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Tone Production and Orchestral Imitations
Summary:
Definition of tone
1. Vary the tone colour frequently, in accordance to the mood and character of the music
2. When not varying the tone aim for a sweet, clear, charming, and mellow tone
3. When playing loud, play close to the bridge. When playing soft, play close to the soundhole
4. Imitate the harp (sweet) and imitate the harpsichord (clear). More imitations will be explored in 'orchestral imitations'
Plucking Regions:
1. There are five plucking regions when playing 19th century guitar music (Examples A - E)
2. You can change plucking regions measure by measure
3. Plucking regions and dynamics go hand in hand
Orchestral Imitations:
1. 19th century guitarists were imitating orchestral instruments in a vivid and specific way
2. To imitate the Oboe: play close to the bridge with the nails to obtain a nasal tone. Best applied to passages intermixed in thirds.
3. To imitate the Flute: play tasto, using some flesh to produce a breathy tone. Best applied to very rapid passages in a high register.
4. To imitate the Trumpet: place your left hand finger halfway between the frets so as to produce a buzzing sound. Best applied to single line melodies with a powerful rhythm.
5. To imitate the Horn: There are multiple options for this. You can either play with i and m close to the bridge (with nails), or with p and i (without nails), or with i on the bass strings (best for a single line melody).
6. To imitate the Harp: play close to or at the fretboard. Best applied to a melodic line combined with flourishing arpeggios.
7. To imitate the drum: use either your thumb or index finger to fall onto the strings close to the bridge (often called "tambura"). Best applied to repeating chords.
1. Vary the tone colour frequently, in accordance to the mood and character of the music
2. When not varying the tone aim for a sweet, clear, charming, and mellow tone
3. When playing loud, play close to the bridge. When playing soft, play close to the soundhole
4. Imitate the harp (sweet) and imitate the harpsichord (clear). More imitations will be explored in 'orchestral imitations'
Plucking Regions:
1. There are five plucking regions when playing 19th century guitar music (Examples A - E)
2. You can change plucking regions measure by measure
3. Plucking regions and dynamics go hand in hand
Orchestral Imitations:
1. 19th century guitarists were imitating orchestral instruments in a vivid and specific way
2. To imitate the Oboe: play close to the bridge with the nails to obtain a nasal tone. Best applied to passages intermixed in thirds.
3. To imitate the Flute: play tasto, using some flesh to produce a breathy tone. Best applied to very rapid passages in a high register.
4. To imitate the Trumpet: place your left hand finger halfway between the frets so as to produce a buzzing sound. Best applied to single line melodies with a powerful rhythm.
5. To imitate the Horn: There are multiple options for this. You can either play with i and m close to the bridge (with nails), or with p and i (without nails), or with i on the bass strings (best for a single line melody).
6. To imitate the Harp: play close to or at the fretboard. Best applied to a melodic line combined with flourishing arpeggios.
7. To imitate the drum: use either your thumb or index finger to fall onto the strings close to the bridge (often called "tambura"). Best applied to repeating chords.
Tasks:
Please choose one short piece or section to apply both tasks to -
Task 1: Mark in plucking regions into your score.
- Provide a brief description about why you chose those regions.
Task 2: Mark in orchestration into your score (in addition to plucking regions).
- How can you make the guitar imitate the instruments you choose?
Please choose one short piece or section to apply both tasks to -
Task 1: Mark in plucking regions into your score.
- Provide a brief description about why you chose those regions.
Task 2: Mark in orchestration into your score (in addition to plucking regions).
- How can you make the guitar imitate the instruments you choose?
Dynamics and Articulation
Summary:
Dynamics:
1. Unless marked otherwise by the composer, when a melody rises that means crescendo and when a melody falls that means decrescendo.
2. Repeated passages should be played differently the second time.
3. A crescendo should be used for short quick passages, no matter what the direction of the notes (rising or falling).
Articulation:
1. There were 5 different degrees of articulation; legatissimo, legato, mezzo-stacatto, stacatto, and stacattissimo.
2. Unless a composer has indicated otherwise, the legato is the default articulation (this would be different if you are playing 18th century or early 19th century pieces).
