I was just listening to Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, which reminded me of something I’ve wondered before: I think the whole 3rd movement is played pizzicato. Are there violinists (or other string players) who are good enough to be in a major symphony who would have trouble with something like the 3rd movement of Tchaikovsky’s 4th? Basically, how hard is it?
I assume you were listening to allegro? Not hard at all.
Basically, pizz, is the analog to traditional bowing methods, only more refined to using the finger as opposed to the bow. Basically, with pizzicato, its harder, for me anyways, to get the same speed in notes as with a bow. And the played notes tend to sound a little muffled, almost muted.
I’ll grant that maybe a great violinist could be bad at pizzicato, but it is improbable. 
Moved from General Questions to Cafe Society.
Gfactor
General Questions Moderator
Thanks, Hadrian’s Wall. Yes, it was the allegro 3rd movement I was listening to.
It’s interesting that the plucked notes sound muted to you when in the recordings they generally sound so clear.
How about Paganini’s 24th Caprice? I think I’ve heard that Paganini is one of the toughest composers to play, so I’d assume the pizzicato sections are relatively the same increase in difficulty?
Pizzicato itself isn’t difficult, but when you have an extended section of it, like in the Tchaikovsky, you risk getting a blister on your finger, and possibly a cramp.
Paganini’s a whole different animal. You have to do the pizzicato with your left hand, while also some tricky fingering. And it’s damn fast. This type of thing is reserved for true virtuosi. I can easily understand why some of his contemporaries considered Paganini the Devil.
He might have been the devil, but my god, those caprices are spectacular. Someone stole a bunch of my classical cds or I’d be listening to them right now.
If I can propose some other techniques that are cool, check out some of the stuff by Turtle Island String Quartet. I’ll revisit what you wrote earlier Jsgoddess, pizzicato, the technique isn’t hard, you take your finger, and pick a string. The combination of picking with notes in a accurate manner? That depends on the skill of the player, and that is all relative.