The Chop Notation Glossary - Explained & Demonstrated by Casey Driessen

[@NateLeeLLC]

This is amazing. Thank you for taking the time to do this for the fiddle world! You're saving us all so much time and miscommunication.

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

You're welcome. We're looking forward to seeing how the project can help the technique develop. Cheers!

[@karenbrown639]

I am glowing with nerdy delight

[@jeffreysiegel9125]

Hey Casey, Your chopping and fiddling is so brilliant! And you are an amazingly awesome instructor!!! I thank you so greatly for creating the Chop Project!🖖😃🙏☮

[@WEdHarris]

One of the best detailed breakdown of this brilliant technique! Thank You so much for this in-depth explanation complete with history, description, and demonstration! Subbed and liked!

[@tomokoomuravideos]

Amazing demonstration! I learned so much from this video. Thank you! Downloaded the book. Can't wait to work on it. Andy Reiner introduced me your playing while we were at Berklee and I've been your fan since. ❤🙏

[@navaneethswaminathan6731]

This is soo good, detailed to the dot and so innovative to notate it so perfectly!!! Amazing teaching too!! 🤩🤩Waiting to explore this technique!!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks! Let me know if you have any questions and I hope you find useful

[@pavelshalman]

What an amazing project and effort. Thank you. It shall be studied!

[@jerryohm6305]

What a great presentation ! Precise ! Didactic ! Great & Fantastic ! I directly rush on your website for some more exercices !

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks Jerry. Please help spread the word about the project to your string friends. Best!

[@fiddlestix3025]

Bowing to The Official Chop Master 🙏 That was rad, thanks 🔥

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Bowing or bowing? hahaha! You're too kind. I'm a branch on a tree that cannot be chopped down ;-)

[@LeonardoPonce]

Wow, this video is very informative and excellent, thanks for explain and create a notation of the chop technic. Sometimes, we most need to see many times a video in slow motion to know what kind of chop you can use. Thanks master!

[@gracefulviolin]

This is great. You are a violin God

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks for checking out the project. I hope you find it useful. Chop on!

[@crmorab]

Wow! Congratulations for this amazing project! Wow wow wow!!! Muakkk, a big hug, Casey!

[@viniglerianoviolino]

Thank you from Brazil! I have learned so much watching to this videos. It has so good references. You guys are amazing!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Hello Brazil! I'm glad to hear this is helpful. Enjoy!

[@sohgirl]

This is GREAT! Thanks so much for the Chop Notation Project and demonstrating and sharing it online! I have your Chop & Grooves DVD, but this is a huge help!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

I think that was the first instructional DVD for chopping! A lot has happened since then and I appreciate you being along for the journey. Cheers!

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Isn't it amazing that composers can just easily film a video and tell everyone what they intended to live on the internet forever. For free, even??

[@violacharlie]

Thank you Casey & co. Such a comprehensive breakdown, nice work!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks Charles!

[@BigViolinPlayer]

Congrats! Amazing work Casey! Love you forever!

[@jakelesnake4927]

What a great resource. I was right with you till the tripple chop. Always thought it sounded difficult. Turns out it is.

[@felixroquero5874]

Generoso a mas no poder !!! Gracias Master

[@teresablake188]

This is exciting, thank you so much for your efforts to share this fantastic information

[@fateindustry]

Wow! I tried transcribe the chopping from Alex Depue's smooth criminal on sheet music and didn't know what notation to use. This is perfect! Thanks!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Fantastic! Glad you find it useful.

[@eyalkless9182]

This is amazing . As a classical musician I find it hard to release chop without a pitch sounding. Any advice? Also are there studies and exc material available?

[@SteffenZeichner]

Really great stuff man, will be referencing a lot on the rhythm section of my dissertation (jazz comping on fiddle)!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Great! I'd like to see the dissertation when you're done. Good luck with it!

[@virvt3819]

This video is excellent!! Thank you so much!!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

My pleasure. I hope you find it useful, cheers!