3. There are some effects peculiar to the guitar, such as campanelas and etouffé, that can produce different articulations.
4. You can use scales as an exercise for practicing the five degrees of articulations.
1. Unless marked otherwise by the composer, when a melody rises that means crescendo and when a melody falls that means decrescendo.
2. Repeated passages should be played differently the second time.
3. A crescendo should be used for short quick passages, no matter what the direction of the notes (rising or falling).
Articulation:
1. There were 5 different degrees of articulation; legatissimo, legato, mezzo-stacatto, stacatto, and stacattissimo.
2. Unless a composer has indicated otherwise, the legato is the default articulation (this would be different if you are playing 18th century or early 19th century pieces).
3. There are some effects peculiar to the guitar, such as campanelas and etouffé, that can produce different articulations.
4. You can use scales as an exercise for practicing the five degrees of articulations.
Tasks:
1) Mark in your score dynamics that follow the shape of the melody.
2) What articulations could you apply to your chosen passage/s and why use them?
1) Mark in your score dynamics that follow the shape of the melody.
2) What articulations could you apply to your chosen passage/s and why use them?
Tempo and Rhythm
Summary:
Accentuation:
- Accentuation can be compared to the stress and release patterns of speech
- Without an awareness of the conventional accentuation patterns for each meter, a piece can end up sounding nonsensical!
- Generally, modern accentuation stresses everything equally whereas conventional accentuation frequently uses stress and release
- To figure out the accentuation pattern for the pieces you're working on, follow this simple step- by-step guide:
1) Look at the meter of the piece
2) See what note value is the most prevalent (crotchets? quavers?) 3) Find that meter and note value on the accentuation charts
- There are certain musical structures that warrant a specific type of accentuation (syncopations, rapid notes, slurs, note values, etc.)
Ritardando and Accelerando (slowing down and speeding up)
- When playing alone, slight changes are favorable as long as the tempo is resumed once the alteration has taken place
- There are many opportunities that are apt for ritardando and accelerando
Tempo Rubato
- Tempo rubato means "to rob time", however the effect can be executed in different ways: either by a) just distorting the tempo, or b) shifting the rhythm of the parts
- Today, the shifting rhythm style of rubato (which was more popular in the 19th century) is intentionally wiped out from the modern definition
- You can shift the rhythm in either two ways: 1. anticipatio (shifting the melodic rhythm early), or 2. ritardatio (shifting the melodic rhythm late)
- Accentuation can be compared to the stress and release patterns of speech
- Without an awareness of the conventional accentuation patterns for each meter, a piece can end up sounding nonsensical!
- Generally, modern accentuation stresses everything equally whereas conventional accentuation frequently uses stress and release
- To figure out the accentuation pattern for the pieces you're working on, follow this simple step- by-step guide:
1) Look at the meter of the piece
2) See what note value is the most prevalent (crotchets? quavers?) 3) Find that meter and note value on the accentuation charts
- There are certain musical structures that warrant a specific type of accentuation (syncopations, rapid notes, slurs, note values, etc.)
Ritardando and Accelerando (slowing down and speeding up)
- When playing alone, slight changes are favorable as long as the tempo is resumed once the alteration has taken place
- There are many opportunities that are apt for ritardando and accelerando
Tempo Rubato
- Tempo rubato means "to rob time", however the effect can be executed in different ways: either by a) just distorting the tempo, or b) shifting the rhythm of the parts
- Today, the shifting rhythm style of rubato (which was more popular in the 19th century) is intentionally wiped out from the modern definition
- You can shift the rhythm in either two ways: 1. anticipatio (shifting the melodic rhythm early), or 2. ritardatio (shifting the melodic rhythm late)
Tasks:
