Étouffé or Appagado

• Most scores use étouffé or pizz. to identify the technique
• The lower, fatty, part of the hand rest on the bridge nut
• There is a fine line between a good resonant sound and a completely dampened sound

Example Explained

The example plays all open strings. However, the challenge is to move back and forth from a natural sound to the pizzicato and then back again.

Most have little difficulty with the thumb playing pizzicato but must practice using the fingers.

Example

Example Explained

The example causes the player to move forward and backward from the natural playing position to the pizzicato position.

This is movement is the hardest for most to master.

Any scale will work to practice this technique.