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What happens when violin strings are played pizzicato?
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stringed instrument
A Japanese musician plucking the strings of a koto with the right hand to generate a pitch and pressing the strings with the left hand to alter the tone.
When violin strings are played pizzicato, the player produces sound by plucking the strings with their fingers instead of using a bow.12
This technique is a distinct method of sound production that alters the instrument's timbre. When a string is set into motion by plucking, the manner of the pluckāsuch as using a fingernailācan emphasize higher overtones, resulting in a brighter tone quality compared to the sound produced by bowing. As with standard playing, these vibrations are transmitted through the bridge to the violin's body, which acts as a resonator to amplify the sound.34