In much of this repertoire, the role of the cello is roughly equivalent to that of the rhythm section (bass guitar and drums) in a pop/rock group. In fact, our most frequent (and simple) use of spiccato is in the accompaniment figures and harmonies of the chamber and symphonic music of the Baroque and Early-Classical Periods. But in pre-Romantic music by contrast, short, separate notes were more predominant than long legato singing lines, especially for the cello whose principal role was originally as an accompanying instrument, rather than as a singing, legato, melodic instrument. The predominance of the lyrical, legato, singing style is very characteristic of the Romantic period. It is not surprising that the more sparkling (and bouncy) character of the French and Italians found a greater need for spiccato than their more solid Germanic neighbours. So, without any historical or musicological research we could hypothesise that in Germany, the bowhold stayed underhand for longer than in France and Italy. Bach’s cello writing on the other hand is perfectly compatible with the underhand bowhold and no real bouncing. It is almost impossible to imagine much of Vivaldi’s cello writing being played with an underhand bowhold (and thus without spiccato). Let’s compare for example the cello-writing style of Vivaldi with that of Bach. The importance of the overhand bowhold in allowing spiccato can be seen in the difference in stylistic character between Germanic Baroque music on the one hand and French/Italian Baroque music on the other. The desire/need for the spiccato bounce is probably one of the main reasons why the cello bowhold changed from the “underhand” viola-da-gamba hold to the “overhand” violin bowhold over the course of the 18th century. Our job is not only to control the bounce but also to use it to our advantage, as an essential component of our bowing toolbox. We have to learn to love (rather than fear) the bow’s natural tendency to bounce. Now we are not only singing but also playing tennis, basketball, ping-pong, jumping on a trampoline, doing gymnastics ……… The bouncing bow adds an enormous amount of variety, character and energy to the musical style and is a hugely important part of all string-players’ right-hand technique. And here, the word “game” is very appropriate, because the bounce really does add an element of “play” to string playing. Introducing the bounce is literally a whole new ball-game (actually a whole new bow-game). In this singing legato style, we make a permanent effort to avoid the bounce, by keeping our bow deeply, smoothly and firmly into the string. In fact, for most people who want to play the cello, it is music of this character that has most inspired our attraction to the instrument. For most people who pick up a cello and start improvising, this is the playing style that comes automatically and unconsciously. Typically, when we think of a cello, we imagine a rich, lyrical, legato, melodic (or harmonic) line. To go straight to Practice Material for Spiccato, click on the highlighted link.
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