Thank you for this clear and easily understood video. I don't play the violin, but I am a composer, and right now I need to know what you're explaining in this video, so I am very glad to find it!
I'm so glad I could help! Thank you for the compliment and I'm very happy that your music includes strings! Please feel free to share your music with me if you have any videos on TH-cam :)
Nice....I had to record myself doing this because of the virus. It was about tenuto and legato. Very informative!!! I got good comments from my teacher thanks to you!!! You have a new subber 🙂
That is fantastic! I'm so happy to hear that. Congratulations on your positive remarks. I'm happy to help in any way I can. Thanks for the subscription :)
Thank you for the video! In writing for strings, I'm not always sure the clearest way to write "play notes full length but with an accent". I've written "legato with accent" but that's probably confusing. Sometimes I think "Marcato" is appropriate, but I assume players may not hold the full value. Would "Tenuto" be the appropriate thing to write or is there something else you've seen for this? Thanks!
That's actually a fantastic question. Here's why: depending on the genre of music, Marcato can take on a note-shortening quality. For example, I have read that jazz players will sometimes shorten Marcato notes. I'm from both worlds having played in jazz band in college but classically trained. If you're writing for classically trained string players, Marcato should indicate to them that each individual note is "accented" heavily but no note shortening happens. If you are writing for long-time jazz violinists, an accent marking may keep the confusion to a minimum. At the risk of this reply being too long, I'll also suggest that the marking you need to use will depend on how many notes you want accented. For example, if you want the entire passage to be played both Marcato but for full note value duration, you could employ Italian markings as follows: "Sempre Marcato e Tenuto". This essentially means, "Always play heavy accents and full note values". That might be the best course for classical players. I hope this helps and sorry for the long response! :)
@@ChrisMcQueenMusic I'm glad I could help! Have a great day and If you feel inclined, feel free to share your music with us if you have any videos on TH-cam now or in the future! :)
@@Musilesson I'm arranging for a string group in Houston called Divisi. They have a bunch of videos, only a few are ones that I've done, here's one: th-cam.com/video/d7BrC-Nj_ME/w-d-xo.html
Hi Alycia!Great question. Remember that there are two recognized definitions of the term "Tenuto". The one that I use most commonly is simply "to hold out the note for it's full value." This means that we neither anticipate the next note nor add our own staccato or shortening of the note. You'd be surprised how often we tend to do this. The other definition involves a form of accent where we intentionally make the note stand out from the notes surrounding it. The reason I don't use this definition much is because if modern composers want me to accent a note, they generally write in a true "accent" marking that looks like this: ">" I hope this helps! Feel free to come back with any further questions :)
Great question! I believe you are referring to what most musicians would call a "Portato". This is a Tenuto line with a staccato dot marking directly underneath it. In this case, it is roughly the cross between a true staccato (short) and a Tenuto interpretation of holding the note for its full value. So you get something in the middle of the road. Not quite staccato, but not quite tenuto either. I describe it as a "lingering staccato", a note 50% shorter than the full value. I hope this helps!
Thank you for the video! I now have a better understanding for the difference between legato and tenuto but what is the difference between tenuto and simply no accent? :)
Tenuto is a directive. When there is no accent, musicians can argue that it is up for interpretation. When the Tenuto marking is present, there is no question what the composer wants to hear. I hope this helps and thanks for the question!
@@spressi Not being a vocalist, I can only infer, but it would seem that you would be correct. When used, the note should be held for it's full value, for the specified count. This helps me out as well as I admit ignorance when it comes to vocal notation haha!
I know I'm a bit late but I'm kinda struggling to see the difference between Tenuto and no marking at all like, are every basic note Tenuto by default? For instance, I'm gonna learn Dance of the Knights and it's filled with those Tenuto, but why go through the hassle of writing these down? Is there an audible difference? Thank you to anyone clarifying!
You're not late at all! Thanks for commenting! Yes, so there's two schools of thought on this and you'll get different answers depending on who you ask. One is to assume that everyone holds the notes out for full length as they are written on the page. But some musicians don't. Perhaps they were mostly ear trained, or they play other genres where written directions aren't as important, so they get out of the habit of naturally holding notes for full value. In that case, I take the tenuto as a directive for the player to know that the note must be played for full value (this is purely an explanation that I think of when I ask myself the question you have). However, there is another school of thought that plays tenuto as an emphasized note. How emphasized? That's the question. If it's too emphasized, it basically becomes an accent. So therein lies the quandary we face. If you play the note full value, you're always going to be safe. However, it's not a bad idea to get clarification from either your instructor or conductor as to whether or not they would like emphasis on the note(s) that are "tenuto". I hope this helps!
