Need help from string players

Hello,

I'm writing a cello solo and would like to ask a question to string players. I would like to use some artifical harmonics within the solo and wanted to know how common they are seen in collegiate level music? (or any music) and what can be done such as having multiple artificial harmonics to create a slowly moving melody or possibly things I should avoid doing while using artificial harmonics?

Thanks to anyone who can help me out

-Nick

Not a string player but I know how they're done.

Multiple artificial harmonics are rare because it would usually be awkward to finger. When one touches the fourth from the artificially stopped note, thats the entire span of the hand on the violin and viola and even beyond the hand on cello without using the thumb. Thankfully, on cello one can use the thumb but it is still awkward. I would not suggest multiple artificial harmonics by one player at once. That's what we have sections for! :)

There should be no problem having a SLOW melody on the artificial harmonics, however a moderate-fast one is not possible. Harmonics are common enough that they should know how to play it, but you maybe should have an ossia staff just in case.

When one touches the fourth from the artificially stopped note, thats the entire span of the hand on the violin and viola and even beyond the hand on cello without using the thumb.

That's nonsense - it's one of the most comfortable hand positions, certainly easier than octaves. Cellists only use the thumb for AH higher up because we'd use it in those positions anyway. Playing an AH is not much more difficult than playing a chord of a fourth in tune.

Nick - two examples of a melody in AH which you would find it very helpful to see and hear can be found in Shostakovich's Second Piano Trio (at the very opening) and his First Cello Concerto (towards the end of the second movement). In the latter, the solo 'cello can't play the end of the melody (due to coming up to a 'reset' point in the harmonic series of the string) so the celeste dovetails on to play the end of it.

I would avoid having the player change strings during an AH passage without a note's rest, as they will have to re-position both fingers. Another reason not to have the passage to fast is the slightly longer time it will take the AH to 'speak' than a normal stopped note.

Thank you everyone for your help, I will definately be taking all of this information in consideration when I'm working on the solo. I also think (when I get a chance to get more of the cello solo completed) that I'll be sending a copy to my college's string professor who is also a cellist.

The only way to really know is to show it to a player.