Miss Jacobson's Music: VIOLIN PIZZICATO: WHAT IS IT?

Thursday, June 4, 2015

VIOLIN PIZZICATO: WHAT IS IT?

PIZZICATO

1522251_10152010778829537_1033489489_n.jpg 320×480 píxeles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcrJEGRrU-c

Pizzicato (pronounced 'pitzi-KA-toe') from the Italian:

pizzicato, roughly translated as plucked) is a playing

technique that involves plucking the strings of a bowed

string instrument with the fingers, rather than using the

bow. The exact technique varies somewhat depending

on the type of stringed instrument played, the style of

the music, and the effect wanted. The technique of

pizzicato (or "pizz" as an abbreviation of the term)

produces a very different sound from bowing; short

and percussive rather than sustained. A direction

given to players to return to the use of the bow is

indicated by the term "arco."

RIGHT HAND PIZZICATO

To play pizzicato or pizz (pronounced 'pitz') is to

play the violin with one's finger while the violin

remains under the player's chin. To do this, (the

most traditional method) the player would quickly

place the frog of the bow in the palm of his/her

right hand (the bow hand), place the pad of the

right thumb (bow thumb) against the corner of

the fingerboard, and pluck the string firmly but

gently with the right index finger. The finger

should be plucking the strings between the

bridge and the end of the fingerboard, where

the bow usually plays. This technique is called

the "right hand" pizzicato and it is the pizzicato

most generally used.

HOW TO START

RIGHT HAND PIZZICATO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WOx181io50

LEFT HAND PIZZICATO

Less used is the "left hand" pizzicato (a technique

which began to be used during the classical late

romantic period) which is when the strings are

plucked firmly with the fingers on the same

hand that presses the strings down. If reading

musical notation, this is usually indicated by a

"+" sign above the note.

Quite often this particular

form of pizzicato is meant

to be used at the same time

the player is using the bow.

When a player switches from

arco (bowing) to regular pizzicato,

the player normally requires a short

pause to switch his or her bowing

hand into pizzicato position and pluck

the string. With left-hand pizzicato,

though, a string player can play a

pizzicato note immediately following a

bowed note; thus, left-hand pizzicato

provides a means to play bowed tones

and pizzicato tones simultaneously or

in alternation during rapid passages.

The string on which the note is played

may be either open or stopped (fingered);

the only requirement for using the technique

on a stopped string is that the finger stopping

the string be lower than the finger plucking the string.

Left-hand pizzicato appears most prominently

in violin "virtuoso pieces" such as Pablo de

Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_b960BGcZk

and Paganini's 24th Caprice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGGPEDWQA5A

This violin technique was first introduced and

made famous by the famous Italian violinist:

Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840).

He was able to execute the finger movements

easier than most probably due to a medical

syndrome he had which enabled more

flexibility in his fingers and wrist.

In an article published in JAMA dated 2 January,
1978, Dr. Myron R. Shoenfeld advances the theory

that Paganini was born with Marfan's Syndrome:

"The long, sinuous, hyperextensible fingers of his

left hand gave his fingers an extraordinary range

of motion and freedom of independent movement

on the fingerboard, while the laxness of the wrist

and shoulder joint of his right upper extremity gave

him the pliancy required for masterful bowing."

http://www.ahsl.arizona.edu/about/exhibits/

musicianmedicalmaladies/musicians.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2639882/

http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/nikolai-oskolkov/

Paganini's Violin

"The Cannon" was Paganini’s cherished instrument

which has a distinctive depth and resonance where

its power shocks and awes listeners to this day. It is

on display in Genoa and is occasionally loaned out

for public recitals.

Who is Paganini?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5ugdP-uwJo

Paganini Links:
http://classical-composers.suite101.com/
article.cfm/niccolo_paganini_superstar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Paganini
http://www.paganini.com/nicolo/nicindex.htm
http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/paganini.html
http://www.google.com/search?q=Paganini&hl=en&rlz
=1I7GGLL_en&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=KvxfS_fYJJLiswOjp-3ACw&sa
=X&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=11&ved=0CDgQ5wIwCg
http://www.ppmusic.com/music/comp07.htm
http://www.thirteen.org/publicarts/violin/paganini.html
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?GRid=3565&page=gr
http://musiced.about.com/od/romanticperiod/p/paganini.htm
http://www.8notes.com/biographies/paganini.asp
http://www.guitarramagazine.com/NicocoloPaganini
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=41:4704~T1
http://www.lessontutor.com/bf12.html
http://www.allthingsstrings.com/Technique/VIOLIN/
3-Ways-to-Get-a-Hand-on-Your-Pizzicato-Technique
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtvKJaItYmA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFikzos8Iao&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9GN2cIOiVU&feature=related
http://secretlyido.blogspot.com/2011/01/deal-with-devil.html

Niccolo Paganini

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHSwY5phKtE

&list=LPi_-oqFZu2TM&index=1&feature=plcp

PIZZICATO LINKS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizzicato
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=860282
http://www.theviolinsite.com/pizzicato.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/pizzicato
http://www.violinfromscratch.com/home/beginners-violin
-lessons/holding-the-violin-and-playing-pizzicato
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizzicato
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Violin-2164/2009/2/playing-violin-fingers.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TroJUuyUP1Y
http://www.violinmasterclass.com/pizzicato_qt.php?video=piz_def1&sctn=Definition
http://www.ehow.com/video_4946766_violin-techniques-left-hand-pizzicato.html
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-practice-intermediate-left-handpizzicato-on-violin-6198/
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-practice-beginner-left-hand-pizzicato-on-violin-6197/
http://violinmasterclass.com/pizzicato_qt.php?video=piz_exer1&sctn=Exercises
http://www.netplaces.com/music-composition/writing-for-strings/pizzicatotechniques.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9GN2cIOiVU
http://askville.amazon.com/Pizzicato-playing-technique-involves
-plucking-strings-string-instrument/AnswerDetails.do?
requestId=61348083&responseId=61676089
http://www.ehow.com/how_15641_play-pizzicato-violin.html

SOME PIZZICATO PIECES TO LISTEN TO

Ludwig van Beethoven

Kreutzer Sonata (1803)
(First Movement)
Nathan Milstein, Violin
Georges Pludermacher, Piano

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sklCKCE7zLc

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Symphony No. 4 (1877-78)

(Third Movement)

Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductor

San Francisco Symphony