Oh, I don't think we were talking about terminology at all; we were
discussing what shape slurs should have. I don't think it makes any
difference if they are serving as slurs or phrase marks.
I was just saying that I thought it is not necessary to have perfectly
flat parts of slurs, as Mark prefers over long passages, as they might
start to look the same as brackets, staff lines, and other things that
are horizontal flat lines. For me it was a question of clarity.
But I can tell you that as a trombone player, we generally articulate
EVERY note, slur or not. The slurs are a sound, not a mechanical
instruction, for trombone players.
Christopher
On Mar 16, 2006, at 11:05 AM, John Howell wrote:
At 9:28 AM -0500 3/16/06, Christopher Smith wrote:
Well, it's hard for me to argue with Ted Ross (or even you, an
experienced user and engraver) but I am perfectly at ease with
continuous curves on slurs. A perfectly flat line might take on the
aspect of a staff line, second ending bracket, or some sort of
extension line instead of the expected curve of a slur. Understand I
am not usually writing for publication, though, so take my opinion
with all the weight they deserve.
We seem to have yet another question of terminology and definition
here, this time dependent on what instrument a person plays and on
what that person is used to seeing in the music for that instrument.
Whatever Finale chooses to call it, a slur is ALWAYS an articulation
instruction, a specific bowing instruction not to take a new bow for a
string player and a specific tonguing instruction not to re-articulate
a note for a wind player. (Keyboard players are on their own, here,
since I aren't one!)
What is being called a "long slur" is, as has been mentioned, a phrase
marking, not an articulation instruction. There must be, of course,
articulations under that phrase marking--that is, slurs, bow changes,
tonguings, and breaths--and the interpretation of those necessary but
perhaps un-notated articulations is left to the player if the composer
has not provided it. For string players, it is never an option NOT to
have slurs marked (much more important than up- or down-bow markings)
if the section is to bow in unison. For this reason, phrase markings
are comparatively rare in string music and string parts, although they
do sometimes appear.
Samuel Barber successfully used BOTH phrase marks and articulation
marks (slurs) in the Adagio. It is a good example of someone who knew
exactly what he was doing. (Or of his having someone experienced
provide the slurs to make his phrase marks work in practice.)
John
--
John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034
(mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html
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