String players are going to change whatever bowings you put in the music anyway, so you should leave them out, unless there are a couple you really, absolutely want done a specific way (and even then, they're gonna get changed, you can count on it.)
Make your phrasing clear from your slurs and other markings and leave the bowings up to the performers.
Daniel Dorff wrote: I don't think there is any right or wrong answer here beyond "it depends." Some orchestras/concertmasters like getting already-bowed parts, and some don't; you can't anticipate who'll play the piece next.
Raymond Horton wrote: I have found that overworked string principals LOVE it when there are good, or even pretty good, bowings already in the parts. They do change some of them (usually in rehearsal), but it makes all their work much easier. Printed bowings are quite easy to mark over in pencil (easier than erasing old pencil and remarking). And printed bowings only have to be typed in once, while penciled bowings have to be copied by hand into every part.
And I write:
Ray has it right. Any orchestra, concertmaster or section leader is delighted to get ready-bowed parts WHEN THE BOWINGS MAKE SENSE AND WORK! They don't change the bowings just to make more work for themselves, or to spite the composer. They change them when they don't serve the music. Yes, there may be some ideosyncratic concertmasters who like to do certain things in certain ways, and there may be conductors who ask for phrasing that the printed bowing doesn't support, but if the bowings work for the music and for the players and for the phrasing, they will be happy to use them. And it generally takes about 10 seconds to decide whether the bowings make sense or not.
David is right, though, if you don't know how to bow string parts. But the worst thing you can do is to leave out all slurs and bowings altogether. At least indicate your intentions. If you write all separate notes, they will play all separate notes, and if that isn't your intention then at least give them a clue.
John
-- John & Susie Howell Virginia Tech Department of Music Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240 Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
