The "wolf-note" in pizzicato playing

Abstract

The accompanying photograph, showing the simultaneous vibration curves of the G string and bridge of a 'cello played pizzicato at the "wolf-note" pitch, presents some noteworthy features which may be of interest to readers of Nature. One of the striking, features is the extremely rapid dissipation of energy. The other feature is the effect of the motion of the bridge on the vibration of the string. The photograph may, in fact, be briefly described as showing a strongly damped coupled vibration of the string and bridge, in many respects, differing from the cyclical vibrations excited by bowing at the "wolf-note" pitch described by me in previous communications to Nature. At pitches slightly different from that of the "wolf-note," the dissipation of energy is far less rapid, and the motion of the string approximates to that of an ordinary damped harmonic vibration.