THE ORCHESTRA: A USER'S MANUAL

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Introduction	Orchestration	Orchestration	Resources	Historical	Andrew Hugill
					Philharmonia

VIOLA

Section: Strings
Transposing? No

Construction
Range
Bowing
Plucking
Left Hand
Mute/Harmonics
Chords
Extended
Player's Tips and Tricks

Plucking

NAME	DESCRIPTION	NOTATION	LISTEN/VIEW	COMMENTS
pizzicato	plucking the string, as opposed to bowing	pizz	piano C3 Bb3 Eb4 A4 E5 C6 forte C3 B3 Eb4 D5 E5 C6
pizzicato secco	a damped pizzicato	secco	secco
snap ('Bartok') pizzicato	pulling the string upwards and allowing it to 'snap' sharply against the fingerboard	snap pizz	C3 Bb3 Eb4 A4 F5 C6	Often used by Béla Bartók, hence the nickname.
glissando	plucked glissando	gliss pizz	Gb3 Bb3 Bb4 E5	Note that it is possible to make a gliss away from an open string.
pizzicato tremolo	rapid motion of the finger against the string	pizz		Tiring to execute for long periods on the viola and an uncontrolled effect. Rarely used.
quasi guitar	violin held sideways against the body and strummed	quasi guitar	quasi guitar	Make sure the chords are simple!
left hand pizz	plucked with left hand rather than bowing hand	+ (over note)		Use with extreme caution. The fingerings need to be carefully considered.