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Violin Bowing- A List of Terms
Posted on October 2, 2013 by Amanda

With so many different types of bowing out there, one can be easily confused by the variety- and
the disagreement upon terms and definitions. In an attempt to provide accurate information for my
students, I have compiled an expository list of bowing styles and examples, aggregated from
several sources and professionals.

Some of these definitions may seem as though they’re impossibly close- and you would be
correct in your confusion, because they are less mutually exclusive than I would like. They are Search Posts by Tag
helpful, however, because in each explanation and video demonstration, the heart of the bowing
technique is shown. Even if the examples differ slightly from what I have shown in class, my accessories advanced bowing
students benefit from the context of a rich variety of experience, and I love being able to provide fast playing inspiration instruments
this wealth of knowledge to my students. intonation
Kaw Valley Orchestra Project
There are a few different basic categories for bowing, and they involve the length of the bow on literature orchestra karate test
the string, the separation of notes through use of the bow, and whether the approach and physics physiology positions
finishing of the note by the bow is on or off the string.
practice reading rhythm scales

technique vibrato
I. On-the-String Bow Strokes
starting out strings

videos

The first category of bowing styles, which are

the first strokes we teach beginning students,
are referred to as detaché, legato, or staccato. Music Theory Links
Paced Note Naming Game
detaché– separate, broad bow strokes, but not staccato (or short)
Music Theory practice
Music Theory.net
finger detaché– a detaché resulting from only using the fingers of the right hand

accented grande detaché– a fast-moving bow, accented detaché, and can be done in one of
two methods: without any “bite” (biting or gruff beginning of the note), or with a bite sound at the
beginning of the note.
Instrument Supplies
legato– smooth stroke without any spacing between changes of bow
& Sheet Music
Beautiful Music Violin Shop
marcato– sharp stroke… literally, well-marked JW Pepper
Luck's Music Library
martele– detached and strongly accented bow stroke: “hammered”; see also martellato Musician's Friend
Schott Music
martellato– hammer-style bowing, detached stroke, usually upper half of bow

staccato– a short note, which can be produced with several kinds of bow strokes, but indicates a
note with required space between its ending and the beginning of the next note

tremolo– moving the bow with great rapidity, repeating the same note with rapid up and down
bows stemming from the wrist

The first category also includes the basic

introduction of playing multiple notes under one
bow stroke, the slur.
slur– two or more different notes played under a single bow stroke, either up or down, with no
articulation in between notes apart from the left hand changing pitch and/or the bow moving to a
different string.

hooked bow– two or more notes under a slur, with each note’s beginning resulting from a
stopped bow stroke. The bow continues in the same direction, but the notes are not part of the
same impulse of bow movement. The sounding of the string may or may not be completely
stopped by this pause of the bow.

louré (portato)– separating and swelling at the beginning of each note in a series of notes taken
in a slur; this differs from up-bow and down-bow staccato in that each note’s re-articulation is
gently emphasized while continuing the bow in the same direction. This also differs from hooked
bow, as the bow stroke does not completely stop, nor does the sounding of the string become
stifled from the bow motion interruption.

detaché porté– like a louré with heavy swelling on marked notes, but without the continuation of
bow in the same direction (Brahms Sonata Opus 100) (see louré, just below)

detaché lancé– like a louré with no slurs, and the increased speed of a martelé (Bach Partita No.
2 Chaconne (measure 169))

piqué– a collé bowing starting from the string (see collé bowing, under “off-the-string bow
strokes”), with fingers providing all of the movement. This results in a very terse note, with a sharp
beginning and ending. Usually this is utilized when performing “backwards” articulation, starting
with an upbow, in an uneven rhythm

II. Off-the-string bow strokes:

All of these bow strokes involve a form of
staccato, as they place different amounts of
space between notes and articulate them
differently than when the bow is made to move
in a strictly horizontal plane. The

A. one note per bow stroke

spiccato– controlled bouncing or springing bow

simple brushed spiccato– rather large, heavy, and slow strokes near the frog with no hand or
finger movement

tapping stroke– light tapping motion, rotating back and forth along the horizontal axis of the right
arm on each down and up bow stroke, using primarily the elbow and shoulder

bouncing ball– like slap stroke, but a more forceful, aggressive spiccato with the bounce of
ricochet, the motion of the hand and arm the same as bouncing a ball.

sautillé– very fast spiccato, done usually with the hand, like a finger detache, with the hair hardly
leaving the string while the wood bounces. It’s a relatively light and sensitive, slightly bouncing
stroke (Saint-Saens, Rondo Capriccioso, last allegro; Dont- Opus 35; No. 2) (on YouTube,
Professor V presents 2 alternative methods for sautille: Method 2, Method 3)

slap stroke– down or up bow, with a start from extreme off the string to on the string action,
without a resulting bounce. This must be done either at the frog or the tip, and not anywhere in
between.

saltato (saltando)– thrown staccato in the upper half of the bow, thrown down onto the string

collé– “pinched” bowing at the frog done with fingers only, starting from above the string,
touching, and then lifting; often assigned by teachers to help students cultivate finger flexibility
while still balancing the weight of the bow (here’s a great exercise to practice!)

