as guitar composer who use to play viola so I got to be w/ cellos in orchestra class, this presentation by Rebecca was fascinating since she clearly explains sound effects for contemporary compositions and models it skillfully on cello. Rebecca's snaps of strings was a nice note about composing and why one could use them. Enlightening!
We are glad that you found the video so useful! We will be uploading these instrument tutorials on the last Thursday of each month so we hope they will continue to be useful for you.
Some questions to string players about harmonics: How do you like natural harmonics notated? Do you ever play chords of natural harmonics on adjacent strings and, if so, how do you like them notated? What about a chord with a harmonic on one string and a natural on an adjacent string?
Hi Hörður! I typically like natural harmonics as a touch point harmonic, where you use a diamond notehead to tell the player where to put their finger to create the harmonic (but this means you need to know where that note is, which isn’t always the same as the sounding note, if that makes sense). You could also clarify the pitch you wanted to hear by writing it above the stave, Xenakis wrote in this way a lot! Otherwise, you can write the note you want to hear with a little circle over the top. You can play chords of artificial harmonics but they’re quite tricky! You could probably write a 5th, or a 6th at a push. It’s possible to play a harmonic on one string and a normal note on the adjacent string, but quite tricky! Hope that helps !
Great video. I've been trying to find out how to accurately notate scratch tones and complicated behind the bridge scratch sounds and can't find anything. Any idea of where to look?
depends on what you mean by accurate and complicated! if you mean notating a 'high' scratch sound and then a 'low' scratch sound, you could notate this using cross (x) noteheads and allocating a general pitch. If you wanted to be more experimental/specific, you could draw your own notehead and import it as a graphic onto Sibelius, or even just write the score by hand. For behind the bridge, you can write on the score 'behind the bridge', and indicate the string you want the player to play. If it was really complicated (e.g with specific pitches behind the bridge), it would probably be best to work closely with a specific player and asking them what they would like to see :) It's also always best to just write what you mean, in words, at the very beginning, so the player can get more of an idea of the sound you're after
@@rebeccaburden9205 Thank you so much for your reply, but ya. . . I know that stuff. I was hoping that someone had already come up with a definitive system that encapsulates all of that. . . preferably by a famous composer that could be quoted, copied etc. and I don't think there is. I just thought I'd ask. Scratch tones and similar sound are usually just effects, and general gliss. lines, simple graphics and descriptions are usually good enough for that stuff. I'm looking to do a study on those kinds of sounds and try to use them "melodically" as recognizable motifs . . . which means a very exact notation (probably with graphics and rhythms plus a few descriptive phrases) and I believe I will (like most things) have to figure out a system of my own. Of course the only problem with that is, to play the piece you have to do do homework first - and I was hoping to simplify that process for the performer. Ah well. Nothing worth while is ever easy.
@@rebeccaburden9205 Much of that seems to be what I'm ending up doing. I'm working on a piece that includes cello and the lion's roar. The cello scratch tones are similar to some of the lion's roar sounds and I'm trying to do motivic things with them . . . but the graphics are becoming overly fussy and I've decided to do the sketch/draft with just standard notation, some minimal graphics (sort-of articulations) and short descriptive phrases. I suppose, that could be the performance score and the "lookin' at" score could be more artistic. - and thanks again for taking the time to respond.
Perfect video, thanks!
as guitar composer who use to play viola so I got to be w/ cellos in orchestra class, this presentation by Rebecca was fascinating since she clearly explains sound effects for contemporary compositions and models it skillfully on cello. Rebecca's snaps of strings was a nice note about composing and why one could use them. Enlightening!
We are glad that you found the video so useful! We will be uploading these instrument tutorials on the last Thursday of each month so we hope they will continue to be useful for you.
Some questions to string players about harmonics:
How do you like natural harmonics notated?
Do you ever play chords of natural harmonics on adjacent strings and, if so, how do you like them notated?
What about a chord with a harmonic on one string and a natural on an adjacent string?
Hi Hörður! I typically like natural harmonics as a touch point harmonic, where you use a diamond notehead to tell the player where to put their finger to create the harmonic (but this means you need to know where that note is, which isn’t always the same as the sounding note, if that makes sense). You could also clarify the pitch you wanted to hear by writing it above the stave, Xenakis wrote in this way a lot!
Otherwise, you can write the note you want to hear with a little circle over the top.
You can play chords of artificial harmonics but they’re quite tricky! You could probably write a 5th, or a 6th at a push.
It’s possible to play a harmonic on one string and a normal note on the adjacent string, but quite tricky!
Hope that helps !
@@rebeccaburden9205 Thank you so much :)
09:21 Harmonic trill. Great technique.
So big thanks for this video ❤️ I wish to find similar for every other instruments!
Thanks! This video is really helpful!
Awesome you should add chop techniques. Like the Chop Notation Glossary by Casey Driessen as well :)
this is a great video!!
Wonderful video thanks
Really helpful and Informative, Thanks Rebecca.
We're glad you found the video useful!
Useful. Thanks.
Great video. I've been trying to find out how to accurately notate scratch tones and complicated behind the bridge scratch sounds and can't find anything. Any idea of where to look?
depends on what you mean by accurate and complicated! if you mean notating a 'high' scratch sound and then a 'low' scratch sound, you could notate this using cross (x) noteheads and allocating a general pitch. If you wanted to be more experimental/specific, you could draw your own notehead and import it as a graphic onto Sibelius, or even just write the score by hand.
For behind the bridge, you can write on the score 'behind the bridge', and indicate the string you want the player to play. If it was really complicated (e.g with specific pitches behind the bridge), it would probably be best to work closely with a specific player and asking them what they would like to see :)
It's also always best to just write what you mean, in words, at the very beginning, so the player can get more of an idea of the sound you're after
@@rebeccaburden9205 Thank you so much for your reply, but ya. . . I know that stuff. I was hoping that someone had already come up with a definitive system that encapsulates all of that. . . preferably by a famous composer that could be quoted, copied etc. and I don't think there is. I just thought I'd ask.
Scratch tones and similar sound are usually just effects, and general gliss. lines, simple graphics and descriptions are usually good enough for that stuff. I'm looking to do a study on those kinds of sounds and try to use them "melodically" as recognizable motifs . . . which means a very exact notation (probably with graphics and rhythms plus a few descriptive phrases) and I believe I will (like most things) have to figure out a system of my own. Of course the only problem with that is, to play the piece you have to do do homework first - and I was hoping to simplify that process for the performer.
Ah well. Nothing worth while is ever easy.
@@rebeccaburden9205 Much of that seems to be what I'm ending up doing. I'm working on a piece that includes cello and the lion's roar. The cello scratch tones are similar to some of the lion's roar sounds and I'm trying to do motivic things with them . . . but the graphics are becoming overly fussy and I've decided to do the sketch/draft with just standard notation, some minimal graphics (sort-of articulations) and short descriptive phrases. I suppose, that could be the performance score and the "lookin' at" score could be more artistic. - and thanks again for taking the time to respond.