A Couple Question For String Players

I'm interested in the technique demonstrated in the video below:

Questions:

1.) Are only natural harmonics capable of being produced in this way or can normal pitches be produced as well?

2.) Is it possible to get a continuous timbral change from a normal/harmonic pitch to an 'air pitch' through the gradual change in finger pressure, or would attempting to do so produce 2 or more discrete sounds that abruptly shift into one another?

not a string player but

i was demonstrated the technique with the cellist picking an inharmonic node to press lightly, so that no pitched sound would emerge. (actually the first time the cellist did it wrong and produced a very pretty 11th partial harmonic by accident :P) you could therefore start with a normally fingered note and gradually attenuate lh & bow pressure until it becomes noise, but i don't think you could do it from a harmonic without a noticeable break in between the two sounds

increasing bow pressure while making "air noise" yields the scratch tone so beloved of Lachenmann, so you can also transition seamlessly between those two.

What happened, couldn't find an answer on Google?

:lol:

What happened, couldn't find an answer on Google?

:laugh:

I wasn't aware that a technique that doesn't even have a name or conventional notation is as frequently discussed on the interwebz as rarely mentioned topics such as 'chord progressions'.

My apologies.

not a string player but

i was demonstrated the technique with the cellist picking an inharmonic node to press lightly, so that no pitched sound would emerge. (actually the first time the cellist did it wrong and produced a very pretty 11th partial harmonic by accident :P) you could therefore start with a normally fingered note and gradually attenuate lh & bow pressure until it becomes noise, but i don't think you could do it from a harmonic without a noticeable break in between the two sounds

increasing bow pressure while making "air noise" yields the scratch tone so beloved of Lachenmann, so you can also transition seamlessly between those two.

Thanks for your response Jay, the bow pressure bit is great to know. At this point, I think it might be worth modifying my question a bit in the hopes of getting a better understanding: can sonic continuity be achieved through the gradual finger pressure change from that which would generate a natural harmonic, to a 'regular' pitch created by fully stopping the string (without concern for arriving at the sound heard in the video above)? .

Thanks for your response Jay, the bow pressure bit is great to know. At this point, I think it might be worth modifying my question a bit in the hopes of getting a better understanding: can sonic continuity be achieved through the gradual finger pressure change from that which would generate a natural harmonic, to a 'regular' pitch created by fully stopping the string (without concern for arriving at the sound heard in the video above)? .

the change in pitch tends to be rather multiphonic-like, with the overtone entering quite weak, then fluctuating unpredictably against the node as you reduce finger pressure before finally taking over with only traces of the node being still audible. (or the fluctuations continue, if you're doing a radulescu-ish 1/64 tone lower 93rd partial sigma harmonic, which i wouldn't put past you) you get a nice timbral shift by moving from a node to a harmonic that doubles it in pitch (octave, 12th, 15th etc) that is more "continuous" but less intriguing, i think.

I know that I cannot change from harmonic to a normal pitch without having an obvious change in sound, but I think that some professionals might be able to, or maybe a very high quality string instrument. It would be super awesome if I could though!

Ravel's slaw, 

I tried this this morning while practicing and was able to transition from harmonic to normal note without an obvious change in sound. However, transitioning from a normal note to a harmonic causes a break in the sound. The sound doesn't change enough for a dramatic effect, but with vibrato, could be used for something interesting!

Greg

Ravel's slaw, 

I tried this this morning while practicing and was able to transition from harmonic to normal note without an obvious change in sound. However, transitioning from a normal note to a harmonic causes a break in the sound. The sound doesn't change enough for a dramatic effect, but with vibrato, could be used for something interesting!

Greg

Thanks for your response Greg.

No problem! I look forward to seeing how you apply this in the future!