Stuck in a scale rut? Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales. New posts go up every day in January 2023. Start from Day 1 here.
I once heard about a violinist who would practice pizzicato scales every day. He was the only one in the room who wasn’t in pain when it was time to rehearse a long pizzicato passage. I always thought it sounded like a smart idea. And like so many other smart ideas I’ve heard about, it got filed away in the back of my mind ... and forgotten.
Forgotten until now, that is. Today, plucking was front and center in my scales, arpeggios, and double stop scales.
The piece that forced me onto a new plane of pizzicato technique, and the recording of it I made a few years ago.
Before getting into the nitty gritty of today’s scale, I want to spend a little time giving credit to the work that was – in effect – my graduate degree in pizzicato technique: the Allegretto pizzicato movement from Bartok’s 4th String Quartet. For anyone who thinks pizzicato is a one-dimensional technique, this movement is unmistakable proof to the contrary! It forced me to uncover ALL the dimensions of this often-overlooked technique: different sounding points up and down the string, plucking with different parts of the finger tip (including farther up the finger onto the pad), creating a convincing line, plucking with the finger going in both directions (back and forth), ponticello pizzicato, snap pizz (aka, “Bartok pizz”), making fortissimo accents without getting a snap, and probably some more I’m forgetting about. And all of those techniques adding up to an incredible, bubbling sound world. Bartok was a sonic genius!
Why do this one?
There so much more to pizzicato technique (lots!) than you’d think from the amount of attention it gets (almost none!). So this is a chance to either begin your pizz technique, or give it a serious boost. Also, as I mentioned above, if you regularly practice pizzicato then your finger will always be ready for long pizz passages. (No blisters!)
During my practice today, I noticed the quality of sound I got steadily improved. I was even able to get something that sounded like a clear pitch at the top of my 3-octave scales. (A register in which pizz notes are notorious for sounding more like a whack on the bridge than actual pitch.)
The Details
This is another one (like Day 17 - Articulations) where I think you get more out of it from a spirit of experimentation rather than predefined settings. But there are so many factors to play around with that it might be hard to know where to start. In the notated examples below, you’ll find two recommendations to begin your pizz scale experiments.
When you’re ready to make your own experiments, here’s a list of the main parameters you can play around with:
Bow: either hold the bow in your hand, or set it to the side
Anchor: either keep your thumb anchored at the corner of the fingerboard (for greater accuracy), or leave your hand free (for greater freedom of motion)
Sounding Point: where along the string you pluck, for example ponticello (by the bridge), at the edge of the fingerboard, or several inches down the fingerboard
Part of the Finger: right at the very tip (centered), at the tip but with the corner of the finger, or farther up the finger on the pad
Left Hand Finger Pressure: light, medium, or heavy finger pressure will affect how long the note rings
If you want to get deeper into pizz, you can also vary:
Pizz Follow-Through: how far your finger/hand moves away from the string after each pluck
Finger Angle: Is the pizz motion vertical or horizontal? Parallel with the bridge or angled in relationship to it?
There’s a simple worksheet below to help you in your experiments.
If you’ve tried today’s scales, I’d love to know what your experience was like! Just post a comment below.
Do this in any key, and keep your usual fingerings.
tomorrow:
I’m a violinist and private teacher in the Chicago area, and in a previous musical life I was in a professional string quartet. Teaching violin and chamber music are dear to my heart. Send me a note or leave a comment on a post — I’d love to hear from you.
If you’ve tried today’s scales, I’d love to know what your experience was like! Just post a comment below.