Sul Ponticello – playing near the bridge

Crumb Black Angel (1970)

            This technique can be used to create either a timberal effect or a pitched effect. Depending on the distance of the bow to the bridge it can change the effect, the farther away from the bridge more tone will be produced.

            The tone of this technique reminds me of n overdrive pedal on an electric guitar, it also works extremely well with overpressure. The closer to the bridge will result in higher harmonics being produced. If a constant dynamic is required then more bow pressure will be needed as the bow reaches the tip.

            Playing on the bridge will result in a timberal effect as the bow hair will be divided across the bridge and it will also be playing the actual wood of the bridge. For example William Sydeman writes a chord to be played on the bridge and indicates that specific pitches are not wanted.  This is depicted with the note heads looking more like drum notation than a normal classical notation. For shorter more sticatto sound it might be needed to dampen the strings by clamping the L.H. to the fingerboard. 

Overpressuer

                                                       Rounds David Ernst
                                                      Bow pressure Graphic

Overpressure is one of the most commonly used extended techniques. It creates a loud scratchy white noise sound, which can be very effective to create a completely different sound. It is not a sound usually wanted from a violin as the sound is usually a sign of someone who has not developed proper technique as violinists usually strive to create a pleasant tone.

Overpressure can be used in two ways, one where the strings are dampened and the other where a pitch is wanted to be heard by the composer.  To dampen the strings the violinist simply clamps their L.H. on to the strings restricting their ability to vibrate properly. To create overpressure the violinist has to, as the name suggests, create large amounts of pressure. I found that the best way was to have a heavy right arm and really pull threw the bow stroke whilst pinching and pressing hard with the first finger on the R.H. remembering that if constant overpressure is wanted then more pressure will be needed nearer the tip of the bow.

                                                       

                                                  Crumb Black Angels (1970)

                                                  Overpressure

 There are various different symbols for overpressure to be notated with.  Crumb uses this technique in Black Angels, starting with a normal note at pp increasing in volume and pressure depicted by the zigzag line to fff. As a composer you would have to realise that this technique can only really be played loud as the more pressure created on the string then the more louder the volume created. Another way to depict differing amounts of overpressure is to create a graphic above the stave as in Rounds by David Ernst. Although written for cello the theory is still the same. The bigger the graphic the more pressure needed.

Col Legno

Col Legno means to play with the wood of the bow and is not as new a technique as some other extended techniques. It does however change the timbre that the violin can produce as the performer is not using the hair of the bow that produces a clean sound. The sound created by Col Legno is much more faint and whispery.  

            Col Legno Butatto means to bounce the wood of the bow and creates a much more percussive sound, this is used by Chopin in Piano Concerto no. 2 in the final movement. It gives a feel of wood being struck together sticking with the peasant dance theme that he had throughout the final movement.

            If it is to be bowed then Col Legno Tratto is to be used, its gives a whispery white noise effect. Crumb calls for this in Black Angels which is used in a section called ‘Sounds of Bones and Flutes’ using this technique gives it that haunting feeling that you would expect from bones and flutes.

            

            Care must be taken when writing Col Legno as this can be a destructive technique towards the bow, it may chip or scratch the varnish on the bow and serious players could have an extremely expensive one. For violinists that are thinking about performing extended techniques a lot then they should think about having a cheaper spare bow.

            When playing this technique I found that it was easier to have my thumb underneath the leather with the other fingers on top, as you may have done when you were first learning to play the violin. I found that it gave much more control and when playing Butatto it gives a good pivot point to help keep a striking rhythm.

Bartok Pizzicato

                                                              notation for Bartok Pizz

Bartok pizzicato, or snap pizzicato, is produced in two ways. The first way is to place the forefinger of the right hand underneath the string an pulling upwards and releasing so that the string snaps against the fingerboard. The other way is to pinch the string pulling vertically upwards and releasing creating the snap against the fingerboard. The second technique creates a sharper attack sound.