Run (music)
The run (more rarely and especially in the plural also “drive”) is a musical gesture in which notes are played or sung, usually at a moderately fast to very fast tempo, either as an ascending or descending figure. These are mostly tone segments in half and whole tones, or intervals of the small and large seconds, but sometimes also in larger intervals. For this reason the concept of the run partially overlaps with that of the "arpeggio" and the line cannot always be clearly drawn. Normally the steps in an arpeggio are mostly not to be found in whole or semitone steps, but in wider intervals. This is why an arpeggio usually refers to a horizontally diminished chord structure.
In principle, runs are just quickly played scales (scales). The selected scale contributes significantly to the character. Thus, a run played on a full-tone scale sounds "floating" or even unusual, while a run on a Phrygian tone scale can seem more Mediterranean and a harmonic minor scale with its hiatus step (i.e. an excessive second) more closely resembles musical peculiarities East like to remember.
Examples
A well-known example of extensive use of a fast drive is Rimski-Korsakow's flight of the bumblebee from 1899/1900, whereby a chromatic scale is used almost over the entire piece, which is intended to impressively imitate the rapid restlessness of a bumblebee . The work was also performed by the orchestra z. B. transferred to the piano (among others by Rachmaninov or in an extremely difficult paraphrase by Cziffra) and serves here as an impressive show piece.
In the many virtuoso and sometimes technically extremely difficult etudes by Chopin or Liszt, which are still popular today, scales are often used excessively as a means of composition. An almost extreme use of this can be found especially in the technically often very demanding cadences in works by Franz Liszt. Sometimes these scale runs are not set in a rhythmically fixed framework (e.g. in Liszt Liebestraum No. 1 ) and are notated as numerous small notes in a single measure.
Instruments and Limitations
The instrument used also plays an important role. For example, runs in the strings and woodwinds are particularly common in orchestral works. Exceptions are above all very deep instruments such as the double bass, double bassoon or double bass clarinet, although drive is also possible here, but is found much less often in orchestration practice, as the latter instruments are rather sluggish. However, this does not apply to the cello, bassoon and bass clarinet, which, despite their size, are surprisingly agile and can also master virtuoso runs with ease.
But even with most brass players, frequent use of runs is rather uncommon. In jazz and pop in particular, figures are often used that move from bottom to top (“doit”) or from top to bottom (“fall”). However, these are much more glissandi , i.e. rather very veiled, chromatic musical gestures, the individual tones of which can usually no longer be identified, so there can be no talk of a run here. Because of the pull, the latter technique is widespread and easy to perform, especially on the trombone.
Even on the natural trumpet, natural horn and certain musical instruments tuned in pentatonic scales, such as some Asian tremors or the shakuhachi (a Japanese bamboo flute), it is difficult or even impossible to execute runs. On the usual concert harp, for example, especially chromantic figures are completely impossible, since this instrument is usually tuned diatonic.
literature
- Nikolai van Gilse van der Pals: Rimsky-Korssakow (Georg Olms Verlag), 1929