Hi, I play violin on a very moderate level. But I think I know enough to say this:
Tremolo on string instruments consists in moving the bow up and down "as fast as you can" with short strokes on the same note, that is, "indefinitely fast". Then you get that "buzzing" sound. One slash across the stem is usually shorthand for 8ths on the same note, e.g. a half note with one slash is to be played as 4 8ths. one slash can also be used in this way on notes which are already beamed as 8ths: play 16ths. 3 slashes almost certainly means tremolo: indefinitely fast bowing to produce the "buzz". But in certain contexts, for example if it is used where you are already playing beamed 32ths: continue to play 32ths. If this occurs in a fast tempo, the difference between 32ths and tremolo becomes indiscernible, so it doesnt matter, I think (but don't tell the conductor!). 2 slashes normally means 16ths. But I have seen it in connection with the text "play 16ths", so as not to confuse it with tremolo. This I take to mean that someone might have used 2 slashes to indicate tremolo in other scores. I hope that using slashes to indicate 8th, 16th and 32th notes are obsolete, stemming from a time when one had to save work when one was copying out voices from the score by hand, and that the 3 slashes meaning tremolo is the only acceptable use of slashes now a day. Olav _______________________________________________ TeX-music mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.daimi.au.dk/mailman/listinfo/tex-music