@@Musilesson thank you so much for making it even clearer! It is really appreciated. Before reading your comment I had my theory that Tenuto was a tool for composers to prevent some unwanted interpretations of their piece from future conductors XD. Your explanation makes waaay more sense tho, thank you again!
If you are referring to the dots that sometimes sit on top of or below the head of a note, those are staccato markings. Does that answer your question?
It's more like saying that the note is held for it's full time. For example, let's say a quarter note's time value is 1 second, the Tenuto marking means that you should play the quarter note for it's full 1 second, without shortening that time. Sometimes, as players, we inadvertently shorten the duration of a note. The Tenuto marking reminds us not to shorten the note value. So sometimes it means the note is longer, but it doesn't change the type of note that the Tenuto sits on. In other words, a quarter note is still a quarter note, etc. I hope this helps!
What are your thoughts on notation of legato VS bow markings? I often see they are one in the same with notation. Also, how would you differentiate between a series of tenuto VS a series of legato notes? I'm a young composer working on arranging for orchestra. Thanks!
Hi Alex! In practice, Legato and bow markings can be identical. However, I have found that when composing for players, bow markings are most commonly used in modern music to denote smooth, imperceptible transitions from note to note. This is because the most smooth articulation a violinist can make is playing two notes in the same bow direction. It should be noted that with professional and advanced players, they will be more likely to achieve fluid legato bowing even with re-articulation, so writing "legato" could theoretically achieve imperceptibly smooth transitions. If you're writing for young students or youth orchestras, slurs may be the better choice for imperceptible note transitions. Legato and Tenuto aren't identical. Legato is direction on how notes should sound while Tenuto traditionally deals with the duration of the note. Think of Tenuto as the opposite of Staccato as Staccato means to play the note short while Tenuto means to hold it for it's full duration. Tenuto is denoted with a horizontal line either above or below the head of the note. Did this help? Let me know if you have any further questions. -Josh
Hi Mitch! Great question. Legato will be marked either with the word "Legato" or as "slur" markings. Tenuto has a short horizontal line directly on top of or underneath the note where the Tenuto is to be applied. I will specify that this is specifically for violin and other classical stringed instruments.
@@Musilesson In terms of actual bowing, does Tenuto suggest that you can hear the bow changes where Legato means to make them as imperceptable as possible? Thanks.
@@mitchrosefelt8918 In application, that is a reasonable assessment, yes. The consensus among the violin community is that Tenuto simply means "to hold the note for its full value." But some feel we should add a small amount of weight to differentiate the Tenuto from the non-Tenuto notes surrounding it. My personal opinion is that Tenuto is a detache bowing, so I don't mind if it's noticeably separate from the next note, but the duration of the note will be the full duration of whatever note on which the Tenuto rests (like a quarter/half/whole note etc.) Just remember to keep the Tenuto bow very evenly weighted, if it's a long note duration.
Great question. First and foremost, in the school of thought in which I was instructed, Tenuto is a duration marking, so regardless of the type of note the Tenuto marking is on, playing Tenuto simply means that you will connect each note. No space between them. Normally, this becomes more important the slower the tempo of the song. However, don't neglect Tenuto on faster tempos, as the performance may sound more staccato if your notes are not connecting. Did that answer your question? Please let me know and if not, I'll elaborate further. :)
@@Hi-sw6nn Sure! Multiple notes will not be played with one bow, they will be played separate bows unless a slur is written above them. So when we play Tenuto, "connecting" simply means keeping the bow moving for the full duration of the note. For example, if a quarter note has a Tenuto marking above it, you would make sure to hold that note out by keeping the bow moving as long as the metronome tells you that note lasts. Once the next note's beat begins, you would move on and play it. Essentially, "connecting" notes with Tenuto markings just means that you leave no music-less space between the notes. You'll always be playing something. However, be sure that you don't play a note longer than it's value. Does that help?
It's not the same technically, but Martele is a form of Detache bowing. Think of Detache as the building block, and martele the variation of the building block. That's a bit over simplified though. Martele is a strong, almost hammer like strike on the string that is detached, and generally alternating in bow direction between notes. So Martele is Detache, but Detache is not necessarily Martele as Detache can be smooth and without the hammer like strike. I hope this helps!
