String playing words: pizzicato, vibrato, and tremolo

Pizzicato means plucking the string with a finger. Vibrato is a small, quick wobble of the left hand that warms the sound. Tremolo is a fast shiver of the bow. These are three of the words a violin, viola, cello, or bass player meets. This page explains fourteen of them.

The words at a glance

Word	Say it	What the player does
Arco	AR-koh	Plays with the bow
Pizzicato	pit-sih-KAH-toh	Plucks the string
Legato	leh-GAH-toh	Joins the notes in one smooth bow
Staccato	stah-KAH-toh	Plays short notes with the bow stopping between them
Spiccato	spih-KAH-toh	Bounces the bow off the string
Tremolo	TREM-oh-loh	Moves the bow back and forth as fast as it will go
Vibrato	vih-BRAH-toh	Rocks a left-hand finger on the string
Glissando	glih-SAHN-doh	Slides a finger along the string
Harmonics		Touches the string with a light finger, and a high, flute-like note sounds
Double stop		Plays two strings at once
Col legno	kol LEN-yoh	Taps the string with the wood of the bow
Sul ponticello	sool pon-tih-CHEL-oh	Bows close to the bridge for a glassy sound
Con sordino	kon sor-DEE-noh	Plays with a mute on the bridge
Down-bow and up-bow		Pulls the bow or pushes it

Bow or pluck

Arco tells the player to use the bow. Pizzicato tells the player to pluck. On the page, the composer writes “pizz.” where the plucking starts and “arco” where the bow comes back.

A plucked note is short and round. It dies away at once.

Hear: the Pizzicato Polka, by Johann Strauss II and Josef Strauss, and the third movement of Symphony No. 4, by Tchaikovsky. The strings pluck from the first note to the last in both.

Ways to use the bow

Legato. Several notes in one stroke, with no gaps. Hear: The Swan, by Saint-Saëns.

Staccato. Short notes. The bow stops on the string between them.

Spiccato. The bow bounces, and each note is a tiny hop. Hear: the fast parts of the William Tell Overture finale.

Tremolo. The bow moves back and forth on one note as fast as it can. Quiet tremolo gives a shivering sound. Loud tremolo gives a rumble. Hear: the storm in “Summer,” from The Four Seasons, by Vivaldi.

Down-bow and up-bow. A down-bow starts near the hand and pulls. It is the stronger stroke. An up-bow starts at the tip and pushes. Two small signs above the notes show which to use.

Read staccato and legato explained.

What the left hand adds

Vibrato. The finger rocks back and forth on the string, and the note wavers a little above and below its pitch. The sound grows warmer. Students often learn it after a few years, once the hand is steady.

Glissando. The finger slides, and the note swoops up or down.

Harmonics. The finger rests on the string without pressing it down. A clear, high note sounds, far above the usual one. Hear: the opening of The Firebird, by Stravinsky, where the strings slide through harmonics.

Double stop. Two strings sound at once, so one violin plays in harmony with itself. Hear: the solo violin at the start of Danse macabre, by Saint-Saëns.

Special sounds

Col legno. The player turns the bow over and taps the strings with the wooden stick. It makes a dry clatter. Hear: the opening of “Mars,” from The Planets, by Holst.

Sul ponticello. The bow plays close to the bridge. The sound turns thin and glassy.

Con sordino. A small mute clips onto the bridge. The sound turns soft and veiled. “Senza sordino” means take the mute off.

Where the words come from

Most of these words are Italian. Italy was the home of the violin and of the first great violin makers and players, and the words spread from there with the music.

Things to do together

Bow or pluck? Play a string piece. Your child mimes bowing or plucking to match what they hear.

Shiver and thunder. Play Vivaldi’s storm. Ask your child to shake their hands fast when the strings play tremolo.

Rubber band sounds. Stretch a rubber band over a box. Pluck it. Slide a finger along it as you pluck, and hear the note slide.

Spot the signs. Look at a page of violin music. Find “pizz.,” “arco,” and the down-bow and up-bow signs.

Watch the left hand. In a video of a cellist, watch the left hand rock. That is vibrato.

Name the sound. Play the opening of “Mars.” Ask what the players are doing to make that sound.

Print and play

Use a listening journal page for each piece. Read string instruments for kids and the violin for kids.