Pizzicato notation
Normally the pluck is easier to do very softly (imperceptibly) than the whack. For the first and second fingers however, we have the choice – both the whack and the pluck (with a higher finger) are possible. For checking a note played by the thumb, we will be obliged to pluck it with a higher finger, whereas for checking the higher fingers we will have to do a “whack”. We can use either the “whack” or the “pluck” technique.
![pizzicato notation pizzicato notation](http://d4u3lqifjlxra.cloudfront.net/uploads/appendix/asset/filename/14/piano-pedals.jpg)
When we are finding our left-hand position without the help of an audible glissando (this occurs usually after a silence/rest) then we will almost always check the correct pitch of our new finger with a very light LH pizz, before sounding it with the bow. This is undoubtedly the most common and important use of the LH pizzicato techniques. Let’s look now at some of the different situations in which these techniques can be used.ġ: TO CHECK A NOTE BEFORE PLAYING (SOUNDING) IT But they do have other more subtle uses also. Normally it is the cellist who must write these symbols in their sheet music part, because Left-Hand pizzicatos are a technical “trick of the trade” with which most composers are unfamiliar.īoth these techniques could be considered as “tricks” in the sense that we use them to simulate the sound of a normal right-hand pizzicato in situations where it is impossible or impractical to use the right hand. While some composers know enough about the cello to indicate left hand plucks with a “+” symbol, I have never seen any special sign for the “whack” which is why we have invented our own. In the above example we have added the “+” and “snowflake” symbols to differentiate between the “pluck” and the “whack”. The following example is an exception because Brahms, by placing a slur over groups of two pizzicato notes is clearly indicating that the second of each group is to be played using a LH pizzicato. Left-hand “plucks” and “whacks” are surprisingly frequent and useful, but their use is rarely specified by the composer. This word is perfect for describing the sudden release of explosive energy involved in hitting the string in these pizzicatos. To differentiate this technique from the “pluck”, we could call this one the “whack!”.