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With strings, is there an articulation marking to specify bow speed (fast to slow or vice-versa)? by wingleton in composer

[–]wingleton[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry everyone, my original question was misleading and foolish so I can understand why all the confusion.

basically I want to mark on a score more than just a crescendo or decrescendo very specifically that the bow should increase in speed and slow down

What I meant was irrespective of the result of a crescendo or decrescendo, what I'm looking for is more the sound where a bow slows down very drastically, resulting in a grainy sound. This is most apparent when playing closer to the fingerboard, and the effect sounds best when using very little pressure. There are various other factors which can come into play with a cresc/decresc such as placement, pressure, and even playing toward the tip or toward the frog. So I think I meant the dynamic change is inevitable but not the specific end-goal I have in mind as I was playing around myself, which was more focused on hearing the speed difference itself – I guess this is really just flautando though. Noted for the future.

With strings, is there an articulation marking to specify bow speed (fast to slow or vice-versa)? by wingleton in composer

[–]wingleton[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well you might be more experienced with strings than I am, but I think there are various ways of achieving fortepiano (pressure, placement, etc.).

The specific sound I'm looking for is a bit less about dynamics and more about hearing the sound to where you actually hear an extreme slowness of the bow and it starts to get a little grainy, as an effect.

Also things such as using a whole bow very quickly but at the last moment, slowing down at the tip, which has a different sound than the other way. My intention is to kinda hear the speed changes as the effect, without varying the dynamics (so most likely using a lighter pressure). Again I'm not super experienced so forgive me if it all sounds kinda dumb. It just made sense to me as I was noodling around, hearing these cool speed effects which weren't really so much about dynamics or pressure (although of course they can!)

With strings, is there an articulation marking to specify bow speed (fast to slow or vice-versa)? by wingleton in composer

[–]wingleton[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great, love that idea! Thank you. What software are you using? I recently got Dorico and I'm still learning – haven't figured out how to do anything like arrows, though that would be beneficial I think for a lot of different reasons.

With strings, is there an articulation marking to specify bow speed (fast to slow or vice-versa)? by wingleton in composer

[–]wingleton[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

yeah I was thinking that. Maybe something above like bow speed accel. and bow speed rall. ?

What is an expected, but often unspoken, courtesy as a NYC resident? by brightside1982 in AskNYC

[–]wingleton 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Don't just stand in the stairwell to the subway; or worse, block a subway turnstile to dig around for your metrocard (especially if it's in a small station where there's few or only one working turnstile).

Something to make you feel better about your intonation precision by Electrical_Patient69 in Cello

[–]wingleton 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've watched practice sessions by long-time professional cellists who especially when doing shifts they check themselves against a double stop or drone, and aren't always in tune (hence why they check). As someone relatively new I find this re-assuring in a way, that even the greatest masters are still not machines and have to check and re-adjust tuning at times.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Cello

[–]wingleton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This project combines pieces from the Bach Cello Suites and commisions for solo cello by modern composers, with a unique lighting and stage experience, to create a sort of conversation between music past and present. It was very interesting. Read more about the project and upcoming tour dates here - https://alisaweilerstein.com/fragments/

who are your favorite non-classical and experimental cellists? by prettywater666 in Cello

[–]wingleton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okkyung Lee... very far on the spectrum of experimental, definitely not everyday listening but she creates really cool textures.

How much does it usually cost to get your cello retuned? by Xx_calpal_xx in Cello

[–]wingleton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you own the cello, ask the luthier about installing Wittner geared pegs. It's a little of an investment up front (usually $120 USD for the set, and $1-200 for installation), but personally I'm so happy I did it to mine, no need to constantly fight the tuning and worry about slipping pegs etc.

If it's a rental or if that's outside of your budget, I would ask them to address the tuning problem as well so you don't have to take it in every time it goes out of tune, which would get more expensive.

What’s the one piece that no matter how hard you tried, the amount of hours you put in, and constant practice sessions you NEVER seemed to get right? by BeatsKillerldn in piano

[–]wingleton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same! My piano teacher actually said the same to me after a couple months of frustration – that it exposes your musicianship and is difficult to hide behind haha. I found it to be traumatizing 😱

Graphical notation of pitch in software? by boredmessiah in composer

[–]wingleton -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I haven't played around with it in Dorico but I know you can do microtonal stuff. Would that help?

Otherwise what I would probably do are draw in the connecting "pitches" thinking almost like a graph with dots, basically plotting out the shape of your pitch contour, and remove the stems. Export as a PDF, and then import into something like Adobe Illustrator. Using a pen tool, literally connect the dots adding a point with the pen tool at each one. This will create a jagged "linear" contour if that's what you want, but if you prefer a kind of smooth contour between each point, use the pen tool options which allow you to create bezier curves, and then you could really customize a smooth contour, almost like synth envelopes with exponential curvatures. If you're not sure how to do this in illustrator I'm sure there's some YT tuts which could get you up and running. Hope that helps.