[@RedDesertFiddle]

Casey, this is fantastic! You are an awesome teacher and communicator....and an amazing fiddler. (I've watched you since your Homespun video with Darol!) Thanks for doing this....you are making history!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks for the support. We hope you find this useful!

[@ThatViolaKid]

It is my goal for 2021 to get some of these techs under my belt, Casey. Thank you so much for making this video!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Glad to know this is helpful! Happy grooves to you.

[@AugmentedMuse]

This is awesome! A whole entire timeline of works will have their beginnings stemming from this video! Do you plan on making any future videos of you playing with a transcription (using this notation) overlaid?

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

That's a great thought and I'll keep it in mind for future permutations and developments. Cheers!

[@diegogalaz1804]

You are a master !! 👏👏👏👏

[@deewheeler8841]

Awsome!!!

[@amynoonanmusic]

Hey, this was awesome. I’m classically trained and trying to figure out how to chop. I notice your right hand pinky stays on its tip with the joint collapsed backward. Would you mind making a bow technique video? Or pointing me in the direction where I can learn more? Thanks!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks for the request. The bent pinky was never intentional. I end up using it, with the other fingers, to push/pull the bow parallel to the strings. But, I don't think it's necessary for chopping. If your pinky also bends that way, feel free to try. I believe the most important part of the pinky is that it helps balance the bow. Cheers!

[@amynoonanmusic]

@@CaseyDriessenMusic Thanks for your reply! I'll play with this and see what happens.

[@rianholmes3284]

Nice video! Cool notation system! My only thing is the away/towards the body thing; just makes it opposite for the cello and bass…? Why not use the fingerboard/bridge so it is the same? Maybe you have a good reason. Other than that amazing work! I compose and would definitely use this system for percussion on strings. Great sounds!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks for checking out the notation. You're exactly right, when the violin/viola chops at the fingerboard, the cello/bass will chop at the bridge. This is intentional - the technique developed naturally in this way, meaning the motion of the hand was the same regardless of instrument, and we wanted the notation to reflect this (and we consulted chopping cellists while developing the notation to make sure they agreed). Cheers!

[@olakvernberg]

Absolutely brilliant, Casey. Inspiring and depressing simultaneously 😭 Now hitting the shed.

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Ima hit the shed now too!

[@desoliver9712]

Amazing.

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks for checking it out...do you chop?

[@desoliver9712]

@@CaseyDriessenMusic No, I'm a composer, but this has been extremely helpful and informative.

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

@@desoliver9712 Glad to hear it! Let me know if you have any questions when incorporating within your compositions.

[@desoliver9712]

@@CaseyDriessenMusic Thanks Casey, that's very generous of you. Congrats on such an informative and well-produced project.

[@desoliver9712]

@@CaseyDriessenMusic Hey Casey, I have one relatively straight forward question-I note that your 'hammer ons' (in your groove notation) tend to always move up a step or half step (I can see there is one version-a double-stopped dyad where the lower note goes up and the upper note stays the same), but I wondered about hammer-ons going downwards, say, for instance, Ab+Eb to open strings G+D? Are they just as effective descending? I assume so, but as a non-string player, I'm just guessing? Addition: I just realised it's a bit of a silly question as hammer-ons, at least in guitar playing always ascend, but I noticed that with pull-offs (unfortunate name) the second note played is plucked with the left (fingering) hand. So, I guess my question is, is there a pull-off (or descending hammer on) version vis-a-vis chop notation?

[@sharonsalazar8137]

great!!!!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks and hope you find it useful!

[@GnuSCello]

Thanks Casey, it's so great and helpful!!!!!

[@kylanmarley426]

You prolly dont care at all but does any of you know a way to get back into an Instagram account? I somehow lost the password. I love any help you can give me.

[@lukaskorbyn3955]

@Kylan Marley Instablaster =)

[@kylanmarley426]

@Lukas Korbyn i really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and im in the hacking process now. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.

[@kylanmarley426]

@Lukas Korbyn It worked and I finally got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D Thank you so much you saved my ass!

