Orchestral Strings

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Orchestral Strings
Allison Wegner and Ashley Lear
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Viol family

• Violin
• Viola
• Cello
• Bass

The harp is considered a part of the orchestral
strings.
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Violin
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History of theViolin

• European origins date back to the musical bow
  of the 9th century ancient predecessor called
  the Rabab possibly from Arabia.
• Practice of using a bow to rub the strings was
  adopted in the 11th century
• The rote and later the five-string vielle slowly
  integrated ribs into the design
• Before 1500, the viola da gamba was widely used
  in many settings.
• Modern violin emerged during the early 16th
  century.

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Violin Construction
lthttp//www.youtube.com/watch?ve7AigxtoEPogt

• Body is traditionally made from maple or
  sycamore. (Full size is 14 inches)
• Tuning pegs, located on the scroll at the top of
  the neck are usually ebony or rosewood. Fine
  tuning pegs are located at the bass of the
  strings.
• Originally strings were made from dried sheep
  intestines or catgut, modern strings are made
  from synthetic core (metals) either solid or
  stranded.
• Bow sticks made from Brazilian wood Pernambuco
  bow frog made from ebony ribbon made from horse
  hair.
• Maker uses ribs to create an exact arching of the
  body for the sake of acoustics.
• The f sound holes are located on the surface of
  the body.
• Friction between bow and string vibrates through
  the bridge and the sound post to the body of the
  violin where it resonates.

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Violin Tuning and Range

• Non-fretted instrument
• Open strings from left to right G, D, A, E.
  (occasionally extra doubling strings)
• Pitch range from G3 (below middle C) to the
  highest note on the modern piano C8.
• Usually non-transposing instrument. (exception
  scordatura)
• Violinists read treble clef.

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Violin in the orchestra

• Typically 16- 30 violins
• Violin section divided into first and second
  violin parts.
• Violin often called the King of the Orchestra
• First violinist is the concert master
• Violins can be warm and soothing or bright and
  shrill depending upon what is needed and the
  skill of the violinist.

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Other Uses for Violin

• Violins in folk music referred to as fiddles (not
  usually memorized but passed on by ear)
• Italian classical violin (Niccolo Paganini)
• Jazz violin used as lead melody line
• Electric violins used in progressive rock
• Part of string quartet (typically 2 violins)

http//www.youtube.com/watch?vFReGLY2lLuY
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Viola
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Viola

• Emerged with violin during the early 16th
  century.
• Slightly larger than the violin (16 inch body)
• Richer, darker, more full-bodied timbre
• Reads alto clef (sometimes treble)
• Four strings left to right C, G, D, A
• It is a perfect 5th lower than the violin (still
  a non-transposing instrument)
• Typically carries an inner voice part.

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Viola continued

• Part of a stringed quartet
• 10- 12 violas in typical orchestra.
• Important role in chamber music (Mozarts
  six-stringed ensembles)
• Used in some newer folk music
• John Cale is a notable violist who has helped in
  its popularity.

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Important Differences

• Requires wider fingering so ideally larger hands.
• Requires more intense vibrato
• Violists often use the pad rather than the tip
  the finger much like a cellist.
• More weight must be applied by the bow due to
  thickness of strings.
• When entering in unison with violinists, violists
  have to begin the bowing a bit early.

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Tips for beginners

• Children should begin with a 1/2 or 3/4 violin or
  viola
• Requires a good ear
• Keep bow perpendicular to strings
• Should be able to fit a pencil between the hair
  of the bow and the wood when tightened.
• DONT USE TOO MUCH ROSIN!
• Draw bow closer to the fingerboard than the
  bridge.
• Invest in a shoulder rest.

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Cello
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Cello

• Developed from the bass viol (violin) around the
  same time as the violin and viola.
• Body of a full size cello is 30 inches long
  (recommended for children to start on 1/2 size)
• Four open strings C, G, D, A sound one octave
  lower than the viola.
• Cellists read bass cleff.
• Although it varies according to the cellists
  skill, the range is from C2 up to C6.
• Celli have a mellow warm timbre.

