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Topic: Violin harmonics (Read 2021 times) previous topic - next topic

Violin harmonics

Violinists, help me!
Which notes should I expect to hear here?
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.751,Single)
|Text|Text:"2"|Font:PageSmallText|Scale:80|Pos:5.5|Placement:BestFitForward
|Text|Text:"4"|Font:PageSmallText|Scale:80|Pos:8|Wide:Y
|Chord|Dur:4th|Pos:-9,-5,b0,5,8X|Opts:Stem=Up
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
Something like this?
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.751,Single)
|Chord|Dur:4th|Pos:-9,-5,b0,19|Opts:Stem=Down
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

Re: Violin harmonics

Reply #1 –
Is that supposed to be played by a single violin? How on earth can you play 4 (let alone 5!) notes at once?

Re: Violin harmonics

Reply #2 –
Well, let's forget the theory of the "bow of Bach" that supposedly allowed to play all the 4 strings at once.
Actually the notes are not really played together but, as you can easily hear, with a sort of arpeggio.

The 5 note chord is only a graphical artifact. The true notes are "only" 4.

If I got it right, the artificial harmonics are notated with a standard note where you put your regular finger on and with a diamond where you put the "harmonic" finger on.
In the case of the chord of my example, G and D are open strings, the 1st finger is on the 1st position of tha A string (Bb), the second finger (2) is on the E string on the G position and the fourth finger (4) touches lightly the string on the C position so as to create the harmonic.
If I didn't miscalculate, the latter generates a G two octaves higher... but I'm asking for confimation!

Re: Violin harmonics

Reply #3 –
I suspected it might be played as a sort of arpeggio, although there is nothing for me to "easily hear", unless you intended to attach an audio file.  The NWCTXT just plays as a default piano chord when I download it.

Re: Violin harmonics

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Flurmy –
... the second finger (2) is on the E string on the G position and the fourth finger (4) touches lightly the string on the C position so as to create the harmonic.
If I didn't miscalculate, the latter generates a G two octaves higher... but I'm asking for confimation!
Elaine Gould, on p. 420, second entry ("perfect fourth"), says so!

H.M.

Re: Violin harmonics

Reply #6 –
In the example you gave, the G on the E string would sound two octaves higher than written.

For open strings, touching the string in the middle creates a note an octave higher than the open string.
Touching a node that divides the string into thirds creates a note a 5th above the next octave. From 1st position, this would be the 4th finger and stopping (pressing it into the fingerboard here, normal playing) would give a pitch a 5th above the open string, but just touching it would send it an octave higher.
Dividing the string into 4 sections (the node is 3rd finger from first position) would raise the pitch two octaves from the open string.

There are also artificial harmonics where the player would stop with the first finger but barely touch the string with the 4th finger. This produces a pitch two octaves higher than if only the first finger was used.

Dividing the string into more than five parts can be done, but I have never seen it in real music.
Playing more than two notes in a chord produces a rolled or arpeggiated chord, two notes at a time.
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.751,Single)
|Clef|Type:Treble
|Chord|Dur:16th,Grace|Pos:-9,-5^|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Chord|Dur:16th,Grace|Pos:-5,b0^|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Text|Text:"2"|Font:PageSmallText|Scale:80|Pos:5.5|Placement:BestFitForward
|Text|Text:"4"|Font:PageSmallText|Scale:80|Pos:8|Wide:Y
|Chord|Dur:4th|Pos:b0,5,8X|Opts:Stem=Up
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
Since 1998

Re: Violin harmonics

Reply #7 –
Hi Warren, I expected a comment by you!  ;)
Thanks for confirming.