Scordatura

The Scordatura or Scordatura (it.: scordare = sway ) is a deviant mood of a stringed instrument. Scordaturas are often applied to the violin and the guitar. The opposite, so each common sentiment, is the Akkordatur or accordatura (it.: according dare = vote ).

Violin

The Scordatura allowed already at low altitudes playing difficult chords and opens up the instrument at the same time other sound possibilities by over-or under tension of the strings. However, can a string do not directly lower by two tones without having to detune immediately at the Akkordatur. This and the development of new finger techniques, the reasons for the abandonment of the art are well have been that comes mainly in the period 1600-1720 are used. During this time, much of the literature for the viola d' amore skordiert was published.

The first one uses the Scordatura on the violin seems to be Biagio Marini. In his Sonata d' Inventione, op 8 (Venice 1629), the violinist, the E string needs throughout the piece around a third to a c down vote. Georg Philipp Telemann used the Scordatura still in some plants and in exceptions Niccolò Paganini, Gustav Mahler, Robert Schumann ( op.47 ) and Igor Stravinsky ( " The Firebird "). Playing corresponding pieces you often holds ready a second or more tuned instruments. To facilitate reading, is recorded in a tablature or tablature type that does not match the sounding tone. The violinist uses the notation accordingly, as in a normal tuned violin, but resound through the Scordatura other sounds.

The best-known musical example from the Baroque music are the Rosary or Mystery Sonatas by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, in which 15 different tunings are used ( see figure above, the violin is in the 1st and the 16th Sonata in standard tuning ).

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart recorded the solo viola part of his " Sinfonia Concertante " in E flat major KV 364 by half a tone lower, ie in D Major, what is most technically much more convenient. The viola is so tuned a semitone higher, which gives it even greater tonal brilliance.

The Scordatura also appears in the folklore tradition; Scottish and Norwegian ( Hardanger ) Fiedler change the mood of the two low strings and thus have matching drones available.