However, there may be instances where the composer wants the chord to be pluck from top to bottom. Most of the time, it is plucked from the lower string towards the higher string. In this case, the plucking action is quite similar to the act of strumming the guitar. Pizzicato chords refer to plucking more than one string at a time. As most string players do not have long nails, plucking with a plectrum may produce the same result. This resulted in a percussive and edgy tone compared to a normal pizzicato.įingernail pizzicato is another modern approach that involves plucking the string with the fingernail instead of the fleshy part of the finger. The right-hand index finger will go under the string to pull it away from the fingerboard, when the string is released, it will snap back against the fingerboard. Snap pizzicato involves snapping the string against the fingerboard. In Samuel Adler's The Study of Orchestration, he illustrated several extended techniques that involve pizzicato, such as snap pizzicato, fingernail pizzicato, pizzicato chords, and pizzicato using plectrum.īéla Bartók popularized the use of snap pizzicato in his string quartet. It is also very common for inexperienced players to rush in pizzicato passages. It is essential to practice the coordination required in these passages carefully. Switching between pizzicato and arco (to play with the bow) in the same piece of music can be very tricky if it happens too quickly. In the Suzuki method, young students are taught to listen to the resonant sound of the pizzicato and then try to reproduce it with the bow. At the same time, plucking close towards the middle of the string produces a much better sound. By doing so, we prevent grease on our fingers from getting onto the strings at the place we bow. Instead, pluck the strings around the higher range of the fingerboard. When doing pizzicato, avoid plucking the strings too close to the bridge. Examples of both types of chord can be found in Debussy's cello sonata. He also suggested that chords or multiple stops that are spread to be played by the thumb while blocked chords should be played simultaneously with multiple fingers. It is also worth noticing that each string has a different thickness, and therefore we need to adjust the amount of force we exerted in plucking.įor cellists, Christoph Ritcher, in a 2015 article with The Strad magazine, said that pizzicato should be a whole arm movement to produce a "rounder sound." He recommended using the middle finger for single-note pizzicato for the same reason. In a 2010 article with the Strings Magazine, violinist Paul Stein said that "while some bows are a lot better than others, your index finger is as good as anyone else's." To do a good pizzicato, Stein recommended that the fleshy part of the finger must engage the string rather than trying to pluck the string too fast. Left-hand pizzicato are usually notated with a "plus" sign above or below the note. In Mimi Zweig's teaching, young violin students are taught to practice plucking the string with the left-hand fingers to promote a quick "lifting" action that originates from the base joint. Plucking with the left-hand helps to build good technique as well. Composers mainly use this technique to showcase virtuosity by combining it with the bowed notes, one good example is the 9th variation of Paganini's Caprice No.24. Pizzicato can be performed by the left hand as well. In a rapid pizzicato passage, players may pluck the strings with alternating fingers as there is a limit to how fast one can play pizzicato with the same finger. In a long pizzicato passage, or an entire movement of pizzicato, string players may put away their bows to focus on the plucking. Some violinists and violists may choose to anchor their thumbs on the edge of the fingerboard while doing pizzicato. Typically, the string is plucked with the index finger while the bow is held in hand. The word pizzicare in Italian means 'to pinch.' The earliest known use of pizzicato can be traced back to Monterverdi's Madrigal - Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda. You can also download Chris’ presentation examples here on his website. The musical term pizzicato is a direction for the players of bowed string instruments (i.e., violin, viola, cello, and double bass) to pluck the strings with their fingers instead of using the bow. This video is divided into the following topics, and if you click through to it on YouTube you can jump directly to any of these sections. Jazz bassist and educator Chris Fitzgerald put out a video recreating his 2019 International Society of Bassists convention presentation titled “Bachrilege – Pizzicato Articulation from Bach to Bebop.”
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