Hi there! Tenuto is odd because it's a symbol that tells us what not to do rather than tells us what to do. In other words, when Tenuto is written, we DO NOT play staccato, or in any way shorten the note from it's full duration. Quarter notes get their full count. Half notes, whole notes, and any other note duration is to be held for at least as long as the count for each note. You may even hold the note out slightly longer than normal, depending on the piece and the direction of your conductor in orchestra. It can also mean that the note receives a little more emphasis or "oomph" than notes without the marking. So you can slightly increase volume while playing the Tenuto note. Best to ask your instructor for verification on their preferred usage.
Thank you so much! That's not a problem. I'm sorry for the language barrier, but thankfully music is the universal language. Please let me know if there are any subject I can help you with!
Yep! I play violin left handed due to an early childhood injury. It was either play left handed or don't play at all so my choice was clear haha. The violin I am playing in the video was made in Germany for me since it's hard to find a true left handed instrument in local shops.
Thank you! I am adding your suggestion to my list of videos to make. To help me in creating a helpful video for you, did you have any specific chords in mind?
Detache is the default up/down alternate bowing pattern. Depending on whose definition you use, Tenuto means to either add emphasis to the note, or to play with a connecting flow and hold the note for its full value. It can be confusing and I hope this helps you! :)
Very strange, I agree! I'm a left handed violinist. I started righty but after three months I had to change to left handed due to an injury. It's been a wild ride! :)
Dmitry Lubenskiy Hi there Dmitry! Thanks for the comment! Would you be able to further explain what you don't understand, or how I'm playing it incorrectly? I'd love to discuss your thoughts :)
Musilesson Thank you for reply. Legato - is when you play several notes with one bow direction. If you play each note changing now direction, then it is not a legato. Or I messed something from your video? Second thing is that the sound itself depends on right hand very much.
Dmitry Lubenskiy Hi Dmitry! You are correct, the right hand(bowing hand) plays the pivotal roll in making a smooth bow. And slurs(multiple notes per bow direction) are indeed legato. However, unlike other instruments, legato on the violin allows for re-articulation, which means we can indeed change the bow direction and still achieve the definition of legato, which is a smooth, connected feel. So slurs are legato, but playing legato doesn't require slurs. I didn't go over the full how-to of achieving legato in this video as that will be in a different video. But briefly, the fingers will extend and contract throughout the bow stroke to keep the bow from creating any sound that denotes a change in bow direction. Thus, we make that smooth, connected sound and feel. I hope this helps!
Musilesson I have played violin for 14 years. Maybe we have different school.. we change bow direction only when a note is such long that you don’t have such long bow to play it :-).otherwise, if we change direction, we start “new” legato.
Dmitry Lubenskiy Hi Dmitry! No worries! Yes I think we are talking about different techniques. What you are describing sounds like a "slur"(which is an example of legato) where each note is tied together in the music by a curved line connecting. With this technique, we don't change bows during the note passage. However, a legato passage doesn't have to be slurred to achieve the desired Legato sound. Remember that the definition of Legato is playing with a "smooth and connected sound" where one cannot perceive the changes in pitch. My own experience playing violin for the past 26 years has led me to see pieces of music where "Legato" was written, but there were no slurs to be played. It's more of a marking that directs how you transition between notes than it is a command on bowing and direction.
Thank you for this clear and easily understood video. I don't play the violin, but I am a composer, and right now I need to know what you're explaining in this video, so I am very glad to find it!
I'm so glad I could help! Thank you for the compliment and I'm very happy that your music includes strings! Please feel free to share your music with me if you have any videos on TH-cam :)
Nice....I had to record myself doing this because of the virus. It was about tenuto and legato. Very informative!!! I got good comments from my teacher thanks to you!!! You have a new subber 🙂
That is fantastic! I'm so happy to hear that. Congratulations on your positive remarks. I'm happy to help in any way I can. Thanks for the subscription :)
very clear video, what about spicatto?
Thanks for watching and I'm glad you asked. Check out this video from us here: th-cam.com/video/XBMjhLf0juQ/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for the video! In writing for strings, I'm not always sure the clearest way to write "play notes full length but with an accent". I've written "legato with accent" but that's probably confusing. Sometimes I think "Marcato" is appropriate, but I assume players may not hold the full value. Would "Tenuto" be the appropriate thing to write or is there something else you've seen for this? Thanks!