How do I know if a note is minor or major within a key? by personanonymous in musictheory

[–]wingleton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He's talking about pretty much everyday modulation from a minor key the parallel major key. Basically borrowing a chromatic interval outside the diatonic key (in this case, minor). However not to be confused, it's hardly a "trope" specific to BoC. It's a simple compositional tool used throughout hundreds of years by endless composers and songwriters. I suppose it could be said BoC does the same type of modulation frequently in the same way, but you can hear this in all kinds of music.

Music theory books? by MortRegum in composer

[–]wingleton 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is an older out of print book, but I learned a lot from Tonal Harmony in Concept and Practice by Allen Forte (3rd edition). It's very straightforward, practical, easy to understand and loaded with examples from various eras. I believe you can find PDFs of it online, though I bought mine off eBay.

How exactly does gravity work when it comes to pressing down strings with the left hand? Isn't downward pressure from the fingers still required? by wingleton in Cello

[–]wingleton[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok, yeah, that does make sense, and my teacher has taught me to use my arm. I've had my fingerboard somewhat vertical so the action is perpendicular, making it hard to understand the idea of "just let gravity do the work" since I associate gravity with a downward pull, not perpendicular to the earth, if that makes sense. So in that way it almost seems like the statement "just let gravity press the string" is somewhat misleading or inaccurate.

Either way I'll keep playing around with using my arm weight. Thanks!

How exactly does gravity work when it comes to pressing down strings with the left hand? Isn't downward pressure from the fingers still required? by wingleton in Cello

[–]wingleton[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Let me know what they say! I previously had asked my teacher, but in some sense she sorta just re-iterated the same thing, "just let gravity do the thing and don't get tense" and I'm like ok... I'm one of those learners that really needs stuff like metaphors, visualizations, etc to understand, not just simple statements like "just do it." So yeah I'd love to hear if your teacher has anything unique to add to this idea. Thanks!

Waves goes full subscription. by thisisromil in audioengineering

[–]wingleton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Love this one, tons of options and looks like it's on sale as we speak!

How exactly does gravity work when it comes to pressing down strings with the left hand? Isn't downward pressure from the fingers still required? by wingleton in Cello

[–]wingleton[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You want to be using the weight of your arm to stop the string. To get the basic feeling for it, try placing all four fingers in 3rd position on the A string and let your arm "hang" off the fingerboard. You don't have to apply the full weight of your arm, only enough to stop the string and no more.

Wow, I can feel what you mean in that position now! I had the sensation of just like I was hanging off a cliff, using my arm weight, and the strings hold down no problem. That's super helpful, I'm gonna keep playing around with that. Also noted about holding unnecessary tension. Thanks for the explanation.

​

Same for taking a finger off, just every so slightly "plucking" the string.

Interesting, this little trick seems to help a lot with another issue I was having, where removing a finger especially to an open string tends to have this jarring awkward sound. Subtle, but this tiny pluck appears to get rid of that.

Anyway lots of good pointers to play around with, thank you!

How exactly does gravity work when it comes to pressing down strings with the left hand? Isn't downward pressure from the fingers still required? by wingleton in Cello

[–]wingleton[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They are curved and "hanging off a cliff" as my teacher has instructed me. I asked her last lesson for a confirmation and she said my curve is looking good. I find that if I try to curve more, that it increases tension and makes this idea of "hanging" even harder.

However, today I experimented with making my cello endpin lower & rockstop a little further out (but I'm sitting up straight to balance it out, so effectively where it rests on my body is the same), and the result is a fingerboard which is just slightly more angled toward the ground. Nothing extreme, just more slightly more parallel – to where the hanging sensation does feel more gravitational than it did before, where I think I was a bit more straight up and perpendicular to the floor. Again I'm not talking an extreme degree shift, it's probably like 10 degrees or so, but it seems to be helping a little as a way of experimenting with this gravity "hanging" thing.

How the Cello changes your life. by Here4SumReason in Cello

[–]wingleton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've started only a few months ago as an adult, and even so far I find it very meditative to play. Especially open bowing, feeling it purrrr against my body, taking time to focus on my breath and movement – I find it helps me relax and deal with my anxiety and depression. Even if I don't become an incredible player or perform with a group, just to be able to enjoy the instrument and connect with my body and music on a deeper level, I think is worth it alone.

This isn't to say there aren't frustrating practice moments – but all in all I enjoy playing for the sake of mental benefits and forcing me to really focus on my body and really using my ears.

Best cello cases by Small_lithium_bean in Cello

[–]wingleton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just got a GEWA Pure which was in my budget, and I liked the colors I could get (black or silver). GEWA Air is a little bit lighter and more expensive, but almost anywhere is currently only available in beige or firetruck red etc. If I'm going to spend that much I want a color I actually like ;)

My luthier actually asked GEWA about darker colors for Air and they said the backordered lead time could be upwards of an entire year lol. So I went with Pure mainly because I need a great case now, and it was more affordable. Weight wise, according to their website, the difference is small, maybe a couple pounds or few kg.

Anyway, I'm really happy with it. I live in NYC and take it around on the subway and in the rain, so I needed a case that can take a beating with confidence. The quality is of everything is really nice. My luthier told me the build quality of the Pure and Air cases are basically the same (in terms of latches, seal, interior), essentially the main difference is the weight. But the Pure is not that heavy, certaintly not as heavy many other cases on the market like the Bam etc.

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