Slightly detached

[gapiro]

Simply put, what does playing slightly detached mean? It's in a show I'm doing but have no idea of how I'm meant to articulate it!

[Trueno]

I assume from the fact that you've been overwhelmed by replies that no-one else has a clue either. Seems to me like "not rock solid". I made an assumption it was to do with timing, but you mention articulation, which may be a better bet.

I'll make a bit of a guess and say that: as this is an instruction meant to aid your interpretation of this piece of music, then do just that. Bear it in mind and go along with it, depending on the piece of music itself, until it sounds good to you.

[TKenrick]

Any more detail about the actual part - what note values are you playing at that point?

In terms of articulation, you could interpret it as being the mid-point between playing staccato and playing the full note value; this is easiest to play when you're dealing with crotchets (although it depends on tempo, obviously!).

I hear Anthony Jackson play what I'd term 'slightly detached' lines, where each note is strongly articulated but not staccato, the notes sound full but there's a bit of room between them. Check out his line on the chorus of Chaka Khan's 'Clouds' (from 16 seconds in):

[media]http://youtu.be/xADrCKYUE[/media]

And again on 'Our Love's In Danger' (from 16 seconds in again):

[media]http://youtu.be/_SkCsW90g0U[/media]

[gapiro]

[quote name='TKenrick' timestamp='1487156998' post='3237553']
Any more detail about the actual part - what note values are you playing at that point?
[/quote]
I've attached from the score - its "Go West" in Priscilla (Queen of the desert)
[quote name='TKenrick' timestamp='1487156998' post='3237553']
In terms of articulation, you could interpret it as being the mid-point between playing staccato and playing the full note value; this is easiest to play when you're dealing with crotchets (although it depends on tempo, obviously!).
[/quote]
This seems sensible as the mark is basically a tenuto combined with a staccato.

[Higgie]

I've always interpreted it as somewhere between staccato and full value. You can usually 'feel' where the note should end, to give the next note it's full attack.

[scalpy]

Oo, Priscilla, I've got that show in October, is it any good? Just had the roasting of legally blonde and want every show to be as much of a challenge!

Slightly detached means there needs to be a fraction of silence inveteeen the notes. A slight lift of the fretting hand usually creates the desired effect.

[gapiro]

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1487372714' post='3239453']
Oo, Priscilla, I've got that show in October, is it any good? Just had the roasting of legally blonde and want every show to be as much of a challenge!

Slightly detached means there needs to be a fraction of silence inveteeen the notes. A slight lift of the fretting hand usually creates the desired effect.
[/quote]
Not massively challenging, but full on. I've not done legally blonde so can't compare, but definitely easier than hairspray. There's 36 pieces in it and is just constant. Sounds great with a good horn section though, a good portion n of it is standard function tunes. (endless amounts of I will survive!)

[scalpy]

[quote name='gapiro' timestamp='1487405740' post='3239503']

Not massively challenging, but full on. I've not done legally blonde so can't compare, but definitely easier than hairspray. There's 36 pieces in it and is just constant. Sounds great with a good horn section though, a good portion n of it is standard function tunes. (endless amounts of I will survive!)
[/quote]

Thank you, I've missed Hairspray somehow so no true comparison yet! Pleased some interesting shows for bass players are becoming popular, these things can be more I V I V than a hank Williams tribute.

[JohnR]

I am reading a theory book at the moment which states that detached is staccato.

[The Jaywalker]

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Edited November 28, 2017 by The Jaywalker

[paul_c2]

[quote name='Higgie' timestamp='1487368993' post='3239427']
I've always interpreted it as somewhere between staccato and full value. You can usually 'feel' where the note should end, to give the next note it's full attack.
[/quote]
[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1487372714' post='3239453']
Oo, Priscilla, I've got that show in October, is it any good? Just had the roasting of legally blonde and want every show to be as much of a challenge!

Slightly detached means there needs to be a fraction of silence inveteeen the notes. A slight lift of the fretting hand usually creates the desired effect.
[/quote]
[quote name='The Jaywalker' timestamp='1488108775' post='3245831']
Staccato means that the the note is played short/clipped; the general idea being that its rhythmic value is halved.
Detached doesn't mean staccato - that confusion arises because "staccato" is Italian for "detached". HOWEVER, the English performance instruction "detached" simply means the notes sound separately. Imagine a bassine in quarter notes where the notes sustain into each other. Now think of slightly shorter notes where one note ends just before the next one begins. It's a feel thing. It's kind of in the cracks between shorter note value and a rest and playing the full note value.
I guess it could be approximated by thinking about playing along with a rock drum pattern kick-snare-kick-kick-snare. Do you play staccato and only sound short notes along with the kick, legato by letting your notes sustain to the next or detached (kind of) by letting notes ring out but muting on the snare hit.
[/quote]

As above, basically. There's different "amounts" of detached-ness (if that's a word), and over time its been established in classical musical notation as different things. A basic starting point for interpretation is: stacatto (a dot over/under the note): play for 1/2 the time, silence the other half, to produce the detached effect. Detache (line and dot over/under note) play for 3/4 the time, silence for 1/4. Stacatissimo (I think...?), its like a little solid triangle (shaped like a guitar pick) over the note, is an even more detached interpretation eg play 1/4 the time, silence for 3/4 the time. Also worth mentioning is tenuto (line over the note) - play it full length, legato (a slur over different pitched notes), phrase mark (like a breath indication for wind instruments, its like an apostrophe).

One weird one you might come across is a note tied to thin air - I'll try find an example.

[paul_c2]

Found one, took ages!!!


In number 1 above, the note is tied apparently to thin air. Its double bass notation (or other bowed string instruments) when playing pizzicato, and means "let the note ring on, don't dampen it". The idea being that the pizzicato sound doesn't sustain in the same way as a bowed note, so it can be left to ring out - obviously on a violin, it doesn't ring much at all; on a double bass it will ring on a bit. So if/when interpreting it on bass guitar, DON'T let it sustain for ever! But be aware of it.

(For info, example 2 above is snap pizzicato technique).