10 - Making Pizzicato Parts More Interesting
The EASY thing to do is to grab an ALL STRING pizz patch and just use that. A lot of times, this is what I do, especially when the line is not featured. CSS is great for this.
But THERE IS RISK HERE. The fullness of all strings can get too warm and muddy if you have a lot if things going on. You also lose some of the coloristic uniqueness of the individual sections. So separating the part out into vlns, violas, celli, etc can be very rewarding. You get the individual timbral character of the different sections and a slightly thinner sound, which can make it easier to combine with other instruments.
SEPARATE THE SECTIONS
REMEMBER TO use dynamic SHAPES with your velocities. EBB and FLOW
MAKE SURE TO ADD DYNAMIC VELOCITIES
Jazz up the OOMPAH. Make it a little more interesting than just I – chord V – chord. Separate the bass to be just the basses. Have violas on the chord. Have a high vlns-only part. Switch of the note values.
TIP: Try adding in some SOLO string pizz for some unique texture. I love solo string pizzicato.
CSS FULL STRINGS PIZZ OTT TIP
I like to add a little of the free effect OTT to this full string patch to (1) brighten up the sound (2) add a little air to the sound.
DO NOT: Have too much reverb on an ALL STRINGS pizz patch. Since it's already really FULL and WARM, this can just be TOO much.
DO NOT: have a static rangee of VELOCITIES
DO NOT: just go OOM-PAH triads with a full pizz patch IF IT'S REALLY FEATURED.
DO NOT: DO ALL THESE THIGNS TOGETHER, unless you want it to sound like bad TV pizzicato
YOUR ASSIGNMENT
TRY THIS #1 – play around with using pizzicato to create momentum and intrigue like in this Angela's Ashes track by John Williams. Go to 40 seconds in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-L_nOmHAho
TRY THIS #2 – Create 8 bars of a classic oompah/comedy full pizz part but (a) separate the notes into SECTIONS, (b) make sure the velocity dynamics are not flat (c ) try to make the rhythmic pattern or arrangement a little more interesting not that you have the sections available.