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2.3.1 Common notation for unfretted strings
There is little specialist notation for unfretted string instruments. The music is notated on a single staff, and usually only a single voice is required. Two voices might be required for some double-stopped or divisi passages.
References for unfretted strings | ||
Bowing indications | ||
Harmonics | ||
Snap (Bartók) pizzicato |
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References for unfretted strings
Most of the notation which is useful for orchestral strings and other bowed instruments is covered elsewhere:
- Textual indications such as “pizz.” and “arco” are added as simple text – see Text scripts.
- Fingerings, including the thumb indication, are described in Fingering instructions.
- Double stopping is normally indicated by writing a chord, see Chorded notes. Directives for playing chords may be added, see Arpeggio.
- A template for a string quartet can be found in String quartet. Others are shown in the snippets.
See also
Learning Manual: String quartet.
Notation Reference: Text scripts, Fingering instructions, Chorded notes, Arpeggio.
Snippets: Unfretted strings.
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Bowing indications
Bowing indications are created as articulations, which are described in Articulations and ornamentations.
The bowing commands, \upbow
and \downbow
, are used
with slurs as follows:
c4(\downbow d) e(\upbow f)
and the following example shows three ways in which an open A string on a violin might be indicated:
a4 \open a^\markup { \teeny "II" } a2^\markup { \small "sul A" }
Predefined commands
\downbow
,
\upbow
,
\open
.
See also
Notation Reference: Articulations and ornamentations, Slurs.
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Harmonics
Natural harmonics
Natural harmonics can be notated in several ways. A diamond-shaped note head generally means to touch the string where you would stop the note if it were not a diamond.
Note: Harmonics must be defined inside a chord construct even if there is only a single note. |
Dotted harmonics indicated with \harmonic
do not show the
dots. The context property harmonicDots
should be set if
dots are required.
<d\harmonic>4 <e\harmonic>2. \set harmonicDots = ##t <d\harmonic>4 <e\harmonic>2.
Alternatively a normal note head is shown at the pitch to be sounded together with a small circle to indicate it should be played as a harmonic:
d2^\flageolet d_\flageolet
A smaller circle may be created, see the snippet list in References for unfretted strings.
Artificial harmonics
Artificial harmonics are notated with two notes, one with a normal note head indicating the stopped position and one with an open diamond note head to indicate the harmonic position.
<e a\harmonic>2 <c g'\harmonic>
See also
Music Glossary: harmonics.
Notation Reference: Special note heads, References for unfretted strings.
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Snap (Bartók) pizzicato
Selected Snippets
Snap-pizzicato markup ("Bartok pizzicato")
A snap-pizzicato (also known as "Bartok pizzicato") is a "strong pizzicato where the string is plucked vertically by snapping and rebounds off the fingerboard of the instrument" (Wikipedia). It is denoted by a cicle with a vertical line going from the center upwards outside the circle. While Lilypond does not have a pre-defined command to created this markup, it is easy to create a definition and place it directly into the lilypond file.
#(define-markup-command (snappizz layout props) () (interpret-markup layout props (markup #:stencil (ly:stencil-translate-axis (ly:stencil-add (make-circle-stencil 0.7 0.1 #f) (ly:make-stencil (list 'draw-line 0.1 0 0.1 0 1) '(-0.1 . 0.1) '(0.1 . 1))) 0.7 X)))) snapPizzicato = \markup \snappizz % now it can be used as \snappizzicato after the note/chord % Note that a direction (-, ^ or _) is required. \relative c' { c4^\snapPizzicato % This does NOT work: %<c e g>\snapPizzicato <c' e g>-\snapPizzicato <c' e g>^\snapPizzicato <c, e g>_\snapPizzicato }
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