String-Splitting: Double Stops on One Course

[margora]

This is a question for anyone with experience on 18th century Neopolitan instruments, original or modern copies.

I am working on solo repertoire, some 18th century. Leone, in particular, uses a technique that Neil Gladd refers to as "string-splitting", or fingering a double stop on one course. For example, one plays a d on the top string of A (second course) with,say, the rh middle or third finger, leaving the bottom string of the course open, thereby generating a double stop.

With practice I find string splitting possible at tempo on a modern instrument -- in my case, a Collings -- although difficult (and easier on the A course than on the D course). My question is whether the technique is more (or less) feasible on an 18th century instrument, perhaps because the string spacing at the nut is different from a modern instrument.

[Bruce Clausen]

If Leone uses the technique, it must have been feasible at least for him on his instrument. But how does he use it? I sometimes split courses in order to get five-note jazz chords, e.g. Gm9 played 00(01)1 = G-D-A-Bb-F. But I don't imagine Leone needed such chords. Works fine on my Ceccherini, which has probably similar spacing to 18th century mandolins.

(Edit: The technique also makes it possible to continue a scale in thirds right down to G-B on the G course. Handy sometimes.)

[margora]

"If Leone uses the technique, it must have been feasible at least for him on his instrument. But how does he use it?"

It appears in a theme and variations. Of course it was feasible for him. My question is a technical one about the nature of 18th century mandolins, specifically the string spacing at the nut -- whether this was different from modern string spacing in ways that would make the left hand fingering of such passages easier. Alternatively, it may be technical question about whether differences in the string material itself are relevant. I don't own (or play) an 18th replica myself.

[Ferdinand Binnendijk]

Hi Robert,

That is a nice 'last rescue'. I use it too, however, very occasionally, if there is really no other solution to play something.
It only sounds well if the distance between strings is big enough. If not, it may sound terribly out of tune because you have to pull out one of the strings a bit.
For me, it 'feels' like a modern thing. Besides, in 18th century music there are no jazzy chords that need to be fingered like this. But I'm not sure about this..

Another 'rescue' for me is using the left hand thumb to take bass notes on the G string, when the other fingers are more or less unavailable (for example, in Victor's Variations on a Basque Melody). I also wonder if the old Italian masters knew of this.

Greetz, Ferdinand

[Bruce Clausen]

Thanks, Bob. What I wanted to know was to what sort of musical use Leone puts this technique. Does he use it only in chords (and if so does the splitting give fuller harmony, or just more doubled notes in simple chords); or does he give for example runs in thirds played on a single course; and does the pick need to pick the two strings separately (e.g. in an Alberti type alternation) or only together? I've never seen this used in any classical piece.

[John McCoy]

"...My question is a technical one about the nature of 18th century mandolins, specifically the string spacing at the nut -- whether this was different from modern string spacing in ways that would make the left hand fingering of such passages easier....

I can't answer your question, but I might know who can:

The National Music Museum
The University of South Dakota
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/

They have a vast collection that includes plucked stringed instruments going back to the XVII Century. Not surprisingly, mandolins are in the minority, but they do have some. They also have literature that provides technical details and drawings of some instruments that aren't in their collection.

They might be willing to answer your question by phone--I don't know. What I do know is that several years ago I had some contact with them when I was researching French horns and they were as accommodating as they could be. (It might have helped that at that time USD was the teaching home of one of the great brass instrument experts.)

If they're still willing to answer phone inquiries you might persuade someone to go measure an instrument, or look something up, or point you in the direction of a book or journal you might want to acquire.

Good luck.

== John ==

[margora]

"Thanks, Bob. What I wanted to know was to what sort of musical use Leone puts this technique. Does he use it only in chords (and if so does the splitting give fuller harmony, or just more doubled notes in simple chords); or does he give for example runs in thirds played on a single course; and does the pick need to pick the two strings separately (e.g. in an Alberti type alternation) or only together? I've never seen this used in any classical piece."

String-splitting occurs in Variation #4 of Leone's piece, "La Chasse de L'isle Adam". There is a version in modern notation in Neil Gladd, ed. "Three Centuries of Solo Mandolin Music". Time signature is 6/8. Leone uses the technique to generate fourths, seconds, and thirds all executed on either the A course or the D course. The function is purely harmonic. The pick plays both strings at once. All could be played as normal double stops except possibly one brief passage.

There is a discussion of this technique on p. 131 of Sparks and Tyler, The Early Mandolin, where Paul writes "[o]n modern instruments, where the two strings of each course are very close together (to allow a smoother tremolo) this technique is not considered practicable". Sparks goes on to note that in various modern (19th and 20th) century works, scordatura turnings are used so that performers can generate double stops on a single course. A well known example would be Ranieri's piece "Canto D'Estate".

