Grandjany’s harmonics notation

[Loonatik]

Just like to know what other ways to play this kind of passage… where notes are written with a mix of harmonics.
Also wondering what exactly is the effect Grandjany is trying to create here. Any insights?

[Loonatik]

No idea how to turn this image around…

[Donna O]

If you click on the image it comes up in the correct orientation.

[Sam Karlinski]

Your title is asking this question in terms of notation, but your actual question sounds like you might be asking how one is actually supposed to play this. Is this about notation or technique? If it’s notation, anytime you come across an interval with only one circle above it, the upper note is played as a harmonic, and the lower is played as normal.

Technique wise, to accomplish this you play the harmonic as normal, but reach with any other finger (usually 2 or 3) to grab the lower note at the same time. The right hand must use left hand harmonic technique to accomplish this.

[Tacye]

In contrast to Sam, I play the right hand harmonics with normal right hand position and 3 or 4 playing the natural note. Sometimes in such passages I need to change the left hand from my usual damping the harmonic with the side of the hand to damping with the base of the thumb.

[carl-swanson]

What is this piece anyway? I’ve never seen it. I would tend to agree with Tacye that the right hand is a harmonic on the upper note and the lower one is plucked. But I’ve never seen this before.

[Tacye]

Handel’s Sarabande – it is in Music for the Harp.

We all agree the upper note is harmonic and the lower plucked – the variation is whether we would turn the right hand to use the same technique as the left hand, which I would for playing both notes harmonic, but not for this.

[Loonatik]

So you’d play natural/harmonics on the right hand, but doing the same for the left hand? or complete harmonics on the left hand?

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

I use Sibelius software, and it will only write one circle above a harmonic chord, even if you want to indicate both notes to be played as harmonics. This creates a real problem of clarity! In this example, though, the bass line’s bottom notes are clearly too far away to be played as harmonics. So the answer is that the top note is a harmonic and the bottom note is not, in both lines.

[Loonatik]

Thank you all for your guiding responses.

Maybe one last question… if notes are not all being played as harmonics, are both notes then expected to played simultaneously? …or slightly broken?

Just asking as I am facing similar challenge with another piece in this book, which is the Bransles.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

They are to be played simultaneously, unless otherwise indicated or impossible.

[carl-swanson]

WHAT PIECE IS THIS?????

[Loonatik]

Handel’s Sarabande.
From Music for the Harp.

[patricia-jaeger]

Elizabeth,
In Sibelius, find an arrangement you have saved, where there is a chord of two notes where you could experiment, but not save, putting two circles, one above the other, indicating harmonics, above or below that chord. Select one of the notes . Click on Create. Click on Symbols. In Symbols scroll down to the section on Articulation. Choose the small circle, and send it to the chord on your screen, placing it correctly. Repeat these actions after selecting the other chord- note on the page, and send that circle to the chord also. You will find you can add two or even more of these harmonic indications. 🙂

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

Thanks, Patricia! I should have thought of that!

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