[@lukaskorbyn3955]

@Kylan Marley no problem =)

[@tanrebcucarellosqui4321]

Thanks so much!!!!!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

You're welcome! I hope you find the notation and technique useful and enjoyable.

[@fuelandsouls]

Glad I found you. Is there a certain bow that would make the learning curve less steep? Tip center or frog balanced? Stiffness? Weight? Or is it all preference? Thank you!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

That's a great question which I don't have an answer to. I've picked my bows based on how they respond to the control needed for melodic playing. I want a "universal" bow since I switch between techniques constantly. I'm playing one made by John Greenwood and love it. Maybe someone out there has tried bows based on chopping and can chime in?

[@jbatty1861]

wouldn't it make sense to have 2b always be toward the bridge and 2c toward the finger board? That way, the tonal effect would be the same whether it was a violin/viola or cello. T

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks for the feedback. That's actually how we started since I think in fiddle terms. But the important part is not if you are chopping at the bridge or fingerboard, it's the motion that the hand is making. If we did fingerboard and bridge, then the cello and violin/viola motions would be reversed.

[@jamesday5636]

Just wow!!!

[@8Phoenix8]

Can you get a good chopping sound on the G and D string. Im struggling with getting good chop there.

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Hi, thanks for asking. Looking at your picture, are you a cellist? It's a bit tough to tell what's happening without seeing/hearing, but...In general, the lower strings on any instrument create softer sounding chops than the higher, especially on the cello. If you're looking for a crisp attack, I'd recommend the A & D. But, it should be possible to get sound on the G & D, or even C & G. That said, sometimes getting the "chop" sound is not always the goal, and the motion/pattern in the left hand can help to mark the subdivisions of time and groove. I'd say reach out to Natalie Haas, Mike Block, or Ben Sollee who are all lovely musicians that chop on the cello. They'd have deeper knowledge here than me. Cheers!

[@8Phoenix8]

And yes i am. :) but i also play violin. (As for cello i borrow one some time.) I tried tilting the bow by straightening my thumb as Darrol Anger suggested in his video too but i cant make a good reliable chop sound. Any way to help? I could send you a video if thats okay. :) im part of the world of chop fb page.

[@8Phoenix8]

@@CaseyDriessenMusic but as a violinist, how may I solve this problem? :)

[@GlenmoreGlen]

Need some etude for this thecnique, do you have e-book for this? Thanksssss!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Yes! It's called The Chop Notation Project. It's a paper that includes the Glossary you see detailed in this video but also has an Exercises & Grooves section that works through all the strokes with examples, finishing with a 16-bar etude. The PDF is freely available at www.worldofchop.com. I also have a lesson series for the Exercises & Grooves that can be found on my website store: www.caseydriessen.com/store. Thanks for your interest!

[@MarinDuvernois]

First, congratulation for these beautiful technics and ingenious notations ! I am definitely a big fan of this helpful project ! However, I find the parallel scrapes notation not as universal as well, in the sense that a cellist or bassist moves his bow in a vertical way on his string while a violonist/violist moves it horizontally. Therefore, I will add to the 5a, 5b, 6a, and 6b signs a dot or a cross (like you did for the bow placement category) in the direction pointed by the arrow. It is a simple suggestion, I am a hornist and don't have your knowledge about the string technics, but as composer I find it more logical... In more, you surely thought about that, in that case why didn't you write it like that ? A curious hornist Oh, and my browser can't download the PDF, is it because I live in France ?

[@MarinDuvernois]

@@caseydriessen3371 Thanks for your reply ! All right, that's not as I thought to. It may depend to the person. Someone could understand very well this notation, when another one couldn't. That's all the issue of notation, and of its different interpretations ! Anyway, when your notations will be fixed and recognized by all the musicians, they will seem completely normal.

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Many thanks for your thoughts. The reason we chose the half-arrows in the direction they are is because I started handwriting the arrow making a similar motion to my own bowstroke, starting from the tail end and finishing with the point, which mimic's the actual motion of the scrape. And you're correct, it's towards or away, just like the for the vertical instruments (cello, bass). But, we also tried to find the simplest visual ways to communicate, avoiding too many "stacked" symbols when possible. Our hope is the half-arrow would communicate the motion/sound at quick glance.

