Left Hand Pizz. and the Beginning Student
If you think back in your journey learning the violin or viola you probably were taught extended techniques at the intermediate or advanced stages of learning. There is good reason for this; many extended techniques are too difficult for beginning students and with all there is to learn as a beginner, unnecessary complication should be avoided!
That being said, there are some extended techniques that are beneficial and fun for beginning students to learn, but are unfortunately left out of most beginning books. One of these techniques is left hand pizzicato. I would like to briefly talk through some of the benefits of teaching left hand pizzicato to beginners.
1) Left hand pizz. can be used to foster a correct left hand position.
Left hand pizzicato can actually be introduced before students even know how to play with the left hand, and by doing so correct left hand technique can be instilled even before students attempt to use the left hand fingers. I like to start students playing left hand pizz. with the pinky in the middle of the string with the hand braced against the body of the instrument. This is a stable position that requires the wrist to stay straight. The pinky can easily grab the strings in the middle of the fingerboard because the distance between the strings and fingerboard is larger than when the hand is in first position.
Here’s a video explaining how I introduce this technique to my students: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTKIHdCIGu0
2) Left hand pizz. is fun!
Students tremendously enjoy learning left hand pizzicato. Parents often ask me if this is just a game in order to create strength in the pinky or for perhaps for some other reason. It’s not, it’s an actual technique, but that just goes to show how fun it is to learn, especially as a young child! Beginners get a kick out of being allowed to do something that they would try to do just fooling around if we let them. With all the “boring” technique stuff to learn as a beginner, adding left hand pizz. to the mix is a great way to keep kids excited about learning!
3) It’s a workout for the brain.
The Beginning Violinist: A Companion Book for Children and Adults (also available for viola) introduces left hand pizzicato in a song that also uses the traditional right hand pizzicato as well (Check out Surprise for Strings). There are plenty of rests so students get a chance to mentally and physically make the switch between hands, but even so it gives the brain a work out.Try Surprise for Strings yourself…you may be ‘surprised’ at how hard your brain needs to work!
4) Students become familiar with the notation.
That pesky little plus sign over or under notes can throw a student for a loop if they haven’t ever seen it before! Introducing students early on to the symbol that tells a player to use their left hand to pizz. educates young beginners so that when they see left hand pizzicato notated in intermediate or advanced music they not only know what it means, they also know how to do it. Maybe they can even be the one to educate their peers – students love nothing more than to show off a little for their friends!
This is certainly not an exhaustive list of reasons to introduce left hand pizz. at an early age, but I hope it gives you enough reason to try it with your students if you don’t do so already!
Also check out Bird Song – another song in The Beginning Violinist that includes left hand pizz.
Do you have other great reasons to introduce left hand pizz. to your beginning students? Let me know in the comments!
Emily Williams is the creator of Strategic Strings: An Online Course for Violin and Viola Teachers
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