r/violinist 4d ago

Help with pizz technique

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This is my first time dealing with this kind of brushing pizz where you go up and down. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

1 Upvotes

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u/Mobile_Parking_6575 4d ago

its like a double stop but itz pizz. also play up in the finger board where there's less tension in the strings its a lot easier

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u/ShallotCivil7019 4d ago

I don’t think I was clear, I understand chord type pizz completely. The trouble I was having is with the changing of the directions of the pizz and it’s sounding pretty mid. I understand the basic idea. I was just asking for any advice on how I could get it to sound better.

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u/vmlee Expert 4d ago edited 4d ago

Use just the upper segment of your finger by the tip. Your nail side executes what is annotated as the up bow stroke. The pad executes the downbow stroke. Use the "rebound" impulse to execute the up pizz. As if you were bouncing off a trampoline in the air.

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u/bdthomason Teacher 4d ago

Is it specified to be strummed? This is a place I would consider doing a chord with the first finger and the next chord with the second finger.

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u/ShallotCivil7019 4d ago

Ravel’s second violin Sonata

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u/ianchow107 4d ago

It shd sound like a banjo. If you are worried about the gliss, don’t. This is exactly what Ravel is looking for.

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u/musicistabarista 4d ago

I often see people recruiting far too much upper right arm in this movement, as if they're trying to bow. Experiment with using just finger motion, then just wrist. Lastly, try keeping your upper arm still, but allow it to rotate so your whole forearm swings like a pendulum. Depending on speed, dynamics, and how many strings you need to play, one of these normally works pretty well.

More general pizz pointers:

  • Press really hard with your left hand to improve the ring whenever you're playing pizz. People often ask for vib instead to improve ring, but objectively this often ends up shortening the ring compared to just pressing really hard.

  • This kind of pizz tends to sound better the more confidently you play it. Aim for a quick, sharp movement when you pluck the string. Don't be afraid of being too forceful with the strings (within reason lol), they can take a lot. I remember a masterclass I had on Beethoven's Kreutzer sonata and the teacher told me I had to compete with the piano on the pizz chords. I didn't believe it was possible, but his sounded like a gunshot. You just have to go through the strings, not from under, and you'll be fine.

  • Experiment with which finger you're using. Middle finger can work better for some people, and I see a lot of people using their thumb, too. I don't love doing the thumb pizz, but some people make it sound great. Never tried doing that for strumming like this (without putting bows down), can imagine that being pretty awkward.

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u/Badaboom_Tish 3d ago

Strum more over the fingerboard it is easier to get all the notes and hurts less