Sul sol

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the string staff as sul G (letter names are commoner than sul sol), or as the Roman numeral IV, usually with a bracket or dashed line showing how long to stay on the string. The instruction lasts to the end of the bracket, or until another string or ord. is marked.

Abbreviations: sul G

How Composers Use It

On the violin’s lowest string, high positions give a dark, intense, slightly covered tone — which is why Romantic composers ask for whole melodies sul G. It also avoids audible string crossings and keeps a phrase in one colour. Check the range: very high notes on the G string are possible but strenuous, and the bracket should end where the line returns to normal fingering.

Example

Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 in B minor (“Pathétique”), third movement, violins, m. 96: “sul G” at ff.

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