Exercises to enhance your string ensemble, Part 1

Dr Lachlan Dent

Thistwo-part article provides some exercises that are designed to quickly enhance the performance quality of string ensembles, as well as explaining some of the principles behind these exercises to enable string teachers to successfully adapt them as necessary. These exercises are also useful in oneto-one lessons; however, the improvements can be quite dramatic when working with an ensemble. The exercises are applicable to string players of all levels, although experience has shown that younger players may be more receptive to the ideas, especially those pertaining to rhythm. I would therefore encourage string teachers who are open to using these exercises to use them from the earliest possible stage of their students’ development. The exercise presented in Part One is intended to develop tone. The exercises presented in Part Two are designed to help students play in tune, and to improve rhythm, body use and coordination.

Tone

The following exercise is designed to quickly develop tone quality, and also gives students true agency over their tone production. It is assumed that students have a functional bow hold by this point, as well as a sense of how to align the bow for each string.

First, introduce the idea that students are about to make a ‘horrible crunching’ sound on the D string, and ensure that there is a cue for them to stop making this sound (a clap or hitting a drum can work well). Then, explain to them that, to achieve this ‘crunchy’ sound, they will apply too much weight and/or pressure to the string, will move their bows too slowly (but without letting them stop altogether), and will use a bow placement that is close to the fingerboard. Remind students to keep their bowing arms relaxed and to use long bows for this exercise. Ask students if they can ‘feel the bow buzzing in their fingers’ after the first attempt at this exercise, and ask them to focus on that sensation on a subsequent attempt. If they still cannot feel this buzzing sensation, it usually means they are holding tension in the hand, arm, shoulder and/or neck, and they should be directed to release this tension, and reassured that they will be able to notice the buzzing sooner or later.

Once the ensemble is able to produce a truly grating, crunching sound, students can then be directed to make a ‘floaty’ sound. This sound is perhaps harder to describe that the universally understood ‘crunch’, but is essentially one where the upper harmonics dominate. To produce this sound, students should be asked to move the bow quickly (using the whole bow) with not enough pressure or weight, and with the bow placement tending to be too close to the bridge. This part of the exercise often results in some students producing a good sound, as their ideas regarding appropriate bow speed, bow pressure/ weight, and bow placement are yet to be accurately informed. Remind students to make a ‘floaty’ sound if this happens, but treat any improved sounds as a great discovery.

Students will now have experienced the extremes of a spectrum of tone production. The next stage of the exercise is to explain that ‘beautiful’ sound exists somewhere between the extremes of ‘floaty’ and ‘crunchy’ sound. Explain to students that they will have some time to find their ‘best’ sound, by experimenting with the variables of bow speed, bow pressure/weight and bow placement. Because students are now aware of the types of sounds (floaty, crunchy) that occur when these variables are out of balance, they should be able to selfcorrect when they produce undesirable sounds. This may take some time, however, so allow anywhere between 20 seconds and a minute of experimentation time when first using this exercise. Highlight the need for students to focus on the ‘buzzing’ of the bow (essentially, this is asking them to feel the resistance of the string through the bow).

This exercise can be repeated on other strings and for fingered notes, which are both situations where the speed/pressure/placement relationships will be different to those used for the open D string.

Why it works

There are several key principles from which this exercise is derived, which allow it to function quickly and effectively. Some of these are fairly obvious, while others may be less so.

First, students are given the variables necessary to control their sound. Second, they are given the extremes of the available sounds (and shown how the variables relate to these). Third, students are desensitised to undesirable sounds, meaning that they attach no negative emotion or self-judgement to these sounds. Instead, because students have experienced both extremes in a safe way, they are far more likely to accept the reality of any sound they create, and make simple adjustments to first rectify any problems and then optimise their tone. The fourth reason is that students are given a process that allows them to feel direct physical contact with the string through the bow. All proficient string players are familiar with this sensation of contact with the string, but it is a sensation that is so subtle that it can take many years to discover. By deliberately using far too much bow pressure and/or weight (while keeping the arm relaxed), students can usually feel this contact on a first or second attempt, and can hone in on the more subtle sensation when playing with good sound. Another reason the exercise works so well, although there may be more reasons, is that students are given agency and the responsibility for finding their ‘best’ or favourite sound. The result of this agency, especially with quite young students, is frequently a dramatic improvement in tone quality.

