Discuss page 8 & 9 of Fred Zimmerman's "Contemporary Concept of Bowing Technique"

[Toronado455]

I'm interested in discussing the exercises on p. 8 & 9 of Fred Zimmerman's "Contemporary Concept of Bowing Technique". Specifically, I'm curious about how different people interpret/play these because it seems there are different ways to do it.

Regarding the tied notes with no rests in between, such as the tied half notes in measure 1 of the first exercise on p. 8, I've always tried to play these as if it were a whole note without any break or pulse in the sound on beat 3.

On p.9, the 3/4 exercise, in measure 1, the three quarters tied together, similarly, I've always played that as if it were a dotted half, with no break or pulse on each beat. But since in measure 7, he writes a half tied to a quarter, when he could have just as easily written the same thing as in measure 1, it makes me think that actually there should be an audible pulse on each of the three quarters in measure 1... and by extension, an audible pulse between the tied half notes in the 4/4 exercises as well, (and anywhere else that there are notes tied without rests in between).

Also, in the 3/4 exercise on p. 9, measure 12, and the penultimate measure, are there ties missing (a misprint)???

One last thing... the metronome markings.... when my teacher first gave me these, he crossed them out and changed them all to quarter=60. I suppose one could start at a slower tempo and increase it. But just wondering if there is any significance to the slightly varied tempo markings on these two pages, and what speed people actually practice these at.

Sorry if this post is a bit long, but I've always wondered about this stuff and I'm curious to hear how other people do it!

[neilG]

Originally Posted by Toronado455

Regarding the tied notes with no rests in between, such as the tied half notes in measure 1 of the first exercise on p. 8, I've always tried to play these as if it were a whole note without any break or pulse in the sound on beat 3.

That's correct.

On p.9, the 3/4 exercise, in measure 1, the three quarters tied together, similarly, I've always played that as if it were a dotted half, with no break or pulse on each beat.

Also correct.

But since in measure 7, he writes a half tied to a quarter, when he could have just as easily written the same thing as in measure 1, it makes me think that actually there should be an audible pulse on each of the three quarters in measure 1... and by extension, an audible pulse between the tied half notes in the 4/4 exercises as well, (and anywhere else that there are notes tied without rests in between).

No, the idea is to recognize different ways of writing the same thing, ie, two tied quarters being the same as a half note. And that's all there is to it!

Also, in the 3/4 exercise on p. 9, measure 12, and the penultimate measure, are there ties missing (a misprint)???

My book is ancient, but I have the tie in that measure crossed out, and ties added to the top notes in the penultimate measure.

One last thing... the metronome markings.... when my teacher first gave me these, he crossed them out and changed them all to quarter=60. I suppose one could start at a slower tempo and increase it. But just wondering if there is any significance to the slightly varied tempo markings on these two pages, and what speed people actually practice these at.

I wouldn't read too much into the different tempos, just practice slow AND faster and do what your teacher suggests.

[Toronado455]

Originally Posted by neilG

That's correct.
No, the idea is to recognize different ways of writing the same thing, ie, two tied quarters being the same as a half note. And that's all there is to it!

Cool. I guess I've been doing it right all along then. It's actually easier that way. The last exercise on P.9 gets pretty tricky if you are trying to give an audible pulse to the second half notes.

It's just that I tend to believe that there should always be a musical reason to notate something differently. Two half notes tied together should mean something different from a whole note.

For example, what did Beethoven want in the 2nd Mvt. of the 9th symphony? Right after where the presto / cut time section starts (about 13 measures into it) the cellos have a melodic line and the basses play a bass line that goes D, C, B, A etc. On the C, he writes two half notes tied together instead of a whole note.

[Hector Wolff]

I would suggest that Beethoven uses the two tied halfs in those two measures because he wanted a crescendo on the second half of each of those measures. The word "cresc" appears directly under the second half note in each of those ties. If he used a whole note, indicating the exact point of the beginning of the crescendo would have been impossble.

[barbarbass]

I'm doing those pages of Zimmermann right now, as well. Yeah, I play those tied halves (on open G, towards the bottom of p. 8) as a continuous drone, basically.