Pizzicato notation
I'm trying to figure out what (if any) norms apply to notation for pizzicato. As explained here, we have:
Do we not have any symbols used to indicate right-hand pizzicato? I have only seen it written out with the abbreviation "pizz" which, to avoid ambiguity, then requires a subsequent abbreviation "arco" to indicate a return to bowing! (Not to mention the semantic ambiguity in assuming that "pizz" is right-hand pizzicato, and not any other variant.)
ETA: Given that we have symbols for virtually every other string attack and ornamentation, it would seem exceedingly odd to have no symbol for this most-common form of pizzicato. Using the word abbreviations produces score kludges like the following. (pizz. arco, pizz. arco, ad libitum.... Heaven help us if anything unusual should happen!)
Another point of confusion: I have also seen an open circle used to indicate left-hand pizzicato, but only in scores for Paganini, like this:
Is this notation unique to Paganini? Generally I believe/assume that notation is used to indicate the note should be played as a harmonic.
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@feetwet Right hand pizzicato is, as you wrote, indicated with "pizz.". There is no reason to make any other symbol for that; you can say that the word "pizz." has become the symbol. Any different symbol will just be confusing.
Using an open circle to indicate left-hand pizzicato is a really bad idea since an open circle normally means a harmonic as you wrote. So a publisher should apply the symbols in the standard way they are known to violin players when he/she publishes violin music.
New symbols are only relevant when new playing techniques are invented.
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