JAVS Fall 2024

to the bridge with very little bow hair or bow speed. Since there is almost no friction between the bow and the string, and since the bow is placed in a sub-optimal position for resonance, the violist will end up creating more noise than definitive pitch. The noise then evolves into a normal harmonic (B5, ~981.15 hz.) through a crescendo and an arrow towards “ord” ( ordinario ), directing the violist to play with more bow speed and bow hair as well as move the bow towards a contact point that yields more resonance. The rhythmic changes throughout the first transition are also linked to the increase in density. The violist’s bow changes and bow placement inevitably affect the sound; even with the most fluid and well-timed bow technique, there is always a slight disruption in the sound as the bow pulls the string in the opposite direction. Often this results in a slight “attack” at the beginning of the bow

change. These bow changes are evident in the harmonic B5’s slight amplitude changes, which quickly fade back to noise. However, as the rhythmic divisions get smaller, more bow changes occur and thus more “bursts” of the harmonic B5 occur. Eventually, as the B5 emerges with considerable amplitude, the sound of the harmonic overshadows the disruption from the bow change. This technique is called filtering , in which certain partials are exaggerated or enhanced. 18 As more harmonic pitches appear in the first transition, the amplitude also increases, which is shown by the frequencies gradually darkening. As the harmonics turn into harmonic double-stops and then into stopped chords, the noise becomes overshadowed by stopped pitches.

Figure 4: Harmonic B5 bow changes in Transition 1, circled in blue.

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 40, No. 2, Fall 2024

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