1. Mark in the conventional accentuation into a few bars of a piece.
2. Mark in moments apt for ritardando and accelerando
3. Mark in any passages that might benefit from tempo rubato
1. Mark in the conventional accentuation into a few bars of a piece.
2. Mark in moments apt for ritardando and accelerando
3. Mark in any passages that might benefit from tempo rubato
Ornamentation
Summary:
Appoggiatura:
- The appoggiatura is the most common and necessary ornament
- Its definition is "to lean" and this is important to keep in mind when playing them
- An appoggiatura comprises a dissonance resolving to a consonance (tension and resolution)
- Lean into the dissonance and prolong that note, lift the resolution and play it softly
- There are two main types: long (written out) and short (indicated by graces)
- The appoggiatura as a grace note is quick and divided into two categories: superior and inferior
- Superior = note from above (more common) - Inferior= note from below (less common)
- The appoggiatura can contain several notes
Trill:
- The trill came in many different varieties
- The evidence seems to suggest that cross string trills were preferred to those played on one string with a slur
- The evidence suggests that trills were usually started on the main (or bottom) note. All except Mertz's trills start from the main note.
- Trills were done with two notes at once (Aguado)
- According to Legnani, the notes of the trill should be executed at maximum speed
Glissé/Slide:
- The glissé was also called the slide
- It can be done ascending or descending
- It can be done on more than one note at a time - There are three main types
1) Pluck, re-pluck the same note, slide to the next note
2) Pluck, slide and immediately play the next note rapidly, pluck
3) Pluck, slide, pluck a new note
Harmonics:
- Harmonics were an important and frequently used effect for guitarists of the 19th century - The core structure of a piece was sometimes based on harmonics
- Harmonics can be notated in carious ways
- Entire scales and/or melodies can be played in harmonics
Vibrato:
- Vibrato was sometimes indicated by a sign
- Vibrato could occur on two notes struck together
- Vibrato could be used for notes played in succession
- Vibrato could be used on upbeats and weak beats
- Vibrato was often used on long notes or notes that fall on a pause (or fermata)
Strumming and Rolling:
- There were many different options for strumming or rolling chords - 19th century guitarists did strum!
- 19th century guitarists probably used a lot of chord rolls, and rolled chords even when there are just two notes in the chord
- The appoggiatura is the most common and necessary ornament
- Its definition is "to lean" and this is important to keep in mind when playing them
- An appoggiatura comprises a dissonance resolving to a consonance (tension and resolution)
- Lean into the dissonance and prolong that note, lift the resolution and play it softly
- There are two main types: long (written out) and short (indicated by graces)
- The appoggiatura as a grace note is quick and divided into two categories: superior and inferior
- Superior = note from above (more common) - Inferior= note from below (less common)
- The appoggiatura can contain several notes
Trill:
- The trill came in many different varieties
- The evidence seems to suggest that cross string trills were preferred to those played on one string with a slur
- The evidence suggests that trills were usually started on the main (or bottom) note. All except Mertz's trills start from the main note.
- Trills were done with two notes at once (Aguado)
- According to Legnani, the notes of the trill should be executed at maximum speed
Glissé/Slide:
- The glissé was also called the slide
- It can be done ascending or descending
- It can be done on more than one note at a time - There are three main types
1) Pluck, re-pluck the same note, slide to the next note
2) Pluck, slide and immediately play the next note rapidly, pluck
3) Pluck, slide, pluck a new note
Harmonics:
- Harmonics were an important and frequently used effect for guitarists of the 19th century - The core structure of a piece was sometimes based on harmonics
- Harmonics can be notated in carious ways
- Entire scales and/or melodies can be played in harmonics
Vibrato:
- Vibrato was sometimes indicated by a sign
- Vibrato could occur on two notes struck together
- Vibrato could be used for notes played in succession
- Vibrato could be used on upbeats and weak beats
- Vibrato was often used on long notes or notes that fall on a pause (or fermata)
Strumming and Rolling:
- There were many different options for strumming or rolling chords - 19th century guitarists did strum!
- 19th century guitarists probably used a lot of chord rolls, and rolled chords even when there are just two notes in the chord
Tasks:
A more general one - apply as few or many of these ornaments to the piece/s you're working on.
A more general one - apply as few or many of these ornaments to the piece/s you're working on.
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