Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.

Check out our 2023 Group Christmas Project HERE

AAA
Avatar
Please consider registering
guest
sp_LogInOut Log Insp_Registration Register
Register | Lost password?
Advanced Search
Forum Scope




Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
sp_Feed Topic RSSsp_TopicIcon
☢ Interpreting Bowing Notation & Terms ☢
Can be confusing!
Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 (13 votes) 
Avatar
ELCBK
USA
Members

Regulars
June 30, 2022 - 6:33 am
Member Since: June 10, 2020
Forum Posts: 7759
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
21sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

@AndrewH -

THANK YOU! 

I really appreciate all this, think I have a MUCH clearer picture of Classical music than when I started this thread. 

I definitely had some misconceptions - and I'm so grateful for all the help! 

Looking forward to learning more. 🤗

- Emily

Avatar
Gordon Shumway
London, England
Members

Regulars
June 30, 2022 - 7:50 am
Member Since: August 1, 2016
Forum Posts: 2425
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

AndrewH said
a lot is simply open to interpretation.  

...because notation is inadequate - the composer has an idea, uses what limited notation is available. Then the composer dies. Then someone has to fill in the gaps, i.e., interpret. It's the same with poetry and drama.

The best you can do is if the composer has conducted an orchestra or played the piece, and been recorded, but that's not really any kind of gold standard, as tastes change and some composers can have bizarre ideas that were worth amending. Some composers wrote for inferior instruments, or ones that differed greatly from modern instruments.

A further orchestral consideration is that no notation has ever existed as to how each section should counterbalance the other sections. That's always the conductor's vision.

Originally pp meant pianissimo, which is Italian for as quiet as possible and ff meant fortissimo, as strongly as possible. During the 19th century composers started writing ppp, pppp, ppppp, fff, ffff, fffff, which are logical impossibilities, but keeping up with the industrially improved instrument technology and possible balance of orchestral sections was perhaps intended. Or perhaps they wrote for orchestras that had become lackadaisical and lucklustre through playing too much Haydn?

Andrew

Avatar
Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
July 26, 2022 - 2:09 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429
23sp_Permalink sp_Print
5

Heifetz's up and down bow staccato are second to none. Amazing.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

Avatar
Gordon Shumway
London, England
Members

Regulars
May 9, 2023 - 3:38 am
Member Since: August 1, 2016
Forum Posts: 2425
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
24sp_Permalink sp_Print
5

As a footnote to this discussion, I'm reading Hilary and Piers du Pré's biography of Jacqueline and I noticed this quote:- (Jacqueline Du Pré) "Once the composer has written the music down, it no longer belongs to him, it belongs to me."

Andrew

Avatar
Strabo
Members

Regulars
May 18, 2023 - 2:51 pm
Member Since: October 4, 2021
Forum Posts: 145
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
25sp_Permalink sp_Print
5

Gosh, I’m glad I do most everything by ear.

I know that learning to play fiddle is tough, but learning to play violin is near impossible!

Strabo

Avatar
Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
May 19, 2023 - 8:35 am
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429
26sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

🤣 It's the same. But I hear you.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

Forum Timezone: America/New_York
Most Users Ever Online: 696
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 114
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Members Birthdays
sp_BirthdayIcon
Today Michael Browder, EBurrell
Upcoming Sofia Leo, TKDennis, FiddleDetroit, CookiesViolin, JPferrman, Designer 88, LyleA, Stephen, Dorque, Trisha, Elaisa, Gordon Shumway, dougga, Russionleo, JohnG
Top Posters:
ELCBK: 7759
ABitRusty: 3915
Mad_Wed: 2849
Barry: 2690
Fiddlestix: 2647
Oliver: 2439
Gordon Shumway: 2425
DanielB: 2379
Mark: 2149
damfino: 2113
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 3
Members: 31662
Moderators: 0
Admins: 7
Forum Stats:
Groups: 16
Forums: 81
Topics: 10589
Posts: 134217
Newest Members:
SoCal335, Jan Howard, edwardcheng, Oscar Stern, bryanhanson, bittruster, fiddlecastro, jackdaniel, romanmills08, creativestringsinfo
Administrators: Fiddlerman: 16429, KindaScratchy: 1760, coolpinkone: 4180, BillyG: 3744, MrsFiddlerman: 2, Jimmie Bjorling: 0, Mouse: 5306