Application to repertoire

Once this exercise has been completed, it is worth mentioning three other areas regarding tone production as the need arises. These are essentially starting notes, ending notes and string crossings. To work on starting notes, have student pluck an open string of your choice, and ask them to notice when the note actually starts. Astute students may notice that there are essentially two stages to plucking the string: one is displacing (pulling) the string and the other is releasing it, with the note beginning as the string is released. The same process occurs when using the bow; however, the release of the string can come from releasing pressure on the string (while leaving the bow hair on the string) a split section before actually starting a down-bow or up-bow movement.

Often, with beginner ensembles, a note before a rest may end with a ‘crunch’. If this occurs, it is because the bow’s pressure on the string has not been released as the bow stops moving. Students may take a few attempts to master the release of this pressure as their bows stop, which could result in a ‘floaty’ sound as the bow continues to move across the string instead of stopping.

String crossings may also pose challenges for beginner players. Solving tone problems around string crossings is often a case of ensuring that the bow is on the ‘new’ string before starting a new bow direction, and then applying the same principles regarding starting notes that are outlined above. To work on this, students can be directed to play the note before a string crossing, then pause, then roll the bow to the ‘new’ string, and then play the note after the string crossing.

[Part 2 will appear in the next issue of Stringendo.]

Dr Lachlan Dent studied with New York Philharmonic cellist Evangeline Benedetti and holds a PhD in Music Performance. Lachlan has performed in New York, Brazil, New Zealand, Malaysia and China. He has given masterclasses at Monash University, and Universiti Tecknologi MARA (Malaysia), as well as teaching at Monash University.

George Crumb

24.10.1929–6.2.2022

George Crumb was one of the 20th century’s most original composers. His output consists of mostly solos and chamber music.

Born in Charleston to a musical family, Crumb learnt clarinet from his father who played in the local symphony orchestra where his mother was a cellist. Crumb began to compose around ten years of age. In 1947, he studied at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan and received his bachelor’s degree in music from the Mason College of Music and Fine Arts in 1950. He briefly studied in Berlin before returning to the United States.

Crumb was particularly influenced by Mahler, Debussy and Bartok. Crumb’s compositions often contain quotations from Bach, Schubert, Chopin and the jazz pianist/composer Thelonius Monk. He meshed Asian influences with Appalachian folk songs and instruments like the harmonica and musical saw. After hearing the music of Anton Webern, Crumb began to explore unusual timbres, a facet of music he considered as important as rhythm, harmony and counterpoint.

Creating works simultaneously dramatic and concise, Crumb turned items like bowed water glasses into instruments, incorporated new elements such as spoken word, nature sounds, and electronics into his works, and asked instrumentalists to participate in elaborate theatrical presentations of his music, wearing masks, for instance, or performing under prescribed lighting.

In a 2016 interview with the Brunswick Review, Crumb said, ‘I don’t have any artistic skills outside of musical calligraphy. I just think the music should look the way it sounds.’ Many of Crumb’s unique notated scores famously were hand-drawn shapes and spirals.

Black Angels (Thirteen Images from the Darkland), Crumb’s best-known work, was written in 1970, and published in 1971. The electric string quartet players are required to play in unconventional ways, to play percussion instruments and to bow small goblets. It has been recorded by several groups, including the Kronos Quartet, whose formation was inspired when violinist David Harrington first heard Black Angels. It was described by David Bowie as one of his favourite pieces.

Crumb won a Pulitzer Prize and a Grammy Award for his compositions, and his groundbreaking, evocative music has been used in works ranging from ballets to Hollywood films, including The Exorcist. His scores are routinely taught in textbooks and in conservatoriums around the world, and his influence on contemporary music is immeasurable.