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Cello continued

• Part of the stringed quartet or quintet.
• There are typically 8-12 celli in an orchestra.
• Cellist tend to carry inner-voice harmony in
  orchestras and there are often cello solos.
• Celli are used in jazz but not quite as much as
  the double bass.
• Notable cellist Yo Yo Ma

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Tips for beginners

• Students should sit on the edge of a chair/thighs
  parallel to the ground.
• Should be able to stand up quickly without moving
  the tail pin from its position.
• The neck should come right past your ear.
• Should have relatively nimble fingers (also large
  enough)
• Elbows should always be high.
• Use knees to stabilize the body between them.

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Double Bass
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History

• From the viola da gamba family
• Bowed, fretted, stringed instruments appeared in
  1400s in Europe
• Germans shaped the bass like a viol - with sloped
  shoulders and a flat back
• Italians built basses with violin corners and a
  curved back
• 1800s - fretless bass

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History

• Early Baroque period - low profile
• Domenico Dragonetti (1763-1846)
• First great bass virtuoso
• Revolutionary composer and player
• Bass players had their own music to play!
• Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889)
• Italian composer, conductor, and virtuoso
  performer
• Used the French bowing style

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Construction

• Usually 1.8 meters long
• Top is made of spruce
• Sides, back and neck made of maple
• Fingerboard and Tailpiece made of ebony
• 4 or 5 strings made of steel (used to be made of
  gut)
• Tuning pegs are made of brass
• All parts are glued together except for the
  soundpost
• Sizes and materials of the bass vary.

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Sound Production

• Strings vibrate when bowed or plucked
• Vibrations travel through the bridge, through the
  soundpost and then to the back of the bass
• Vibrations ring through the pores in the wood and
  out through the F-holes

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Tuning/Transposition

• Four strings (E A D G)
• Bass is the only transposing string instrument -
  they sound an octave lower than what is written
• Solo Tuning (F-sharp B E A)
• Most solo bass repertoire is written in solo
  tuning, so bassists dont have to transpose
• Read a minor 7th below concert pitch in solo
  tuning

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Clef Range

• Bassists play in Bass, Tenor and Treble Clef, but
  usually in bass clef
• As solo music became more difficult (notes in
  higher octaves), composers began to write bass
  parts in higher clefs

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Range

• C Extension
• Most popular way to extend the low range of the
  double bass
• Extends the E string chromatically down to a low
  C (lowest C on a piano)

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Timbre

• Depends largely on the make of the bass
• Rounder back - darker sound
• Flat back - brighter sound
• Most basses have a darker sound in the normal
  octaves
• Sound gets brighter outside of the normal range

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Role in the Orchestra

• Root of all chords
• Difficult to hear, but absence would be noticed
• The lowest sound in the orchestra
• Doubles parts with tuba and contra bassoon

http//youtube.com/watch?vhM_BlaKPWxY
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Tips for Beginners

• Anyone can play the bass - lots of PATIENCE
• First Bowing technique
• Then add left hand
• Most kids start on a 1/8 bass
• Full size is 3/4
• 7/8 is used by professional orchestral bassists
  (more wood and BIG sound)

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Left Hand Technique

• Vibrato stylistic oscillation of the pitch
  caused by rotating the upper arm at shoulder
  joint.
• Glissando sliding of the finger up or down the
  neck to create runs.
• Harmonics touching or depressing of the strings
  to create specific tones or overtones (natural or
  artificial)

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Right hand technique

• Double Stop playing of two notes at the same
  time.
• Pizzicato plucking the string with finger of
  thumb directly.
• Col legno use of the wood rather than the the
  hair of the bow. (usually percussive)
• Spiccato striking strings with the hair of bow.

