Topmusicanswers
- How do you notate bowed Crotales?
- How to play bowed vibraphone?
- How do you notate a bowed marimba?
- How to bend pitch on vibraphone?
How do you notate bowed Crotales?
There are two right answers, both of which are simple and familiar to anyone who has written for string instruments. The first, a simple technique marking specifying “Arco”. The second, an up bow marking above the bowed note. If using the former, be sure to instruct the player to go back to mallets when/if necessary.
How to play bowed vibraphone?
To bow a vibraphone bar, draw the bow vertically across the extended edge of the bar. Experiment with the amount of pressure used to hold the bow against the bar, with the speed at which you draw the bow, and with the tension of the bow itself.
How do you notate a bowed marimba?
It's fine and standard just to write arco or some equivalent in another language (just writing "bowed" is also fine). See this page for more stuff on marimba techniques.
How to bend pitch on vibraphone?
After first striking the middle of a bar with a soft mallet in the normal manner, the pitch bend is obtained by pressing a hard mallet onto the bar at a nodal point and then sliding it away from the node as the note sustains. The audible result is a descending pitch, typically of about one semitone.