Crumb and his wife Elizabeth visited Australia several times. During their first trip in March 1976, they went to the Adelaide Festival and other capital cities as part of the American contingent for the US Bicentenary. He returned a couple of other times, once as guest of Roger Smalley at the University of Western Australia. At the same time, he attracted several Australians, including Andrew Schultz, to study with him at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He also became a friend and correspondent of composer and teacher Vincent Plush, who directed a number of Crumb’s compositions inspired by his visits to Australia.

Roger Tapping

5.2.1960–18.1.2022

British violist Roger Tapping, who played for several renowned string quartets in the UK and the US, died of cancer aged 61.

A graduate of Cambridge University, he learned from Margaret Major and Bruno Giuranna, as well as participating in masterclasses with celebrated British violist William Primrose. He embarked on a busy musical career following graduation, joining the Raphael Ensemble and playing music for broadcast on the BBC in his early twenties. As an orchestral player, he held the role of principal viola with the London Mozart Players, was a member of the English Chamber Orchestra and was a founding member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

An illustrious chamber musician, Tapping joined the UK-based Allegri Quartet in 1989, a post he retained until 1995, when he moved to the US to become violist of the Takács Quartet. He performed worldwide with them, including numerous Beethoven and Bartók cycles, the recordings of which for Decca/London earned the ensemble many awards, including three Gramophone Awards, a Grammy and three more Grammy nominations. Tapping performed with the Takács Quartet until 2013, when he joined the Juilliard Quartet. Tapping became only the third person to hold the viola chair since 1946.

A dedicated educator, he was most recently on the faculty of the Juilliard School, where he taught viola and chamber music. He also served on the faculties of the New England Conservatory, Longy School, Boston Conservatory, as well as the Royal Academy of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Appearing at many summer festivals in the US and Canada, Tapping also taught at Itzhak Perlman’s Chamber Music Workshop, the Tanglewood String Quartet Seminar and Yellow Barn, and gave viola masterclasses at Banff.

A violist who was known for his selfless music making and beautiful sound, Tapping wil be remembered for his generous spirit, his immeasurable kindness and thoughtfulness, and his dedication to his students and musical partners.

Tapping was the recipient of many awards, including member of the Order of the Knight Cross of the Hungarian Republic, an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Nottingham, and a Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music in London. He said of chamber music that ‘there’s so much going on that you have to find ways of being colourful, but without turning into a wall of sound. I often describe it as “translucence” – making something beautiful that you can also see the other beauties through.’

Cathy Fuller of Classical Radio Bostons stated that he had the most exquisite and insightful language for unlocking a young player’s imagination, and he offered precious tools for creating a unique and communicative sound.

Roger Tapping is survived by his wife, cello faculty member Natasha Brofsky, and their children, Cordelia and Eleanor.

Alice Waten

1947–7.7.2022

Alice Waten, one of Australia’s premier violin teachers and string pedagogues, has died after a two-year battle with melanoma.

Waten studied violin at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin with Eberhard Feltz. Waten’s father was born in Odesa in Ukraine, so it was natural that she continued her studies at the Moscow Conservatoire with Valery Klimov and David Oistrakh and chamber music with the Borodin String Quartet.

Waten returned to Sydney in the 1970s where she was later appointed Head of Strings and Orchestral Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She was described as a cornerstone of their Open Academy’s Rising Stars program. Her students included Richard Tognetti (Artistic Director and lead violinist of the Australian Chamber Orchestra), Sophie Rowell,(Coconcertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra), Rebecca Chan (Assistant Concertmaster of the Philharmonia Orchestra, London) and Marina Marsden and Kirsty Hilton (Co-principals 2nd violin of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra). Other students hold positions in the Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden, the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, the Canberra Symphony, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

Waten’s desire to train violinists was sparked early in her career and was a consistent force in her professional life. Her warm but disciplined teaching style was strongly influenced by the Russian violin school where her own rigorous training, years as a performer, teaching experience and continuing study in the development of string pedagogy trends throughout the world contributed to the achievements of her students.

Waten taught at the Australian National Academy of Music, Melbourne and was Head of Strings at the Australian Institute of Music, Sydney and Head of Strings and Classical Ensemble at Hong Kong’s Academy for Performing Arts. She was Artist Teacher-in-Residence at Chetham’s Specialist Music School in Manchester, UK.

