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Startcentre | Reference Guide |
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Haydn: String Writing Basics
Playing with the bow (arco) is the default option but sometimes pizzicato (plucking the strings) is specified. A passage involving plucking can be very effective as long as you don't overdo it - as with everything in the style composition course, look at how Haydn uses pizzicato to get some ideas. Articulation and dynamics are vital to the grace and wit of Haydn's style (and the marking scheme for this component of your take-away paper reflects this). The character of the music depending on your use of these parameters, which are at least as important as pitch, rhythm and harmony. It is easy to forget how many forms such a simple motif as the one below can have - these are just a tiny proportion of the possible combinations of articulation and dynamic.These examples of articulations are all in the bass clef because I demonstrate them on the cello in class - the same principles apply to all the instruments.
In this second group of examples, the quavers are grouped in threes rather than twos creating a completely different rhythmic feel to the bar.
The two note slur is a very common articulation. A and B are examples of the characteristic strong-weak slur, often associated with the appoggiatura. Examples C and D shows some two-notes slurs starting on weak beats.
These examples are of some rather faster slurred pairs:
The following shows some typical examples of double stopping.
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