What do these square notes mean (in the left hand)?












4















enter image description hereWhat are this notes about? I had to learn this piece in 8-27-1963 in my first year at the music conservatory in Bern.



The notes look like square notation, but the music was written in 20th. century.



It’s nr. 102 of Bela Bartok’s “mikrokosmos”.










share|improve this question




















  • 1





    At least post a pic of the sheet music.

    – ggcg
    2 hours ago











  • Sorry, the upload doesn’t function. I’ve tried already 3 times ...

    – Albrecht Hügli
    1 hour ago













  • I've removed the meta aspects of your question. You can answer your own question if you know the answer.

    – Dom
    1 hour ago











  • How do you keep that l.h. chord sounding? Even pedalling it won't last that long. And why is it written with no key sig., when the B chord is a clue?

    – Tim
    1 hour ago











  • O.K. your edition is accept, Dom. I will edit the question and poste the source now.

    – Albrecht Hügli
    1 hour ago
















4















enter image description hereWhat are this notes about? I had to learn this piece in 8-27-1963 in my first year at the music conservatory in Bern.



The notes look like square notation, but the music was written in 20th. century.



It’s nr. 102 of Bela Bartok’s “mikrokosmos”.










share|improve this question




















  • 1





    At least post a pic of the sheet music.

    – ggcg
    2 hours ago











  • Sorry, the upload doesn’t function. I’ve tried already 3 times ...

    – Albrecht Hügli
    1 hour ago













  • I've removed the meta aspects of your question. You can answer your own question if you know the answer.

    – Dom
    1 hour ago











  • How do you keep that l.h. chord sounding? Even pedalling it won't last that long. And why is it written with no key sig., when the B chord is a clue?

    – Tim
    1 hour ago











  • O.K. your edition is accept, Dom. I will edit the question and poste the source now.

    – Albrecht Hügli
    1 hour ago














4












4








4








enter image description hereWhat are this notes about? I had to learn this piece in 8-27-1963 in my first year at the music conservatory in Bern.



The notes look like square notation, but the music was written in 20th. century.



It’s nr. 102 of Bela Bartok’s “mikrokosmos”.










share|improve this question
















enter image description hereWhat are this notes about? I had to learn this piece in 8-27-1963 in my first year at the music conservatory in Bern.



The notes look like square notation, but the music was written in 20th. century.



It’s nr. 102 of Bela Bartok’s “mikrokosmos”.







piano notation






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 1 hour ago







Albrecht Hügli

















asked 2 hours ago









Albrecht HügliAlbrecht Hügli

1,055118




1,055118








  • 1





    At least post a pic of the sheet music.

    – ggcg
    2 hours ago











  • Sorry, the upload doesn’t function. I’ve tried already 3 times ...

    – Albrecht Hügli
    1 hour ago













  • I've removed the meta aspects of your question. You can answer your own question if you know the answer.

    – Dom
    1 hour ago











  • How do you keep that l.h. chord sounding? Even pedalling it won't last that long. And why is it written with no key sig., when the B chord is a clue?

    – Tim
    1 hour ago











  • O.K. your edition is accept, Dom. I will edit the question and poste the source now.

    – Albrecht Hügli
    1 hour ago














  • 1





    At least post a pic of the sheet music.

    – ggcg
    2 hours ago











  • Sorry, the upload doesn’t function. I’ve tried already 3 times ...

    – Albrecht Hügli
    1 hour ago













  • I've removed the meta aspects of your question. You can answer your own question if you know the answer.

    – Dom
    1 hour ago











  • How do you keep that l.h. chord sounding? Even pedalling it won't last that long. And why is it written with no key sig., when the B chord is a clue?

    – Tim
    1 hour ago











  • O.K. your edition is accept, Dom. I will edit the question and poste the source now.

    – Albrecht Hügli
    1 hour ago








1




1





At least post a pic of the sheet music.

– ggcg
2 hours ago





At least post a pic of the sheet music.

– ggcg
2 hours ago













Sorry, the upload doesn’t function. I’ve tried already 3 times ...

– Albrecht Hügli
1 hour ago







Sorry, the upload doesn’t function. I’ve tried already 3 times ...

– Albrecht Hügli
1 hour ago















I've removed the meta aspects of your question. You can answer your own question if you know the answer.

