NAME
|
DESCRIPTION
|
NOTATION
|
LISTEN/VIEW
|
COMMENTS
|
arco
|
bowed
(as opposed to plucked)
|
arco
|
Here
is a selection of normal bowed notes marked with 'hairpins',
to give an idea of the range of bowing pressures available. The
violin is capable of great subtlety of dynamics and tone colour:
D4
>
E5
<
F5
>
B5
>
C6
< |
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' or 'norm' will return the player to normal bowing. |
down
bow
|
bow
travels from frog to point
|
|
about down and up bows
|
Strong,
and therefore used often on downbeats. 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
|
|
[
about down and up bows]
|
Weaker
sound than down bow, and therefore used often on upbeats. There
is no need to indicate bowing unless a specific pattern of up and
down bows is required.
|
(middle
bow)
|
|
|
middle
of bow: the balancing point |
Not
normally indicated
|
au
talon
|
bowed
at the frog
|
au
talon
(Germ. Frosch
It. tallone)
|
au talon
|
Works
best loud
|
punta
d'arco
|
bowed
at the point
|
punta
d'arco
(Fr. pointe
Germ. Spitze)
|
punta d'arco |
Good
for delicate effects |
col
legno
|
with
the wood (but see next two entries)
|
col
legno
(Fr. bois de l'archet
Germ. die Bogenstange)
|
col legno |
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. |
col
legno battuto
|
hit
with the wood of the bow
|
col
legno battuto
|
G3
Ab3
Bb3
Db4
F4
E5
B5
E6
Mahler
Symphony no. 4 (Movement 1, 172-173)
|
|
col
legno tratto
|
drag
wood of the bow across string
|
col
legno tratto
(Germ.
Gestrichen)
|
G3
Bb3
Bb4
E5
B5
G6 |
Use
with extreme caution! Players do not like to risk damaging valuable
bows |
sul
ponticello
|
bow
near the bridge
|
sul
pont
|
Ab3
Bb3
Db4
Eb4
Bb4
E5
B5 |
|
sul
tasto
|
bow
over the fingerboard
|
sul
tasto
|
G3
Ab3
Bb3
Db4
F4
Bb4
E5
C6
|
|
détaché
|
separated
notes
|
|
détaché
|
Separate
bows |
legato
|
smooth,
slurred notes
|
|
legato |
In a single bow, without breaks |
tenuto
|
full
note values
|
|
tenuto |
Alternate
bows, full length |
portato
|
"carried"
notes
|
Fr. louré
|
portato |
In
a single bow, but with slight breaks between notes |
staccato
|
short
notes
|
|
staccato |
Alternate
bows |
spiccato
|
very
short notes
|
|
spiccato |
"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. |
martelé
|
"hammered"
notes
|
|
martelé |
Also
indicated by accents. In a single bow, but very separated notes. |
jeté
|
"thrown"
bow
|
jeté
|
jeté |
A
controlled bouncing on the string |
ricochet
|
ricochet
bow
|
ric
(sometimes with multiple dots over the note)
|
|
An
uncontrolled bouncing on the string |
tremolo
|
rapid
up-down bows
|
|
tremolo |
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. Lends a particular colour to the timbre. |