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

PS. Re: downloading, I know others in France have been able. If you're still having problems, please send an email to [e-mail] and let me know where you're trying to download from so I can see if there's an issue with that specific link. Thank you.

[@jazzyfiddler]

I wondered about this too, but I think the arrows work okay once the player realizes they mean the same thing as the x and dot. (Casey, maybe it’s worth pointing this out in the documentation? Maybe not.) But, the point of the symbols being readable at a glance is important - a dot on one side or other of a line is harder to identify at a glance than an arrow (already some of my younger students especially are struggling a little with telling the hard chop and soft chop note heads apart, so I’m a big fan of readability.) Scrapes are also really physically different to play than chops - chops are vertical and the motion towards or away from the body happens in the air, while scrapes are a longitudinal motion taking place while the bow is already on the string. In that sense, the arrow is a much better picture of what we are physically doing. Don’t worry about the bassists and cellists - don’t forget that cellists and bassists are already used to the violin-centric terms “down bow” and “up bow” rather than the “left bow” and “right bow” that they are actually doing, and those terms are here to stay! :-)

[@MarinDuvernois]

@@jazzyfiddler Yes, I agree with you, it's true that cellists and bassists use terms refering to violin technic, and I didn't think about that ! They can learn theses symboles as they learnt their bow technic or their fingers technic ! @Casey Driessen Concerning the PDF, I finally could dowload it ! Many thanks for that ! Are you paid for doing all this project ? I'm puzzled that you leave all you done free...!

[@demsi2004]

Have any of you used the chops notation in the finale?

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Hi, I'm a Sibelius user but I know that it can work in Finale. You'll need to download the paper at www.worldofchop.com, and afterwards an email is sent with images of the custom symbols that can be imported into Finale. Cheers!

[@demsi2004]

@@CaseyDriessenMusic Great! Thank You!

[@公道的路人NPC]

why my chopping doesn't make sound 😭😭how does it make sound if I do it vertically ? Sorry for my poor English.

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Try and let gravity guide your bow to the strings

[@EllieMcEla]

what happened with your right pinky?? that looks insane!!!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Years of pinky calisthenics! Honestly, I think it developed that way in order to balance and push/pull. I was always taught to keep my pinky on the bow and this is where I am now...

[@sak_1017]

500th like

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Whoa! Bang! er....CHOP! Thanks for checking out the project

[@sak_1017]

Wow he noticed me

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

I know 0 about violin, but I figure any music major should have significant knowledge and experience with OTHER instruments.

[@0turi]

who came from baltic crossing

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Are you referring to the "when to chop and when not to chop" video?

[@0turi]

@@CaseyDriessenMusic yes

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

New York Times article. Also found a weird band called Deerhoof ("Plant Thief") from the same section. Interesting day. Lol

[@adjwilley]

I think it is a mistake to define your directions relative to the body of the player instead of the bridge and fingerboard. Cellists and bassists are smart people, and can play "sul tasto" and "sul ponticello" just as well as violinists, even though it's in the opposite direction relative to their body. You're trying to go against an existing convention. More importantly, I think, is that if you're looking for a particular sound when you write music, the biggest difference in sound will depend on whether the bow is closer to the bridge or fingerboard, not the arbitrary position of the player's body.

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

I hear you and thanks for the feedback. This aspect of the notation has raised curiosity before. We spent lots of time thinking about this, and it was consultation with cellists experienced with the technique who encouraged us to make it more universal and reach this decision. Contrary to sul ponticello and sul tasto we are not indicating specific sounding points because of desired tone quality. The important part of the technique we’re trying to communicate is about the physicality of the movement. As chopping has developed in the last 60yrs, cellists, bassists, violists and violinists all mechanically move an identical way. It does not reverse between vertical/horizontal instruments in order to all play at the bridge or fingerboard at the same time.