Pizzicato - and bowing?

[Dave2002]

I found this example from the Rite of Spring


Surely if it's pizzicato there shouldn't be bowing marks, or is it a modification of pizzicato - something using the bow, but which gives a pizzicato like effect?

Is this common?

[mikealdren]

It indicates a sort of strumming effect with the finger moving backwards and forwards across the string as opposed to the traditional plucked pizz where all the strokes are in the same direction. There's a similar effect in the cadenza accompaniment in the Elgar Violin concerto.

[oddoneout]

Well, you live and learn, thanks Mikea

[Ein Heldenleben]

It indicates a sort of strumming effect with the finger moving backwards and forwards across the string as opposed to the traditional plucked pizz where all the strokes are in the same direction. There's a similar effect in the cadenza accompaniment in the Elgar Violin concerto.

Didn’t know that - does that create a different tone effect with the nail one side and finger pad the other like a guitar ? Or is the reverse pluck (flick? ) pretty much the same ?

[Richard Barrett]

Didn’t know that - does that create a different tone effect with the nail one side and finger pad the other like a guitar ? Or is the reverse pluck (flick? ) pretty much the same ?

I think that with an entire section doing it at speed the timbral difference would be negligible, it's more a question of stress (the "down" pizzicati will be louder and more purposeful), and ease of playing.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I think that with an entire section doing it at speed the timbral difference would be negligible, it's more a question of stress (the "down" pizzicati will be louder and more purposeful), and ease of playing.

Thanks Richard . So no danger of the ‘banjo’ effect so disliked by Eric Morecambe in his briefing to Andre Previn on the Greig Piano Concerto...?

[mikealdren]

In practice, I tend to use the sides of my finger rather than the pad and nail but I guess that's a personal preference, it's not something that is taught and when it's occurred in the (amateur) orchestras I have played in, there's always a discussion about how to do it. It's harder if you haven't time to put the bow down..........

[oddoneout]

In practice, I tend to use the sides of my finger rather than the pad and nail but I guess that's a personal preference, it's not something that is taught and when it's occurred in the (amateur) orchestras I have played in, there's always a discussion about how to do it. It's harder if you haven't time to put the bow down..........

Yes, I suppose getting the frog stuck under the strings on the down strum could be a bit of a problem...

[Serial_Apologist]

Yes, I suppose getting the frog stuck under the strings on the down strum could be a bit of a problem...

You would need a lot of pluck!

[Richard Barrett]

In practice, I tend to use the sides of my finger rather than the pad and nail but I guess that's a personal preference, it's not something that is taught

I don't know about you, Mike, but in my experience pizzicato isn't given enough attention (often none at all!) by players in their daily practice.

[mikealdren]

I almost never practise it, only rarely, if there is a difficult passage (like the Elgar)