Position (music)

The location designated on the strings, the position of the left hand on the fretboard. Documents are usually indicated by Roman numerals and counted from " below", ie from the saddle. These figures only describe the position of the entire hand and not make any statement about the position of the fingers, which can assume different positions on many instruments within the same location. The next higher layer is reached when a particular finger would in its normal position grab the next higher tone.

For the game in alternating layers there are many reasons:

• At higher altitudes can play higher notes.
• The same sound has a different tone on different strings. Sounds a cohesive melody line are therefore played when possible on the same string; this can make a position change necessary.
• Especially faster tempo, it is easier to grip a plurality of successive tones on the same string to change instead the string, to which the position has to be changed often.

Documents in plucked instruments

With the guitar (and correspondingly also the electric bass guitar ) the layers according to the position of the first finger are counted ( in right-handed so the left index finger ). This count is done chromatic, ie after the federal government, on the first finger would lie number ( therefore often referred to as a collar position ). Example: Accesses the player on a E string sound g # with the first finger, then the hand is in the fourth position. When plucked the situation is often given in Roman numerals above the staff. It should be noted that the fingers within the layer can also take other positions - especially the first finger can be stretched downwards.

Positions on the strings

Unlike the plucked string instruments in the layers are not chromatic, diatonic rather counted. Here, the count traditionally follows the fourth finger in the normal position on the highest string. For example, engages in the first position on the violin, the fourth finger h ( as a fifth above the open string ). The second layer is a semitone higher than the first ( the fourth finger engages c ), the third position but then a whole tone higher (fourth finger on d). The layers are thus not the same distance away from each other after this census. There are in this terminology, a "half position ", in which the hand is a semitone lower than in the first position (fourth fingers in the home position on b). Since as mentioned the position of the finger within the flexible layer is also sounds outside the basic position can be achieved by stretching the first and fourth fingers.

The same census is used in cello, but because of the greater distances are only two finger positions usual: A basic position with semitones between all fingers and an extended position with whole step only between 1st and 2nd fingers. Accordingly, either the first finger down, or any other finger can be moved up within a layer.

The scale length of the bass is a classic technique too large for different finger positions within a layer; therefore, the finger always retain the same position, so do not access higher or lower. Since here the layers are diatonic, according to the position of the fourth finger in succession to Franz Simandl, the hand in certain keys must also occupy intermediate positions, as according to location " zweieinhalbte, dreieinhalbte " and so on are called.

Since this complexity for non- diatonic music is overdone, begins in parallel to establish a different count corresponding to the plucked instruments in ordinary ( see below).

An indication of the layers is unusual for string instruments, except of course in teaching materials. Layers are implicitly through the fingering indicated ( with Arabic numerals ). Roman numerals on the other hand usually denote the string ( counting from top to bottom ).

History

In its early days the violin in the chest, shoulder or collarbone was held without the chin was used; of these techniques are still common in many folk music. Since it was necessary the left hand in the first place to hold the instrument, its mobility free game situation was hardly restricted possible. Change of position down could only be executed by " creep" by the thumb, index finger and wrist. From the mid-18th century so it was customary to hold the instrument between chin and collarbone more or less fixed, the chin was placed on the left or right of the tailpiece on the ceiling.

The violin literature since the late Baroque provides the game until about the 12th position, in some cases beyond. The portrayal of a contemporary that Vivaldi at position playing with the little finger " only a straw wide to the web " came "that the bow had no place ", but is certainly exaggerated.

1820 led Louis Spohr one a chinrest, which was mounted on the tailpiece and the fixing of the instrument on standing further improved; Today, he is usually attached to the left of the tailpiece.

Filings with the trombone

A similar situation exists with removed the trombone - the train can take there seven different positions, each providing a different Tonvorrat available. This train positions are each a semitone apart.