– Dom
1 hour ago





I've removed the meta aspects of your question. You can answer your own question if you know the answer.

– Dom
1 hour ago













How do you keep that l.h. chord sounding? Even pedalling it won't last that long. And why is it written with no key sig., when the B chord is a clue?

– Tim
1 hour ago





How do you keep that l.h. chord sounding? Even pedalling it won't last that long. And why is it written with no key sig., when the B chord is a clue?

– Tim
1 hour ago













O.K. your edition is accept, Dom. I will edit the question and poste the source now.

– Albrecht Hügli
1 hour ago





O.K. your edition is accept, Dom. I will edit the question and poste the source now.

– Albrecht Hügli
1 hour ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















6














I believe the square notes (usually called diamonds) indicate keys that are silently depressed and held down. This technique allows those notes to ring sympathetically when the right hand notes are played. This specific piece is mentioned in this Wikipedia entry:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_extended_technique



The relevant passage:




Composers such as Béla Bartók started to look at the piano as a more percussive instrument and explored various techniques to achieve percussive effects. His Bagatelles and Mikrokosmos (the series of works for the instruction of young pianists) both contain unusual instructions to the pianist. He even used special notation for certain of them: "hold keys silently" is indicated by square note heads rather than the usual round ones.




Lastly, the "1)" above first chord probably indicates a composer's note somewhere in the score, so that will give you the definitive answer.






share|improve this answer





















  • 1





    Oh, Brilliant! I'd accept this if it were possible! Bravo, Peter!

    – user45266
    50 mins ago






  • 2





    @user45266 Yes, this answer is correct. Just a note, although I see why you describe them as squares, these noteheads are generally referred to as diamonds. The same diamond noteheads are often used for harmonics on string instruments.

    – Pat Muchmore
    42 mins ago











  • @PatMuchmore Yes, I've usually heard them referred to as diamonds as well, but both the OP and the Wikipedia article used the term "square." Truly square noteheads (basically like what's shown but rotated 45 degrees) also exist.

    – Peter
    23 mins ago











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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









6














I believe the square notes (usually called diamonds) indicate keys that are silently depressed and held down. This technique allows those notes to ring sympathetically when the right hand notes are played. This specific piece is mentioned in this Wikipedia entry:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_extended_technique



The relevant passage:




Composers such as Béla Bartók started to look at the piano as a more percussive instrument and explored various techniques to achieve percussive effects. His Bagatelles and Mikrokosmos (the series of works for the instruction of young pianists) both contain unusual instructions to the pianist. He even used special notation for certain of them: "hold keys silently" is indicated by square note heads rather than the usual round ones.




Lastly, the "1)" above first chord probably indicates a composer's note somewhere in the score, so that will give you the definitive answer.






share|improve this answer





















  • 1





    Oh, Brilliant! I'd accept this if it were possible! Bravo, Peter!

    – user45266
    50 mins ago






  • 2





    @user45266 Yes, this answer is correct. Just a note, although I see why you describe them as squares, these noteheads are generally referred to as diamonds. The same diamond noteheads are often used for harmonics on string instruments.

    – Pat Muchmore
    42 mins ago











  • @PatMuchmore Yes, I've usually heard them referred to as diamonds as well, but both the OP and the Wikipedia article used the term "square." Truly square noteheads (basically like what's shown but rotated 45 degrees) also exist.

    – Peter
    23 mins ago
















6














I believe the square notes (usually called diamonds) indicate keys that are silently depressed and held down. This technique allows those notes to ring sympathetically when the right hand notes are played. This specific piece is mentioned in this Wikipedia entry:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_extended_technique



The relevant passage:




Composers such as Béla Bartók started to look at the piano as a more percussive instrument and explored various techniques to achieve percussive effects. His Bagatelles and Mikrokosmos (the series of works for the instruction of young pianists) both contain unusual instructions to the pianist. He even used special notation for certain of them: "hold keys silently" is indicated by square note heads rather than the usual round ones.




Lastly, the "1)" above first chord probably indicates a composer's note somewhere in the score, so that will give you the definitive answer.






share|improve this answer





















  • 1





    Oh, Brilliant! I'd accept this if it were possible! Bravo, Peter!

    – user45266
    50 mins ago






  • 2





    @user45266 Yes, this answer is correct. Just a note, although I see why you describe them as squares, these noteheads are generally referred to as diamonds. The same diamond noteheads are often used for harmonics on string instruments.

