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How is sul D played?
Play the indicated notes specifically on the D string rather than choosing the most convenient fingering. D is shared by violin G–D–A–E, viola and cello C–G–D–A, and standard four-string double bass E–A–D–G, though it occupies a different numbered position on those instruments. Composers use sul D to lock a line to one string’s colour or to require higher positions for a more covered sound. Continue until the marked span ends, another string is named or the instruction is cancelled.
How does sul D sound?
A uniform tone belonging to the D string, often rounder and more veiled than the same notes spread across adjacent strings.
In context
Sul D literally means “on the D string”. Published violin material writes sul D in full, while official notation systems also allow pitch-name labels or Roman string numbers. Those alternatives are not abbreviations of the Italian phrase. The direction is primarily timbral and positional, not a separate sound-production technique, and its Roman numeral depends on the instrument.