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BOWING
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Name |
Description |
Notation |
Comments |
| arco | bowed (as opposed to plucked) | arco | It is assumed that a passage is bowed unless marked otherwise. However, once a 'pizz' indication has been given, 'arco' must be indicated for the next bowed passage. Where unusual bowing techniques are used, 'ord' will return the player to normal bowing. |
| down bow | bow travels from frog to point |  |
There is no need to indicate bowing unless a specific pattern of up and down bows is required. |
| up bow | bow travels from point to frog |  |
There is no need to indicate bowing unless a specific pattern of up and down bows is required. |
| middle bow | playing in the central region of the bow | Not normally indicated | |
| au talon | bowed at the frog | au talon (German: frosch. Itallian: tallone) |
Au talon is typically used as a loud effect. |
| punta d'arco | bowed at the point | punta d'arco (French: pointe. German: spitze) |
This technique is good for delicate effects. |
| col legno | with the wood of the bow | Col legno battuto: striking the string with the wood.
Col legno tratto: bowing the string with the wood. (Fr. bois de l'archet. Germ. die Bogenstange) |
When only col legno is indicated, players often use tratto but engaging an amount of the hair of the bow. It is best to specify the method. Battuto is best used quietly to minimise bow damage. |
| sul ponticello | bow near the bridge | sul pont | To return to normal bowing after a sul ponticello passage, the composer should write ord or normale. |
| sul tasto | bow over the fingerboard | sul tasto | To return to normal bowing after a sul tasto passage, write ord or normale. |
| détaché | separated notes |  |
Separate bows |
| legato | smooth, slurred notes |  |
In a short legato phrase the player changes between notes without changing the direction that the bow is moving in. In a longer legato phrase, or in a series of legato phrases, the player seeks to minimise the interruption to the sound caused by changes of bow direction. |
| tenuto | full value notes |  |
Alternate bows, full length |
| portato | 'carried' notes |  (French: louré) |
Played in a single bow, but with slight breaks between notes |
| staccato | short notes |  |
Alternate short bows |
| spiccato | very short notes |  |
"Off-the-string", i.e. bounced bow. A spiccato played in a single down bow is called saltando, and in a single up-bow is called volante. |
| marcato | 'measured' notes | verbal instruction: marcato | An "in the string" sound, performed either in a single bow or in alternate bows. |
| martelé | 'hammered' notes |  |
The accents might have staccato dots too, since this is really an extension of staccato playing, producing a very heavy sound. |
| jeté | 'thrown' bow | jeté | A controlled bouncing on the string |
| ricochet | ricochet bow | ric (sometimes shown with multiple dots over the note) |
Bouncing on the string - similar, or to some players identical in technique to jeté (above). |
| tremolo | rapid up-down bows |  |
A measured tremolo subdivides the beat accurately according to the number of bars through the note stem. An unmeasured tremolo (usually indicated with the word trem) is a very rapid alternation of up and down bows. |
| sul G | played on the G string | sul G | Played on a single string until otherwise indicated, thus sul G, sul D, sul A, sul E and sulC for viola and cello. This is used to give colour to the timbre. |
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The Forum |
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There
are a tremendous number of bowing techniques for string instruments. The
table below lists and describes the main types.