That's actually a fantastic question. Here's why: depending on the genre of music, Marcato can take on a note-shortening quality. For example, I have read that jazz players will sometimes shorten Marcato notes. I'm from both worlds having played in jazz band in college but classically trained. If you're writing for classically trained string players, Marcato should indicate to them that each individual note is "accented" heavily but no note shortening happens. If you are writing for long-time jazz violinists, an accent marking may keep the confusion to a minimum. At the risk of this reply being too long, I'll also suggest that the marking you need to use will depend on how many notes you want accented. For example, if you want the entire passage to be played both Marcato but for full note value duration, you could employ Italian markings as follows: "Sempre Marcato e Tenuto". This essentially means, "Always play heavy accents and full note values". That might be the best course for classical players. I hope this helps and sorry for the long response! :)
Musilesson Awesome thank you! Never too much information, and all of that makes sense 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
@@ChrisMcQueenMusic I'm glad I could help! Have a great day and If you feel inclined, feel free to share your music with us if you have any videos on TH-cam now or in the future! :)
@@Musilesson I'm arranging for a string group in Houston called Divisi. They have a bunch of videos, only a few are ones that I've done, here's one: th-cam.com/video/d7BrC-Nj_ME/w-d-xo.html
How do you play with tenuto within slurred Bows?
Hi Alycia!Great question. Remember that there are two recognized definitions of the term "Tenuto". The one that I use most commonly is simply "to hold out the note for it's full value." This means that we neither anticipate the next note nor add our own staccato or shortening of the note. You'd be surprised how often we tend to do this. The other definition involves a form of accent where we intentionally make the note stand out from the notes surrounding it. The reason I don't use this definition much is because if modern composers want me to accent a note, they generally write in a true "accent" marking that looks like this: ">" I hope this helps! Feel free to come back with any further questions :)
What is the bow stroke denoted by both a dot and line above a note as in Suzuki v. 6 La Folia?
Great question! I believe you are referring to what most musicians would call a "Portato". This is a Tenuto line with a staccato dot marking directly underneath it. In this case, it is roughly the cross between a true staccato (short) and a Tenuto interpretation of holding the note for its full value. So you get something in the middle of the road. Not quite staccato, but not quite tenuto either. I describe it as a "lingering staccato", a note 50% shorter than the full value. I hope this helps!
@@Musilesson Thanks.
Great video, clear examples. It would be helpful if you would put chapter markings in the video.
Very good suggestion! I'll be looking into it. This video went live before the chapter markings were available but I will be working on it. Thank you!
@@Musilesson I had guessed that, looking at the upload date ;-)
@@jacobras Definitely a great suggestion though. I genuinely appreciate your input!
Thank you for the video! I now have a better understanding for the difference between legato and tenuto but what is the difference between tenuto and simply no accent? :)
Tenuto is a directive. When there is no accent, musicians can argue that it is up for interpretation. When the Tenuto marking is present, there is no question what the composer wants to hear. I hope this helps and thanks for the question!
@@Musilesson Ah, I see. So it is similar to a "no breath" instruction for singers :)
@@spressi Not being a vocalist, I can only infer, but it would seem that you would be correct. When used, the note should be held for it's full value, for the specified count. This helps me out as well as I admit ignorance when it comes to vocal notation haha!
I know I'm a bit late but I'm kinda struggling to see the difference between Tenuto and no marking at all like, are every basic note Tenuto by default? For instance, I'm gonna learn Dance of the Knights and it's filled with those Tenuto, but why go through the hassle of writing these down? Is there an audible difference? Thank you to anyone clarifying!
You're not late at all! Thanks for commenting! Yes, so there's two schools of thought on this and you'll get different answers depending on who you ask. One is to assume that everyone holds the notes out for full length as they are written on the page. But some musicians don't. Perhaps they were mostly ear trained, or they play other genres where written directions aren't as important, so they get out of the habit of naturally holding notes for full value. In that case, I take the tenuto as a directive for the player to know that the note must be played for full value (this is purely an explanation that I think of when I ask myself the question you have). However, there is another school of thought that plays tenuto as an emphasized note. How emphasized? That's the question. If it's too emphasized, it basically becomes an accent. So therein lies the quandary we face. If you play the note full value, you're always going to be safe. However, it's not a bad idea to get clarification from either your instructor or conductor as to whether or not they would like emphasis on the note(s) that are "tenuto". I hope this helps!
@@Musilesson thank you so much for making it even clearer! It is really appreciated. Before reading your comment I had my theory that Tenuto was a tool for composers to prevent some unwanted interpretations of their piece from future conductors XD. Your explanation makes waaay more sense tho, thank you again!
@@MathMith My pleasure! I'm happy to help!
What do the points mean above the note or below it? What do we call them? Thank you in advanced.
