Spring Bowing (Spring Arpeggios)

July 18, 2006 at 10:55 PM · Greetings,

can you clarify if you mean spiccato, sautille (not a springin stroke) or saltando.

Not all schools agree but strat spiccato on the string most of the time. Play it in the lowe rhalf. The lift is in asemicircular motion

Sautilee is a hybrid inclusing detache and spicatto aspects.But, bewrae of using too much wrist.This is a common error and may be at the center of the trouble you are having now. Unless the speed gets really fast it is actually driven by the elbow. Wrist andf finger -relaxtion- is crucial.

One problem you may be having with string crossing spicatto is changing the angle of the hair and the sound point. Or you may be flapping the wrist around too much...

Richochet has the stick turned slightly towards the bridge and is controlled by the wrist.

Please clarify the problem again,

Cheers,

Buri

July 19, 2006 at 01:03 AM · If you mean a barriolage bowing like in the Mendelssohn concerto cadenza, first find the part of the bow that the bow goes off the string playing separate bows. This should normally be a few inches above the balance point of the bow, around the middle of the bow. Make sure your little finger is curved and not straight. Relax your shoulder. The arm motion will be basically up and down towards the floor. This will prevent you from using too much bow. If this is indeed the Mendelssohn excerpt give a slight accent to each bow stroke. Tilt the bow so you are using flat hair on the string. If you are working towards a slower speed move from the balance point a couple of inches towards the frog. Hope this helps. Bruce

July 19, 2006 at 01:22 AM · Hi Buri,

I think I am referring to Richochet but playing across 4 strings (down bow: first note on G, second on D, third on A and forth on E; then up bow: first note on E, second on A, third on D and forth on G; repeatedly all in semiquavers, open strings). The Basics refers this to as “Spring Arpeggios”.

I re-read the Basics last night and followed the exercises step by step. This time, I think I get the gist of it, but am not sure how the right fingers, wrist, amount of bow hair, which part of bow, bow speed etc. all fits together… I’m still experimenting.

I am going to attach a recording of my practice in the blog. If you listen to it (I know it sounds horrible), you’ll hear that:

1) they don’t bounce evenly (probably due to not smooth string crossing)

2) too little bouncing than what I’d like to (and I try to use too much wrist to get it bounce)

3) the bouncing diminishes during the up bow

4) the first note (G note) is too “accented” (raising the wrist too much to get the bow start bouncing)

The Basics suggest that the best part of the bow to use it slightly above the middle point. Does middle point mean balance point or middle of the bow? The Basics does say to use all bow hair and this helped a bit.

How should the right thumb feels like?

Speaking of Sautille, I am fine with it, but I do think I use too much wrist. I’ll try to rectify this tonight. I do however have problem making Sautille work properly in very high positions (above 9th/10th positions), eg. playing 3-octave scales in E flat and above. In these positions, should I:

1) go lower or higher part of the bow

2) use more or less bow

3) move towards or away from the bridge (probably towards)

What is Saltando?

July 19, 2006 at 01:25 AM · Greetings,

Dear Bruce, I am always inyteretsed in the differnet definitions people legitimately use for bowings. For me, bariolage (as in the French for patchwork)applies only to legato alternating string crossing .Is your usage common these days?

Cheers,

Buri

July 19, 2006 at 01:46 AM · Buri,

Barriolage as I understand it is just a slurred or unslurred string crossing bowing passage which can either be on the string or off the string. An example of on the string would be in the Bach

E major Partita. Bruce

July 19, 2006 at 02:10 AM ·

July 19, 2006 at 01:49 AM · Hi Bruce,

I AM referring to those like in Mendelssohn concerto cadenza, or most violinists do in Bach's Choconne in the arpeggios section.

Thanks for the tips. I'll give it a try. I'm also lost in technical names.

July 19, 2006 at 02:13 AM · Make sure that you can play the passage exactly evenly and in tempo without worrying about the bounce. A lot of problems are simply uneveness in the string crossing.

Use only a little bit of bow.

Practice springing four notes on one string evenly. when that is good advance to crossing three strings, then four.

July 19, 2006 at 02:11 AM · Concerning technical names, don't worry about this too much. With Mendelssohn the bow will actually not go " off the string" too much but the resilience of the stick of the bow will give this illusion. Concerning Bach Chaccone and the arpeggiated figures, the bow should not go off the string. In these passages as in the Mendelssohn, as I believe Buri recommended, keep the wrist stable and unmoving. Just move your arm up and down as if you were pumping water from a well from an old fashioned state park pump. Bruce

July 19, 2006 at 02:29 AM · Greetings,

thanks Bruce. Sommetimes all the usages drive me nuts.

When I was taught this (Mendelssohn)bowing at college John Ludlow was adamant that the key was eveness. He advised me to practice it slurred legato. First two, then three then four. Then with one note going back and so on. No springing. Just get it immaculately even. By this kind of work the bow eventually just took off as required.

Cheers,

Buri

July 19, 2006 at 03:02 AM · Buri,

The advice from your teacher was obviously correct. All too often I have heard the Mendelssohn excerpt played as triplets rather than as groups of 4 notes. Starting from on the string trains the arm to do the right motion. Bruce

July 19, 2006 at 03:26 AM · Greetings,

I have also found the technique useful in the consumption of Belgian beer,

Cheers,

Buri

July 19, 2006 at 05:10 AM · LMAO

July 19, 2006 at 07:46 PM · I havn't played these in a while - but found that flicking the wrist at the beginning of the movement (G string) whilst moving the arm smoothly over to the E and back helped.

Definitley practise them legato and make sure your arm moves as one across the strings