Scordatura

Scordatura is a technique in which one or more strings of a stringed instrument are retuned to pitches different from the instrument’s standard tuning for the duration of a piece or movement. The retuning changes timbre, extends the instrument’s range, or simplifies difficult passages, enabling unusual resonances, drones, or cross-string effects that standard tuning cannot easily produce.

Historically, scordatura is most associated with Baroque music, though it appears in earlier and later repertoire as well. It was used to facilitate extended chords or difficult fingerings, and to create sonorities that could not be achieved with normal tuning. The practice is especially well known in violin literature; Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber’s Rosary Sonatas (late 17th century) are among the best-known examples. Other composers experimented with scordatura as a deliberate timbral or technical effect.

Performance and notation considerations vary by piece. Scores may indicate the scordatura, specify the sounding pitch, or provide performance notes guiding the player on fingerings and the required retuning. Because the instrument’s tension and setup are altered, preparation is essential, often requiring retuning before a movement and careful re-tuning afterward.

In modern practice, scordatura remains a tool for composers and performers seeking alternative textures. It appears occasionally in contemporary works and experimental repertoires, where it can expand expressive possibilities beyond conventional tuning.