Listening Activity E: Pizzicato Plucking

In the Scherzo from Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, you will hear music that is both soft and fast. As you listen to pizzicato string music, pretend that one of your index fingers is a violin string. Use your other index finger to pluck this "string" quickly and softly in time with the music. Use this diagram if you need an illustration.

	Try It! Use the controls below to play the music.
	How do I do this?

Were you able to keep up with the music? Did you find yourself picking harder to keep up with the fast tempo? Did picking harder help you go faster or did it slow you down? (Musicians know that picking harder will slow down the tempo. You must pick very lightly in order to maintain a fast tempo.)