![\"minor2ndex\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/06\/minor2ndex-400x79.png?resize=400%2C79\" "\\"minor2ndex\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nWe’ve got an A-flat against a G-natural.\u00c2\u00a0 On the viola, the G is one of the open strings, i.e. the second string from the bottom, when plucked or bowed without any fingers down sounds G in the octave below middle C.\u00c2\u00a0 Then you’ve got the A-flat.\u00c2\u00a0 To get the two to sound together, you’ve got to play the upper sounding note on the string below (since you can’t sound two notes at once on the same string at the same time). The interval is a half-step (or two adjacent keys on the piano keyboard), otherwise known as a minor second.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s a very dissonant interval, and one that our ears (well, most ears) want very badly to resolve downward to a unison (the same pitch sounded at the same time on two strings).<\/p>\n
The amazing thing about this, especially when you have relatively sausage-like fingers like me, is that there is a whole world of intonation adjustment possible in this smallest of chromatic intervals (we’ll ignore micro-tones for now, until I start working on the Ligeti Sonata).\u00c2\u00a0 A very dissonant interval can be in or out of tune – there is an acceptable level of dissonance which can be crossed.\u00c2\u00a0 However, here enters the subject which is the cause of bitter disputes between string players and almost all other musicians: expressive intonation.\u00c2\u00a0 A wind player, for example, might say that a minor 2nd is a acoustically measurable phenomenon, and it should be tuned in a certain way – and always that way.\u00c2\u00a0 Say, like the interval sounds on a modern piano, which is in equal temperament, which is to say, every interval is equally out of tune in order to make the instrument playable in all keys without being re-tuned.\u00c2\u00a0 However, the tradition in string playing is that you expressively nudge the pitch upward or downward in response to the destination where the note resolves the tension of the interval.\u00c2\u00a0 In the example above, I would tend to lower the A-flat just a hair, so that it is especially dissonant and really pulls into the G, leading to an interval even more fraught with tension than it would be otherwise.\u00c2\u00a0 See how complicated this can get?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
String players have both the benefit and curse of being able to play more than one note at a time.\u00c2\u00a0 This technique is known as double-stopping (i.e. putting fingers down (stopping) two strings at once, and bowing the two strings simultaneously).\u00c2\u00a0 Unlike other instruments with strings (the piano or guitar for example), we don’t have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":303,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[148,115,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appreciations","category-music","category-viola"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa8kC-Iy","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1902,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/02\/12\/life-in-the-fast-lane\/","url_meta":{"origin":2762,"position":0},"title":"life in the fast lane","author":"Charles Noble","date":"February 12, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Normally, the life of a professional symphonic musician is fairly low-key and predictable.\u00c2\u00a0 You know what you're going to be playing and when it's going to be played a year ahead of time.\u00c2\u00a0 You get your parts several weeks in advance and you judge when you're going to start practicing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "bloggers"","block_context":{"text":"bloggers","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/bloggers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"express delivery","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/4113731_ca70a42a25_m.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22824,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2023\/07\/01\/some-strings-attached\/","url_meta":{"origin":2762,"position":1},"title":"some strings attached","author":"Charles Noble","date":"July 1, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"WARNING: SERIOUS VIOLA GEEKERY AHEAD! Don't worry - strings are not made with catgut! I'm not one of those 'equipment nerd' violists. I blame myself for things that are happening with my instrument until such time as it becomes obvious that it's not the operator, it's the tool. I keep\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "music"","block_context":{"text":"music","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_3582.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_3582.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_3582.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_3582.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_3582.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22896,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2023\/08\/21\/strings-follow-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":2762,"position":2},"title":"strings follow-up","author":"Charles Noble","date":"August 21, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"If you read through to the end of my last post (which might be doubtful, given its geeky nature), you might be wondering about the result of my low-tension string experiment. In short: it worked! I'm quite happy with the response and my instrument seems happier. I'm waiting now to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "viola"","block_context":{"text":"viola","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/instruments\/viola\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_3813.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_3813.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_3813.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7339,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2012\/02\/21\/quartet-puzzles\/","url_meta":{"origin":2762,"position":3},"title":"quartet puzzles","author":"Charles Noble","date":"February 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the first of an occasional series of posts that I'd like to write which concern the torture of playing the viola in a string quartet. Don't get me wrong: playing the viola in a string quartet is just about the best thing a human being can do! But,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "string quartet"","block_context":{"text":"string quartet","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/string-quartet\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"musical example","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/IMG-599x131.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/IMG-599x131.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/IMG-599x131.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2537,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/05\/16\/jennifer-higdon-third-angle\/","url_meta":{"origin":2762,"position":4},"title":"jennifer higdon & third angle","author":"Charles Noble","date":"May 16, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"I'll leave the reviews to the professionals, but last night's Evening With Jennifer Higdon concert presented by the Third Angle New Music Ensemble was one of the most enjoyable evenings of music that I've been to in quite some time.\u00c2\u00a0 It was great to have a few minutes to chat\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "chamber music"","block_context":{"text":"chamber music","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/chamber-music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"jennifer higdon and third angle new music ensemble","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/img_0656-400x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1186,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2008\/09\/28\/ode-to-joy\/","url_meta":{"origin":2762,"position":5},"title":"ode to joy","author":"Charles Noble","date":"September 28, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"In one of my recent posts, I happened to say that I didn't care for the Ode to Joy from the finale of Beethoven's Ninth symphony.\u00c2\u00a0 Well, I've reconsidered that stance a bit. I still don't do cartwheels over the long initial statement of the theme in the celli and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "appreciation"","block_context":{"text":"appreciation","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/appreciations\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/beethoven2-400x499.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/303"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2762"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2762\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"minor2ndex\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/06\/minor2ndex.png\" "\\"minor2ndex\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n