Grip

What it means

Grip (German Griff) designates the position of the fingers with which a particular note or sound is produced. With string instruments it is the position on the fingerboard, with wind instruments the combination of closed and open finger holes or keys, with brass instruments the valves pressed. With plucked instruments, grip also means the chord shape — a fixed finger position that lets several notes sound together. The term thus describes the physical side of the note, not the note itself.

In the notation

Grips appear in the score as fingering numerals above or below the notes, with guitar and related instruments also as chord diagrams or tablature, with brass instruments occasionally as valve numerals. Such indications are suggestions of the editor, unless they come from the composer; they may differ depending on the size of the hand and on the instrument.

Musical use

The choice of grip is seldom neutral. On string instruments it decides string and position and thereby tone colour; on wind instruments there are for some notes several fingerings that differ in intonation, response, and colour — so-called alternative or auxiliary fingerings, which are used in fast passages or for special effects. On the guitar the chosen chord grip determines which notes ring open and what the position of the chord looks like. Musical decisions and grip technique are therefore closely connected.

Performance practice

Fix grips deliberately and write them into the score instead of looking for them anew each time; security arises from repetition of the same movement. With difficult passages, check whether an alternative fingering eases the connection, and then check the intonation separately. Practise changes of grip as a movement, not as a sequence of states — only the releasing and arriving makes the change clean. Watch for a relaxed hand: a grip that requires force is usually badly chosen, or the instrument needs adjusting.

Bear in mind that fingerings in editions often come from editors and are tailored to other hands: check them instead of adopting them, and change what does not fit. With wind instruments it is worthwhile to know alternative fingerings for trills and fast changes and to check their intonation separately. Write the chosen solution into the score so that it is available next time.