hand--from the wrist, should be rapidly raised, so that the bow leaves the G string and touches the A, using another fourth part of the bow for the two upper notes. The second chord commences with the up-bow, at the middle.

A good, broad effect is generally intended with this kind of bowing.

To produce this, only the slightest possible gap must be allowed in changing the bow from one string to another, thus giving the impression that two notes are constantly being sounded; sufficient pressure must be applied to the bow to cause the whole width of the hair to touch the strings, and an equal division allowed for each part of the arpeggio.

It is possible to produce a very brilliant, heavy effect with the bowing at Example 49_b_; it should be commenced with the up-bow near the heel, using a very heavy spiccato stroke, the two upper notes receive a down stroke. It is also possible to execute it commencing with the down-stroke, but if played in this manner it is difficult to get sufficient power on the two upper strings, as well as more time being wasted in changing the bow from the down-stroke to the up-stroke (see explanation of Example 48_a_).

The bowing at Example 49_c_ is a style of phrasing which one often comes across, especially in brilliant solo pieces; it is sometimes wrongly written as Example 49_d_, that is, with three spiccato notes to each bow; if executed in this manner it is safe to say that the effect will be exceedingly tame. In solos, concertos, etc., and for heavy pa.s.sages in chamber music, it will be necessary to give the first note of each group a heavy down-stroke (spiccato), the remaining two notes being played with the up springing-bow; in this manner the strokes are all given near the heel of the bow, the metrical accent on the first note of each group being effectively produced with the heavy down-stroke.

Other styles of arpeggios bear more or less similarity to those which have here received treatment, with a little thought the student should now be able to determine which will be the most effective way of bowing.

CHAPTER XII.

GRACES AND EMBELLISHMENTS--THE USE OF THE THUMB--EXTENSIONS--OCTAVES.

GRACES AND EMBELLISHMENTS.

There are various embellishments in use, some of which are expressed in notation, such as the cadenza, the group of grace notes, the appogiatura. Others are expressed by signs. The most important of these are the trill, or shake (tr), the pralltriller, or short shake ([symbol]), and the mordent, or turn ([symbol] or [symbol] according to the variety). Besides the above, and not included in these two divisions, are numerous graces, or ornaments, which perhaps come under the head of effects, and both in their introduction and their manner of execution, are left entirely to the player. Under this head may be mentioned the close shake, or vibrato, and the vocal effect produced by changing the fingers on a stopped note, or playing two notes of the same pitch in different registers of the instrument.

Considering the largely increasing quant.i.ty of literature which deals with the elements of music, wherein most of the above graces are treated, it will be useless to again go through an explanation of them.

It will be necessary, however, to deal with one or two matters relative to their execution on the violoncello.