    – Pat Muchmore
    42 mins ago











  • @PatMuchmore Yes, I've usually heard them referred to as diamonds as well, but both the OP and the Wikipedia article used the term "square." Truly square noteheads (basically like what's shown but rotated 45 degrees) also exist.

    – Peter
    23 mins ago














6












6








6







I believe the square notes (usually called diamonds) indicate keys that are silently depressed and held down. This technique allows those notes to ring sympathetically when the right hand notes are played. This specific piece is mentioned in this Wikipedia entry:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_extended_technique



The relevant passage:




Composers such as Béla Bartók started to look at the piano as a more percussive instrument and explored various techniques to achieve percussive effects. His Bagatelles and Mikrokosmos (the series of works for the instruction of young pianists) both contain unusual instructions to the pianist. He even used special notation for certain of them: "hold keys silently" is indicated by square note heads rather than the usual round ones.




Lastly, the "1)" above first chord probably indicates a composer's note somewhere in the score, so that will give you the definitive answer.






share|improve this answer















I believe the square notes (usually called diamonds) indicate keys that are silently depressed and held down. This technique allows those notes to ring sympathetically when the right hand notes are played. This specific piece is mentioned in this Wikipedia entry:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_extended_technique



The relevant passage:




Composers such as Béla Bartók started to look at the piano as a more percussive instrument and explored various techniques to achieve percussive effects. His Bagatelles and Mikrokosmos (the series of works for the instruction of young pianists) both contain unusual instructions to the pianist. He even used special notation for certain of them: "hold keys silently" is indicated by square note heads rather than the usual round ones.




Lastly, the "1)" above first chord probably indicates a composer's note somewhere in the score, so that will give you the definitive answer.







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 27 mins ago

























answered 52 mins ago









PeterPeter

1,661214




1,661214








  • 1





    Oh, Brilliant! I'd accept this if it were possible! Bravo, Peter!

    – user45266
    50 mins ago






  • 2





    @user45266 Yes, this answer is correct. Just a note, although I see why you describe them as squares, these noteheads are generally referred to as diamonds. The same diamond noteheads are often used for harmonics on string instruments.

    – Pat Muchmore
    42 mins ago











  • @PatMuchmore Yes, I've usually heard them referred to as diamonds as well, but both the OP and the Wikipedia article used the term "square." Truly square noteheads (basically like what's shown but rotated 45 degrees) also exist.

    – Peter
    23 mins ago














  • 1





    Oh, Brilliant! I'd accept this if it were possible! Bravo, Peter!

    – user45266
    50 mins ago






  • 2





    @user45266 Yes, this answer is correct. Just a note, although I see why you describe them as squares, these noteheads are generally referred to as diamonds. The same diamond noteheads are often used for harmonics on string instruments.

    – Pat Muchmore
    42 mins ago











  • @PatMuchmore Yes, I've usually heard them referred to as diamonds as well, but both the OP and the Wikipedia article used the term "square." Truly square noteheads (basically like what's shown but rotated 45 degrees) also exist.

    – Peter
    23 mins ago








1




1





Oh, Brilliant! I'd accept this if it were possible! Bravo, Peter!

– user45266
50 mins ago





Oh, Brilliant! I'd accept this if it were possible! Bravo, Peter!

– user45266
50 mins ago




2




2





@user45266 Yes, this answer is correct. Just a note, although I see why you describe them as squares, these noteheads are generally referred to as diamonds. The same diamond noteheads are often used for harmonics on string instruments.

– Pat Muchmore
42 mins ago





@user45266 Yes, this answer is correct. Just a note, although I see why you describe them as squares, these noteheads are generally referred to as diamonds. The same diamond noteheads are often used for harmonics on string instruments.

– Pat Muchmore
42 mins ago













@PatMuchmore Yes, I've usually heard them referred to as diamonds as well, but both the OP and the Wikipedia article used the term "square." Truly square noteheads (basically like what's shown but rotated 45 degrees) also exist.

– Peter
23 mins ago





@PatMuchmore Yes, I've usually heard them referred to as diamonds as well, but both the OP and the Wikipedia article used the term "square." Truly square noteheads (basically like what's shown but rotated 45 degrees) also exist.

– Peter
23 mins ago


















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