Vienna Symphonic Library Forum
Forum Statistics

194,976 users have contributed to 42,946 threads and 258,055 posts.

In the past 24 hours, we have 8 new thread(s), 24 new post(s) and 95 new user(s).

  • What is slurred in legato in synchron strings?

    When a string player slurs notes, they are played in the same bow stroke. Does that mean that the first note in a slurred legato passage or after a pause in the slurred legato patch is starting with a new bow stroke? Because if the first note is a sampled note in the middle of a bow stroke, that's impossible in real life.

    Also the length of a slur affects dynamics, but I guess the patch doesn't take account of that?


  • Yes, the first note will be a starting note. We even recorded different variations on some string libraries.


    VSL Team | Product Specialist & Media Editing
  • Thank you.

    Just to be clear, I'm not talkng about regular legato, which you have highlighted in the graphic, but slurred legato, lower down (D#).

    So what is the difference between legato and slurred legato here?


  • last edited
    last edited

    Hello Belkin
    Legato articulation means that a new note is played in the strings, for example, without changing the direction of the bow at the same time. This means that, for example, tapping the other finger on the fingerboard produces a kind of intermediate note before the new note is permanently installed. If all the strings in an orchestra play very precisely, the result is a clear, short "transition tone".
    If the strings play less precisely, the transition notes sound "blurred" (not clearly defined) - which is referred to as "slurred".

    Attached are two examples - 1x normal + 1x slurred

    • Here you can clearly hear the transition tone (finger tapping)
      In the 2nd recording you can hear "slurred" not so clearly - nevertheless...
    • Here you can hear that there are several players. The first time the normal legato articulation is used. The second time the slurred articulation is used. The precision sounds much more "washed out".

    All the best

    Beat

    Addition:

    There are libraries where slurred can be heard even more clearly - e.g. in the Elite Strings library

    • (played in p....)

    - Tips & Tricks while using Samples of VSL.. see at: https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/vitutorials/ - Tutorial "Mixing an Orchestra": https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/mixing-an-orchestra/
  • @Beat-Kaufmann said:

    Hello Belkin
    Legato articulation means that a new note is played in the strings, for example, without changing the direction of the bow at the same time. This means that, for example, tapping the other finger on the fingerboard produces a kind of intermediate note before the new note is permanently installed. If all the strings in an orchestra play very precisely, the result is a clear, short "transition tone".
    If the strings play less precisely, the transition notes sound "blurred" (not clearly defined) - which is referred to as "slurred".


    Attached are two examples - 1x normal + 1x slurred



    • Here you can clearly hear the transition tone (finger tapping)
      In the 2nd recording you can hear "slurred" not so clearly - nevertheless...

    • Here you can hear that there are several players. The first time the normal legato articulation is used. The second time the slurred articulation is used. The precision sounds much more "washed out".


    All the best


    Beat



    Addition:


    There are libraries where slurred can be heard even more clearly - e.g. in the Elite Strings library



    • (played in p....)

    Thank you. My last question has to do with what happens when we start a new phrase, say after a long silence. I assume the slurred articulations have the first note as the bow comes down on it cleanly, since there is no "transition sound"?


  • All ok, questions answered, thank you.


  • @belkina said:
    since there is no "transition sound"?

    Correct. And as you can see in the player image above, you also can select different starting (attack-) articulations, such as "normal, soft, fast, sfz...". The attack articulation therefore applies to the first note with which a group of connected notes (with legato) begins.

    Have fun

    Beat


    - Tips & Tricks while using Samples of VSL.. see at: https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/vitutorials/ - Tutorial "Mixing an Orchestra": https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/mixing-an-orchestra/