B. Multiple notes per bow stroke

(or bow strokes repeatedly moving in the same direction while off the string)

upbow stacatto– stick down, third finger moving the bow at the first finger pivot point, resulting in
a clockwise motion of the hand

flying spicatto– like regular spiccato in that the bow bounces, but the bow is drawn along the
strings as it’s bounced in the same direction while playing many fast notes for a virtuostic effect.
Neither the hair nor the stick actually leave the string, but are held for a series of hard, fast
strokes while pressure is maintained to produce a staccato sound. (also called jeté lént)

standing spiccato– same as flying spiccato, except the bow repeatedly hits the string in the
same place of the bow. This is done by the hand and fingers making little clockwise circles

jeté: a bouncing bow stroke involving two to six ricochets in a row, where the bow is thrown and
allowed to bounce at a naturally decaying frequency

ricochet (saltato/ saltando)– a bouncing bow stroke in which the bow is dropped or thrown on
the string and allowed to rebound and bounce again, several times, either in the same direction or
toward a different bow direction. This bow stroke is sometimes considered less controlled than
jeté.

– starts on the frog from an up bow, moving with the fingers and arm, finishing in the air- but on a
sustained pitch, without bounce

jeté vité– same as the jete lent in that there is no real bouncing, but starts from the air and
finishes in the air
son file- sustained tone

III. Multiple-String and Special

Effect Bowings
whipped stroke (fouette)– an up bow, forcibly thrown onto the string as a special effect
(Mendelssohn Concerto, Mvt 1 & 3)

saccadé– the sudden and forceful pressing down onto one string so hard the bow comes into
contact with two strings at once

bariolage– the quick alternation between a static note and changing notes forming a melody
above or below the static note, with repeated string crossing

sul ponticello– bowing near the bridge, resulting in a glassy or nasal tone

sul G– playing solely on the G string, with left hand adjusting position to produce all notes

chanterelle– notes or passage exclusively on the E string

sul tasto (flautando)– playing lightly over the fingerboard, resulting in a soft, whispery, hazy
sound

flageolets– harmonics, produced with a light, quick stroke of the left hand while bowing. This
bowing must have good contact with the string in order to produce the correct tone.

col legno– bow stick used to hit the strings

inversed position– instead of the bow hairs played closest to the bridge, the stick is rotated to be
closest to the bridge. This technique eases the playing of several-note chords, and can give a
fuller sound while relaxing the right hand

pizzicato– it wouldn’t be a proper discourse on the performance of the violin without this being
mentioned, so I mention it to draw attention to the several ways in which it can be performed: with
the finger at a 90-degree angle from the string, resulting in a marked pluck, with a 90-degree
angle plucked more forcibly as to make the string slap onto the fingerboard, and with the finger at
a 45-degree angle from the string, allowing the flesh of the finger to principally contact the string,
making the note much more nuanced. Another consideration is whether or not to anchor the
thumb underneath the fingerboard, or whether to pluck with the index finger with the bow still held
by the right hand, or to put the bow on the stand. These issues can only be resolved by a
thorough study of the printed music!

left- hand pizzicato– the action of plucking a string with one of the fingers of the left hand,
usually either the index or 4th finger.

If you have a bowing technique to add, please contact me- I would enjoy hearing from you! I
understand your definition of a particular technique may vary from what’s listed here, and while I
will accept amendments to what is posted, I believe this list to be a solid and accurate starting
point for a violinist or violist looking for good definition and example of a specific technique.
Please be respectful and constructive in your comments, as this blog is maintained as a positive,
safe place to help other string players.

Sources:
Violin Terms: Sheila’s Corner

Violin Online- Violin Basics- Violin Bow Strokes

YouTube: ProfessorV Channel

YouTube: Barnes & Mullins UK Channel

The Violin Site: Bow Arm Violin Exercises

Ivan Galamian: Basics and Methods of Violin Playing

Violinist.com: Laurie Niles’ Blog

Calvin Seib Bowing Techniques

Art & Music Studies: Advanced Bowings

www.violinlab.com

YouTube: Red Desert Violin Channel

Clive, Owen. Classical and Romantic Performing Practice 1750-1900. 2004, Oxford University
Press.

Kjelland, James. Ochestral Bowing: Style and Function. 2003, Alfred Music Publishing.

Stowell, Robin. The Early Violin and Viola, a Practical Guide. 2001, Cambridge University Press.

Kling, H. Prof. H. Kling’s Modern Orchestration and Instrumentation. 1905, C. Fisher.

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How Long Does it Take to Learn Violin? says:

March 4, 2016 at 2:17 pm

[…] your bowing technique. Your violin tone starts to improve, and you’ll learn about slurs and
hooked bowing, as well as how to cross strings more proficiently. You’ll also learn the
difference between […]

5 Things to Know Before Learning to Play Violin – Saul Corona Music says:
October 14, 2016 at 10:42 pm

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