Stopping basses in Sor

[Robert Barto]

Please excuse me if this has already been discussed here.

Does Sor say in his method exactly how he stops basses for rests or articulation? I haven't found this info easily and don't feel like wading through every word.  I know he says he dampens (etoufée) with the left hand but does he mention specifically basses anywhere? Thanks.

[Robert Barto]

Thanks for this Cogg.

For the moment I was more concerned if Sor said anything about this himself. I looked through the English version of his method again and didn't find anything. I'm putting a lot of energy to get the right and left hand fingerings the way he seems to recommend and I just want to make sure I'm not overlooking other things he might mention.

The piece I was working on which caused me to ask was op.31 #19 with all the rests in the bass. If he doesn't mention otherwise, then I guess any free finger on any hand will have to do. This may be obvious, but Sor is very particular about so many other things.

[Robert Barto]

Cogg,

Here is the first page of this study from the Coste version of Sor's method. Should clear up questions of 1s and 4s.

Methods of damping are many and perhaps too detailed for the moment. I do think that any free finger is a candidate.

[Ken Hartdegen]

Hello Bob

I know I am joining this a year late (having only just joined the network). Sor writes at p. 18 of the English Method:

"For staccato sounds, also, I do not more employ the right hand, but I merely cease pressing the finger-board with the left hand, without quitting the string as soon as it has been played: I do not impose this task on the whole hand, the thumb alone answering the purpose, by a slight effort almost imperceptible." 

In the context of op. 31 # 19 some of the difficulties are sorted by playing the bass A on the sixth string (not indicated except perhaps by the rest). So at bar 3, placing the barre on the e on the upbeat automatically stops the low E; the same for the bass A at bar 8 using the barre to stop the high a. The other technique he uses is fast stroking of the right thumb over two or more strings which he says he does often (nowhere indicated either). He specifies pipi for the fast notes but I think some of the fast notes may be mimi (for example from the upbeat to bar 25). Sorry for this late reply.... 

[Marek Cupak]

Hi there,
my suggestion is, if the note is fretted, try just releasing it. If it is an open string, damp either with plucking hand - usually thumb, or use any free fretting hand finger.
When damping with PH thumb, I prefer to do so with its tip - just plant it as it would pluck again, although it must not necessarily be its tip.

(a right-handed player's plucking hand is that on the right, fretting hand on the left - I'm not a left-handed player but still...)

[Ken Hartdegen]

Hi, I think the question was what does Sor say he did? Modern technique involves all kinds of solutions as you suggest. We are not looking for personal solutions, whether Sor left us a solution. My point is that Sor uses note duration notation as one fingering device, so the short bases can be solved by using barre = that is using the stopping hand as you suggest. Or by putting a barre back on to stop a previously played bass....