Pizzicato vs Staccato: What’s the Difference?

The difference at a glance

Pizzicato is a method of playing strings by plucking rather than bowing. Staccato is a style of playing notes that are detached and short, regardless of the method used.

What does Pizzicato mean?

adverb · /ˌpɪt.sɪˈkɑː.toʊ/

A musical direction indicating that a stringed instrument should be played by plucking the strings with the fingers rather than using the bow — producing a dry, crisp, somewhat percussive sound instead of a sustained tone.

Pizzicato in a sentence

The violinist played the passage pizzicato, plucking the strings instead of drawing the bow across them.

The quartet shifted to pizzicato for the final movement — the effect was suddenly skeletal, intimate, and final.

What does Staccato mean?

adverb · /stəˈkɑː.toʊ/

A musical articulation in which each note is played briefly and crisply, detached from neighboring notes. The opposite of legato. More broadly, any speech or movement that is abrupt and clipped.

Staccato in a sentence

The violins played a staccato figure beneath the melody — each note a small, controlled exclamation.

She spoke in staccato bursts when she was angry — short sentences, no connecting tissue.

Frequently asked questions