If you are referring to the dots that sometimes sit on top of or below the head of a note, those are staccato markings. Does that answer your question?
@@Musilesson yes, thank you for having time to respond my question.
@@HeyU837 My pleasure! Best of luck!
Is the way to play the tenuto the note is held so that the note is longer?
It's more like saying that the note is held for it's full time. For example, let's say a quarter note's time value is 1 second, the Tenuto marking means that you should play the quarter note for it's full 1 second, without shortening that time. Sometimes, as players, we inadvertently shorten the duration of a note. The Tenuto marking reminds us not to shorten the note value. So sometimes it means the note is longer, but it doesn't change the type of note that the Tenuto sits on. In other words, a quarter note is still a quarter note, etc. I hope this helps!
How do I distinguish between Grand detaché and spiccato ( on sheet music ) since they have the same sign ( a dot ) .. Thanks a lot 🌹
THANK YOU!! Really helped!! Awesome account btw!❤️
My pleasure! I'm glad I could help!
Very informational. You just gained a new subscriber!
Thanks so much! Welcome and happy to have you watching here at Musilesson :)
What are your thoughts on notation of legato VS bow markings? I often see they are one in the same with notation. Also, how would you differentiate between a series of tenuto VS a series of legato notes? I'm a young composer working on arranging for orchestra. Thanks!
Hi Alex! In practice, Legato and bow markings can be identical. However, I have found that when composing for players, bow markings are most commonly used in modern music to denote smooth, imperceptible transitions from note to note. This is because the most smooth articulation a violinist can make is playing two notes in the same bow direction. It should be noted that with professional and advanced players, they will be more likely to achieve fluid legato bowing even with re-articulation, so writing "legato" could theoretically achieve imperceptibly smooth transitions. If you're writing for young students or youth orchestras, slurs may be the better choice for imperceptible note transitions. Legato and Tenuto aren't identical. Legato is direction on how notes should sound while Tenuto traditionally deals with the duration of the note. Think of Tenuto as the opposite of Staccato as Staccato means to play the note short while Tenuto means to hold it for it's full duration. Tenuto is denoted with a horizontal line either above or below the head of the note. Did this help? Let me know if you have any further questions. -Josh
Thanks for the lesson.
How would you differentialte Legato and Tenuto?
Hi Mitch! Great question. Legato will be marked either with the word "Legato" or as "slur" markings. Tenuto has a short horizontal line directly on top of or underneath the note where the Tenuto is to be applied. I will specify that this is specifically for violin and other classical stringed instruments.
@@Musilesson In terms of actual bowing, does Tenuto suggest that you can hear the bow changes where Legato means to make them as imperceptable as possible?
Thanks.
@@mitchrosefelt8918 In application, that is a reasonable assessment, yes. The consensus among the violin community is that Tenuto simply means "to hold the note for its full value." But some feel we should add a small amount of weight to differentiate the Tenuto from the non-Tenuto notes surrounding it. My personal opinion is that Tenuto is a detache bowing, so I don't mind if it's noticeably separate from the next note, but the duration of the note will be the full duration of whatever note on which the Tenuto rests (like a quarter/half/whole note etc.) Just remember to keep the Tenuto bow very evenly weighted, if it's a long note duration.
@@Musilesson Great. Thanks for taking the time to clear that up!
@@mitchrosefelt8918 Glad to help!
how would you play tenuto on violin with sixteen notes?
Great question. First and foremost, in the school of thought in which I was instructed, Tenuto is a duration marking, so regardless of the type of note the Tenuto marking is on, playing Tenuto simply means that you will connect each note. No space between them. Normally, this becomes more important the slower the tempo of the song. However, don't neglect Tenuto on faster tempos, as the performance may sound more staccato if your notes are not connecting. Did that answer your question? Please let me know and if not, I'll elaborate further. :)
Musilesson Could you elaborate on the connecting notes part?
@@Hi-sw6nn Sure! Multiple notes will not be played with one bow, they will be played separate bows unless a slur is written above them. So when we play Tenuto, "connecting" simply means keeping the bow moving for the full duration of the note. For example, if a quarter note has a Tenuto marking above it, you would make sure to hold that note out by keeping the bow moving as long as the metronome tells you that note lasts. Once the next note's beat begins, you would move on and play it. Essentially, "connecting" notes with Tenuto markings just means that you leave no music-less space between the notes. You'll always be playing something. However, be sure that you don't play a note longer than it's value. Does that help?
Musilesson Yes, thank you!