Professor Waten gave masterclasses in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, California throughout Australia. She was sought after as a jury member at national and international competitions. A founding member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra where she led the second violins for ten years, she toured extensively throughout UK, Europe, Asia and Australasia. Waten Waten played on a Paolo Antonio Testore 1743 violin.

Richard Tognetti’s tribute says, ‘Alice Waten has had a profound impact on me and many other violinists; she was a liberator of spirits. She gave me the confidence to go out into the wide world and play my dreams into reality.’

Roderick Smith

November 1938–2022

One

of Australia’s most reputed string instrument makers has died.

Roderick Smith was born in Rabaul on the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea and grew up on Sydney’s north shore. In 1955 at the age of 17, he joined the firm of AE Smith & Co. as a member of the third generation, studying restoration and repair techniques in the workshop of his grandfather, Arthur Smith, and his mother, Kitty Smith. Roderick began with specialising in bow restoration, following with violin restoration.

He left the family firm in 1972, setting up his own shop in Adelaide with selling, restoring and repairing instruments. He became a repair contractor for the Education Department of South Australia while making his own instruments. On moving to Sydney in 1984 and Brisbane in 1988, his reputation for making fine instruments grew as he restricted repair and restoration work and experimented with viola shapes and sizes.

He produced a range of instruments specially designed for students at a student budget without losing the quality he was known for. His violins, violas and cellos were sought after and are used by professional musicians in Australia, Switzerland, the UK, Germany and Austria.

The Annual General Meeting of the Australian Strings Association Limited (AUSTA) will be held on Thursday November 24 at 8.00 pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time.

Notice is hereby given that the 2022 Annual General Meeting will be held online via Zoom on Thursday November 24 at 8:00 pm ADT

Members who would like to participate should contact Emily Dittman (AUSTA National Administrator) by email admin@austa.asn.au or phone 0439 885 754 for access to the relevant Zoom links.

The audited financial statements will be made available to members on the website prior to the meeting.

Members who would like to nominate a proxy can use the form below and email it to the National Administrator by Monday 21st November.

Meeting Agenda:

• President’s Welcome

• Minutes of the 2021 AGM

• Reports:

§ President

§ Treasurer

§ Chapter Presidents

§ Stringendo

• Acceptance of Financial Report and Audit

• Election of Office Bearers o President o Secretary o Treasurer

• Ratification of Board of Directors

• Confirmation of Charity Status

• Other Business

Finally free of all pain and fatigue

Many players experience fatigue or pain in the bow arm during practice, rehearsals, recording sessions or concerts. Some even need to limit their playing, or quit altogether.

The cause for these problems is often the fundamental resonance of the bow. And while we want the bow to resonate freely, a low frequency vibration of around 50 Hz can cause serious physical injury.

When we started the production of our bows in 1999 we intended to make them stronger and lighter than traditional bows to improve agility, speed and power. It came as quite a surprise when players reported that they also found comfort to be dramatically improved.

The reduced weight and increased resilience move the fundamental resonance of the Arcus bows one octave up, to about 100 Hz, and out of the dangerous frequency range.

AUSTA Ltd – Proxy Nomination Form

I/We ........................................................................... being a member/members of the Australian S trings

(Member/s Name) Association (AUSTA) hereby appoint ............................................................................................................. of (Proxy Name) ........... or, in his or her absence, ......................................................... of Proxy Address) (Proxy Name) ......... as my/our proxy to vote for me/us on my/our behalf at the meeting Proxy Address) of the Company’s members of the Company to be held on the 24th day of November 2022, and at any adjournment of that meeting.

SIGNED this ................ day of ....................................................., 2022

If your bow arm troubles you, please contact your nearest Arcus dealer, or us directly, to arrange a trial of some suitable Arcus bows. Chances are that you too will be completely free of all pain and fatigue for good.

On our YouTube channel “ArcusMuesing” you can find a video in which we discuss this subject in more detail. Just follow this QR code: