I have to admit, I'm really nervous about the workshop. I haven't had any coaching since I started playing the viola again two and a half years ago, and I hadn't had any before then since I was an undergraduate. I'm not quite sure what to expect, and I'm worried that I won't be able to modify my playing in the direction the coaches suggest. And while the Dvorak isn't as technically challenging for the viola as the other pieces we tried Sunday, the first measure gives me a puzzle that I'm not sure I have a good solution for.
Here's the measure:
One of the big decisions one has to make as a string player is which finger of the left hand to use to play each note (and also, which string to use). These usually come down to choosing a "position" for the left hand, which are numbered from first (hand farthest away from the body) on up, although within a position, you also have some flexibility as to the choice of finger. String players number their fingers from 1 (index) to 4 (little).
There are several factors that come into choice of position. You want to avoid changing positions too frequently; you want to avoid having to cross strings unnecessarily (although sometimes that's a special effect a composer is looking for). You might want to deemphasize the weaker fourth finger (trills with the fourth finger, for example, are difficult). And the tone colors of the strings are quite different: for example, playing in the higher positions on the C string on the viola creates, to my mind, not a particularly pleasant sound (although Mahler specifically calls for it in his Sixth Symphony).
All that said, there are basically two choices for this first measure of the Dvorak quartet. The obvious one is second position, so you start with the first finger on the C string for the low E flat, going to the fourth finger on the G string for the high E flat. No change of position, only one string crossing.
The problem with this solution is the final chord. Playing two notes at once is called a "double stop", and some double stops are easier than others. Hardest are fifths: since the viola is tuned in fifths, you need to use the same finger to stop both strings. In effect, this means that not only the position of the finger has to be exactly right, but its angle does, as well. Compounding this problem is the fact that fifths, being perfect intervals, are more sensitive to pitch errors than other intervals. All this means that I have trouble getting fifths consistently in tune, and being out of tune on the first measure of a piece doesn't start things off on the right foot. :-)
There's an alternate solution to the fingering problem: playing the passage in first position, ending with the fifth played on the "open strings" G and D (no fingers at all). There's one more string crossing, but that's not a huge issue here. Playing an open fifth can be a problem if the strings have gone out of tune, but at the beginning of a piece, just after tuning, that shouldn't be a concern.
The problem with this solution is that open strings have a very special sound, and one that tends not to be favored in modern string playing, particularly for soft, lyrical passages. I have gotten some sharp looks in the past from fellow players for using open strings where they really aren't appropriate.
So I can't make up my mind. I'll consult with the other members of our quartet, and with the coaches on March 17. Dvorak was a violist: I wish I could consult him.
And this matters a lot, because those final notes of that measure form one of the harmonic cornerstones for the entire quartet. Some chord progressions are more common than others, and the chord progression in this measure, from the tonic (I), E-flat major, to the mediant (iii), G minor, is very uncommon. (Probably because iii is a fence-straddling chord, sharing two notes with the tonic and two with the dominant). I haven't finished looking, but I think this progression ties the whole quartet together. I don't think it's a coincidence that the second movement is in G minor, and that the theme of the last movement starts in E-flat major but cadences in G minor.
And it's those two notes at the end of the first bar of the viola part that create the G minor chord (along with the B-flats in the second violin and cello). A huge responsibility!
Whew! I promise to avoid writing entire blog posts about single measures in the future. :-)
A divertimento on one interval:
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite Bach solo violin movements is the first of the C major. It has a measure where two stacked 5ths are played three times in a row (from bottom up: middle c, g, and d) as a (7th missing a 3rd) chord. There's a non-intuitive but elegant solution to this that relates to the above measure. You may know it, but if not, I'll show you the next time I see you.
I think a lot of people find that they can play 5ths in tune better with one finger than the others, likely due to the curvature of the hand over the fingerboard. If you play 5ths more easily with your 2nd (or 1st) finger, consider starting in 2nd position then shifting on the chord.
Another issue is that we play 5ths so rarely that it's not as automatic/fast of a mental process to adjust what needs adjusting; and of course the interval is perfect, so tolerance is a lot tighter. This can be overcome by practice, in particular paying attention to the adjustment of the interval once you've hit it.
I think a triple string crossing is the least favorable option, although I'm not against the open strings a priori, especially as the base of a chord. You could also start in 2nd position -and- end on open strings.
Julie
Julie,
ReplyDeleteYes, please show me the measure (and the solution!) from the Bach C major sonata. I know some people play fifths with two fingers, and I managed to get that to work for me in one passage in the first Brahms sextet. I'll have to think about whether there's a way to make that work in this passage.
I think you're right: I play fifths better with lower fingers. By default, starting in second position, I'd be playing this fifth with the third finger, so maybe shifting up would work. If I could do it reliably.
I think I need to do some specialized ear-training: I can tell when a fifth is out of tune, but I can't always tell whether the interval is too small or too large. (Very embarrassing when I'm trying to tune without the benefit of an electronic tuner, as happened Friday evening!) And once I get better at that, I'd need to figure out how to adjust the angle of the finger to fix the problem. Practice there will help, as you say.
I don't quite understand your last suggestion. Dvorak indicates a tie on the G, which means that however I play the G-E-flat double stop, I have to play the G-D double stop the same way. But we can discuss when we get together next.
In the end, it feels like it comes down to risk-reward. The first position solution is the least risky, but won't sound as good. The stay-in-second position solution has a high risk of the fifth being out of tune. The second-shift-to-third or fourth solution is likely to have the fifth in tune with itself, but perhaps out of tune with the other instruments.
But this is one of the many reasons I love playing music so much. I love solving puzzles. :-)
I agree that it is more difficult to play double-stop fifths in tune, than some other intervals (6th for example). It is hard to get both strings down with one finger and of course you have to get the finger at the correct angle. It's much easier to anchor one finger and then pivot the other to get a chord in tune.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that much about viola technique, but on the cello I deliberately tune my G and C strings slightly sharp. I find that makes it easier to get the double-stop fifths in tune across the G-D strings. I think that is because the angle is easier. And I also think that listeners are happy when the lowest notes are slightly sharp but not flat :)
You should also make sure that your bridge is not too high - that makes fifths much harder.
I'd hesitate to tune the lower strings sharp, because that's moving even further from equal temperament than just fifths would be. Good point about bridge height, but I think, if anything, my viola bridge is too low, rather than too high: in any case, Ken the magic string instrument adjuster said I didn't need a new bridge right now.
ReplyDeleteI think, with enough practice, I can get the second-position-only solution to work; at least, that's what I'm going to try.
I just came back from the second meeting of this quartet, in preparation from the workshop on March 17. Everyone agreed that the first-position, G-and-D open strings solution was the best one. And both YouTube videos I saw of quartets playing this movement seemed to concur. Now I can work on the rest of the movement. :-)
ReplyDelete