@@Hi-sw6nn Glad I could help!
Is detached the same as Martele?
It's not the same technically, but Martele is a form of Detache bowing. Think of Detache as the building block, and martele the variation of the building block. That's a bit over simplified though. Martele is a strong, almost hammer like strike on the string that is detached, and generally alternating in bow direction between notes. So Martele is Detache, but Detache is not necessarily Martele as Detache can be smooth and without the hammer like strike. I hope this helps!
Im still confused on tenuto :( I have a seating audition coming up and I don’t know how to play the notes that are supposed to be tenuto
Hi there! Tenuto is odd because it's a symbol that tells us what not to do rather than tells us what to do. In other words, when Tenuto is written, we DO NOT play staccato, or in any way shorten the note from it's full duration. Quarter notes get their full count. Half notes, whole notes, and any other note duration is to be held for at least as long as the count for each note. You may even hold the note out slightly longer than normal, depending on the piece and the direction of your conductor in orchestra. It can also mean that the note receives a little more emphasis or "oomph" than notes without the marking. So you can slightly increase volume while playing the Tenuto note. Best to ask your instructor for verification on their preferred usage.
Musilesson thanks! I understand tenuto more!
Glad to be of help!
wow, this video is awesome!! that's a shame that I still don't understand 100% of English...
Thank you so much! That's not a problem. I'm sorry for the language barrier, but thankfully music is the universal language. Please let me know if there are any subject I can help you with!
Thanks very clearly exlaination
Glad I could help!
The violin is even made fo a left handed violinist. You can tell because the chin rest is on the right side of the violin.
Yep! I play violin left handed due to an early childhood injury. It was either play left handed or don't play at all so my choice was clear haha. The violin I am playing in the video was made in Germany for me since it's hard to find a true left handed instrument in local shops.
And you are magician..this is extremely 🎻elpfull man..please do a viddo on chords
Thank you! I am adding your suggestion to my list of videos to make. To help me in creating a helpful video for you, did you have any specific chords in mind?
ok, thank you!
I couldnt understand the difference between detache and tuneto
Detache is the default up/down alternate bowing pattern. Depending on whose definition you use, Tenuto means to either add emphasis to the note, or to play with a connecting flow and hold the note for its full value. It can be confusing and I hope this helps you! :)
Thanks!
Gertz S. da Palma Glad I could help!
Bow in left or right hand? Weird.
Very strange, I agree! I'm a left handed violinist. I started righty but after three months I had to change to left handed due to an injury. It's been a wild ride! :)
Your definition of legato is absolutely wrong. I mean you play it wrong way.
Dmitry Lubenskiy Hi there Dmitry! Thanks for the comment! Would you be able to further explain what you don't understand, or how I'm playing it incorrectly? I'd love to discuss your thoughts :)
Musilesson Thank you for reply. Legato - is when you play several notes with one bow direction. If you play each note changing now direction, then it is not a legato. Or I messed something from your video? Second thing is that the sound itself depends on right hand very much.
Dmitry Lubenskiy Hi Dmitry! You are correct, the right hand(bowing hand) plays the pivotal roll in making a smooth bow. And slurs(multiple notes per bow direction) are indeed legato. However, unlike other instruments, legato on the violin allows for re-articulation, which means we can indeed change the bow direction and still achieve the definition of legato, which is a smooth, connected feel. So slurs are legato, but playing legato doesn't require slurs. I didn't go over the full how-to of achieving legato in this video as that will be in a different video. But briefly, the fingers will extend and contract throughout the bow stroke to keep the bow from creating any sound that denotes a change in bow direction. Thus, we make that smooth, connected sound and feel. I hope this helps!
Musilesson I have played violin for 14 years. Maybe we have different school.. we change bow direction only when a note is such long that you don’t have such long bow to play it :-).otherwise, if we change direction, we start “new” legato.
Dmitry Lubenskiy Hi Dmitry! No worries! Yes I think we are talking about different techniques. What you are describing sounds like a "slur"(which is an example of legato) where each note is tied together in the music by a curved line connecting. With this technique, we don't change bows during the note passage. However, a legato passage doesn't have to be slurred to achieve the desired Legato sound. Remember that the definition of Legato is playing with a "smooth and connected sound" where one cannot perceive the changes in pitch. My own experience playing violin for the past 26 years has led me to see pieces of music where "Legato" was written, but there were no slurs to be played. It's more of a marking that directs how you transition between notes than it is a command on bowing and direction.
I didn't understand what you said..🤣🤣