Re: missing glissando features (bugs?)

[Graham Percival]

On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 10:19:47AM -0600, Carl D. Sorensen wrote:
> 
> On 5/20/09 9:20 AM, "Graham Percival" <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> > Oh, come on!  There's no theoretical maximum frequency of a violin
> > string[1].  Just start on the G string and slide up.  ;)

In case anybody is wondering, the formula for an ideal string is:

f = K / (L - x)

where f is the frequency, K is a constant (depending on the
length, tension, and speed of waves in the medium), L is the
length, and x is the finger position.

To calculate K, play a string with no fingers down (x=0) and
listen to the frequency produced.

> > [1]  Assuming a perfectly elastic string, being excited by an
> > infitesimally narrow bow, with perfectly-controlled bow speed,
> > pressure, and position...
> 
> Don't forget that the fingerboard also needs to reach all the way to the
> bridge!

Nonsense.  You can push down a string without a fingerboard... ok,
granted this *really* makes the "ideal string" calculations
questionable, since you're changing the tension by quite a bit.
But it can certainly be done; I've done it many times on the
cello.

Actually, one book on cello technique book (I think it was
something like "how to play the cello without pain"; I read it
soon after the first time I had tendonitus) actually recommends
this style of playing for *all* notes.  The claim was that pushing
was less natural than pulling, and so you should pull the string
to the left (towards your arm) instead of pushing down (exerting
force perpendicular to the arm/hand plane).

Cheers,
- Graham