Pizzicato
Pizzicato (Italian “plucked”) is a playing direction for string instruments: the strings are plucked with the fingers instead of being bowed. In the score the abbreviation “pizz.” is usually written. It applies until “arco” leads back to bowing.
- Meaning
- pluck the strings with the fingers instead of bowing
- Sign
- “pizz.” in the score, usually at the start of the plucked passage
- Cancelled by
- arco
- Applies to
- string instruments
Plucking instead of bowing
String instruments normally produce their sound with the bow. “Pizz.” asks for something else: the string is plucked with the fingertip, as a rule with the right hand, which otherwise holds the bow. The note then begins with one attack and dies away instead of being held. It is short and sounds clearly different from a bowed note. Usually there is no sign of its own for this: the notes look as they always do, and only the word reveals the way of playing.
First plucked, then bowed
An example of our own for a bass part: the first eight quarter notes are under “pizz.”, the whole note at the end under “arco”. In playback both parts sound the same, because the computer does not know the difference between plucking and bowing here. In the score, the word alone separates the two ways of playing.
Where it appears in the score
The direction is written at the start of the plucked passage and applies until an “arco” (or “coll’arco”) leads back to the bow. The three sheets from the archive show this:
Voice and piano
-
Signor, Signor, lasciate far a me (Serse) Handel / Wolff · bass voice and piano, with chords for guitar · 1 page
Under the upbeat, in the piano part, is “(pizzicato unisono)” (unisono: in unison) with f; the inscription above names string quintet and harpsichord as the tutti that the piano part reproduces. Only in bar 13 does “(arco)” appear. The movement begins with “Allegro” in 4/4 time, and the key signature has one flat.
Orchestra
-
Symphony No. 7 in A major, 2nd movement: Allegretto Ludwig van Beethoven · score · 54 pages
On page 17, in bar 101, “pizz.” is above the two lowest lines, cello I and cello II e basso: a quarter note and two eighth notes ascending. A double barline follows, and the key signature changes to three sharps.
-
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, 2nd movement: Largo Antonín Dvořák · score · 18 pages
On page 5, the double bass begins in bar 48 with “pizz.” and pp in eighth notes, after resting for five bars. Above the score, from bar 46, is “Un poco più mosso”.
In the “Serse” excerpt both are on the same sheet: “pizzicato unisono” at the upbeat, “(arco)” in bar 13. In the scores of Beethoven and Dvořák, “pizz.” is written under or over the line of the part concerned, so in the orchestra only for the strings it affects.
Distinctions
Pizzicato is not an articulation marking like staccato. Staccato means that a note is played short, and it can be played with the bow, on the piano and on other instruments. With pizzicato, by contrast, it is the way of producing the note that changes. “Col legno” is also something different: there the bow is still used, but with the wood instead of the hair. With pizzicato the bow is not used.
There are also special forms: left-hand pizzicato is marked with a small cross over the note.
Common mistakes
- Overlooking the end: “pizz.” applies until “arco” or “coll’arco” comes. Anyone who looks only at the notes may go on plucking too long.
- Equating pizzicato with staccato: A plucked note sounds short by itself, but a staccato dot says something about length, not about the way of playing.
- Mixing up left and right hand: Without an addition you pluck with the right hand; the small cross over the note asks for the left.
Continue on Maikstrings
Related terms
ArcoCol legnoTremoloStaccatoStringsDouble bassCon sordinoArticulation
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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