It is the discussion in the Sparks and Tyler that leads to ask if the string spacing was different on 18th century instruments which the passage seems to imply. Tremolo in the modern sense, while known, seems to have been used less often and would, indeed, be more difficult to execute if the strings were further apart. On the other hand, string-splitting is possible on a modern instrument. Scordatura was used in the 18th century, specifically by Leone.

String splitting is discussed in Corrette and in Leone's tutors. However, Corrette evidently advises on using the technique sparingly and playing double stops on separate courses if possible.

[margora]

"Another 'rescue' for me is using the left hand thumb to take bass notes on the G string, when the other fingers are more or less unavailable (for example, in Victor's Variations on a Basque Melody). I also wonder if the old Italian masters knew of this."

Hi Ferdinand, nice to hear from you. The PMO misses Het Consort, it would be great if we could get together.

Regarding your comment, the use of the LH thumb to finger notes was indeed known, and is specifically discussed in Gervasio's tutor, see Sparks and Tyler, The Early Mandolin, p. 113.

[Jim Garber]

This may help in the discussion. I don't have Neil's book handy but it does appear in the Minkoff Reprint which I have scanned below. In this edition is seems like the name is printed as "La Chasse de L'isle adan" FWIW. Anyway, I hope it is the same piece but in the original transcription from Leone's hand. It looks like the split string playing needs to start right after the fermata?

I have handled a few 18th century mandolins but never any that were playable, so I can't recall if the necks were particularly wider or the strings paced further apart.

[Bruce Clausen]

Very interesting. I take it the splitting begins at bar 9. It seems in this variation that its main object is to enable all the parts to ring through (instead of the bass note sharing its course with the middle part). Many thanks for the info and the scan.

[margora]

"In this edition is seems like the name is printed as "La Chasse de L'isle adan" FWIW. Anyway, I hope it is the same piece but in the original transcription from Leone's hand. It looks like the split string playing needs to start right after the fermata?"

Yes, it is the same piece, and yes the string splitting begins after the fermata.

[Pietrobono]

Ferdinand said :

"Another 'rescue' for me is using the left hand thumb to take bass notes on the G string, when the other fingers are more or less unavailable (for example, in Victor's Variations on a Basque Melody). I also wonder if the old Italian masters knew of this."

Of course, LEONE proposed this technique also : "those pieces will seem difficult to amateurs, but using the thumb they will become easy" on the title page of his 6 sonatas first set...

By the way, the splitting technique is often used when tuning a pair a MINOR THIRD away (for instance Bb-D on the D string) if you need a major third. Moreover, it gives very often a completely different COLOR to a chord, for instance if you choose D-F on the D-pair, or if you choose D on the G pair and F on the D pair...

Greetings from France

[margora]

"Very interesting. I take it the splitting begins at bar 9. It seems in this variation that its main object is to enable all the parts to ring through (instead of the bass note sharing its course with the middle part). Many thanks for the info and the scan."

As best as I can determine, all of the instances of string-splitting in Leone's solo music are of this nature (I say "as best" because I don't have a copy of the method at hand). Evidently Leone preferred using the open strings whenever possible in a bass texture and the string-splitting technique does allow this.

[Alex Timmerman]

Hi,

On Sebastiaan de Grebber's solo mandolin CD web-page you can here him play Ranieri's "Canto D'Estate".

Best and enjoy the special COLOR as Pietro Bono calls it so rightly, Alex.

PS. Oh yes, For your information, Sebastiaan is playing a superb sounding 1927 Luigi Embergher Concert Mandolin Mod. 5bis.

http://www.degrebber-mandolin.com/ph...esordercd1.php

[Richard Walz]

At one time I owned 2 18th century style (copies) neapolitan mandolins. The one with the slightly wider string course separation was easier for this technique. With a bit of practise it is possible, especially for those who have thinner and more pointed finger tips (which is not my case). However, I managed it so it should be possible for everyone else. There are only a few pieces that exploit this technique. The sound effect is quite distinct from that of normally executed double stops. Much more common was the use of the thumb for chord configurations. I even saw this proposed in violin etudes from Napoli written in the mid-18th century.

[margora]

"At one time I owned 2 18th century style (copies) neapolitan mandolins. The one with the slightly wider string course separation was easier for this technique."

Hi Richard, thanks, this was exactly the type of answer I was looking for.

[aussiemando]

Hello,
I have done it for the purpose of playing a double stop tremolo and pianissimo at once. It's rather painful (feels like someone's putting a nail under your fingernail). It was done on a copy of an 18C mandolin.

[Eugene]

Just stumbled across this chat. I play this piece on an anon. 19th-c. French mandolin. String splitting is much easier on this instrument than any of my modern mandolin, and the sound of the octave g really enhances the 3rd and 4th variations to my ears. Catching the higher note with the nail and fretting the base with the flesh helps a lot. Yeah, I hate using the thumb, and the spit-string passage is perhaps the hardest bit of the piece in trying to play the a with the index finger while splitting e'-f'# to d'-f'# on the d' course.