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Bowing Styles

• German more power and more sound, easier to
  start on (hand is underneath the bow), Dragonetti
  bow
• French used by cellists, have more control, more
  bowing style options, more difficult because
  gravity works against it
• Both are equally common
• Professional symphonies

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Rosin

• Made from resin (obtained from pines and other
  plants)
• Bass rosin is softer and stickier than violin
  rosin (in order to grab the thicker strings)
• Increases friction between the bow hair and the
  strings

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Other String Accessories

• Wolf tone eliminators
• Mutes
• Humidifiers
• Endpin stops of straps
• Tuners
• Metronomes
• Shoulder pad

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Harp
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History
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Construction

• About 80 lbs. / 6 ft. high
• 6.5 octaves (46-47 strings)
• Lowest strings made of copper or steel-wound
  nylon
• Middle strings made of gut
• Highest strings made of nylon
• Walnut, maple, cherry, and ash wood can be used
  to make the body of the harp
• Soundboard is usually spruce

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3 Types of Harps

• Arched Harp soundbox and neck forming a curve
• Angular Harp soundbox and neck form a right
  angle
• Frame Harp neck and soundbox are joined by a
  column to create a triangular shape

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Pedaling

• 7 pedals (one for each note)
• Discs at the top rotate when pedal is pushed
• Pegs pinch off the string
• 3 pedal positions (flat, natural, sharp)
• Sebastian Erard (1810) - double-action pedal
  system
• Strings tuned to C-flat Major scale

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Sound Production

• Taut strings are plucked, vibrate down into
  soundboard
• Sound projects out from the wood and from the
  sound holes in the back of the soundbox

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Tuning

• Tuned to a C-flat Major scale
• It is possible to play in almost any key
• Tune when string is open (no pedals!)
• String is at full length when pedal is up (in
  flat position)
• Can use a tuning key to adjust the pitch slightly
• http//www.soundjunction.org/theconstructionoftheh
  arp,andhowitsplayed.aspa?crid0lid3152749

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Transposition, Clef Range

• Non transposing instrument
• Harpists set the pedals to the key at the start
  of a piece (accidentals signal pedal changing!)
• Play off of the Grand Staff (Right hand plays
  treble clef, left hand plays bass clef)

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Technique

• Two schools of technique
• Salzedo elbows up and forearms parallel to the
  ground, many gestures while playing (visual),
  never rest arms on soundboard, louder sound
• French wrists are fluid, right arm rests on
  soundboard, not as much gesturing, can play
  faster, more quiet

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Role in the Orchestra

• Add color to the orchestra
• Usually one or two harpists in a symphony
  orchestra
• Sometimes the harps are covered by other
  instruments, unless the composer knew how to
  write for harps

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Tips for Beginners

• Children and beginning adults start on a lever
  harp
• Dexterity of the fingers and previous piano
  skills would be an advantage
• Teachers Be aware of your young harpists needs
  - literature is limited for middle school
  orchestras
• Beginners are also limited in the number of keys
  they can play (using a lever harp)
• Teachers Might need to arrange a harp part to
  make it easier for student to read.

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Helpful Sites

• Violinonline.com (viola, cello)
• Dsokids.com (guide to the orchestra)
• orchestralibrary.com
• www.astaweb.com

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Works Cited

• Elgar, Raymond. Introduction to the Double Bass.
  London, Lowe and Brydone (Printers) LTD, 1960.
• Brun, Paul. A History of the Double Bass.
  Published in France, translated in 1989.
• http//www.geocities.com/Vienna/1187/Music/basshis
  t.html
• http//www.soundjunction.org/theconstructionoftheh
  arp,andhowite28099splayed.aspa?crid0lid31527
  49
• www.youtube.com
• www.wikipedia.org

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Works Cited continued

• http//www.dsokids.com
• http//www.harpspectrum.org/pedal/wooster.shtml
• Stowell, Robin. The Early Violin and ViolaA
  practice Guide. Cambridge University Press. 2001.
• Cowling, Elizabeth. The Cello. Chalres Scribners
  Sons New York. 1983.