Détaché bow stroke

On violin and other string instruments, détaché is a playing technique that uses long, separate, up, and down bow strokes for each note.

In sheet music, the notes have no bow marking. Therefore, if you see no slurs or accents, that is an indication to play the section of the score détaché.

Legato bow stroke

Playing notes legato means playing them smoothly and connected. In other words, you’re playing with no interruptions between the notes.

You can play legato in two ways, either by playing multiple notes in one bow stroke or by connecting two separate strokes seamlessly.

The legato marking is an arch, found either above or below several notes connecting them.

Tenuto

The marking for tenuto found in sheet music is a short dash or line, found under or above the note head. When you see this marking, it means to play the note it’s full length or value (as opposed to stopping a little earlier, like when you are playing staccato)

Portato

Portato is playing several tenuto notes in one continuous bow stroke, thereupon creating a strong regular rhythm that rises up and down as you bow. The sound is similar to a pulsation compared to the separated notes of tenuto.

It is marked in music by a line above or below the note head, with an arch connecting the notes that you are to play.

Double Stops**

This is described as playing two notes on two separate strings both at the same time. This can be done by stopping two separate strings, or stopping one string and playing the string open (not stopped).

In sheet music a double stop is indicated by two notes, one on top of the other.

Chords**

Playing three or four notes so they sound as if they are being played at the same time. Because the curvature of the violin bridge makes it impossible to play three strings at the same time, you play chords as a quick succession of double stops.

Triple stops or quadruple stops are other names for chords.

Three or more notes stacked in sheet music is how you can tell you are supposed to play them as chords on your violin.

Staccato bow stroke

Staccato bowing is shortening the duration of a note length and beginning with a bite. To rephrase it, beginning with a bite similar to martelé, you play about half as long as the original note value.

This technique is indicated in the music with a dot over or below the note head.

Up-bow & Down-bow Staccato

Multiple short and detached notes that start with a bite or accents and are all played in one bow direction are called up-bow or down-bow staccato.

Martelé bow stroke

Detached from other notes, the martelé bow stroke has a strong accent or bite at the beginning of the note. You can do this by adding a bit of pressure with your index finger. This is done by adding pressure to the bow so it presses down on the string before you start to bow. You begin the note by releasing the pressure and with rapid bow speed, reducing the bow speed near the end.

It is marked in music by a line or accent over the note.

Sustained Martelé bow stroke

After the initial attack of the martelé stroke, the sound of the sustained martelé is continued (sustained) without interruption for a longer period.

Spiccato bow stroke

Spiccato is a bouncing bow technique. Short single strokes produce the sound by dropping the middle of the bow onto the string of the violin. You lift the bow of the string between bow bounces. Spiccato is more often used in faster passages than that of staccato, requiring trained technique and good bow control.

Flying Staccato

The flying staccato stroke is often combined with a regular, upbow staccato stroke. The first notes of the run are played with regular staccato and the closer to the frog the violinist gets, the notes slowly change into a spiccato-like stroke.

Flying Spiccato

Flying spiccato is when you play many spiccato notes in one bow direction – usually on an upbow – but the bow keeps the same contact point for each stroke.

Ricochet bowing technique

When playing this technique, notes are played on the same bow stroke by your bow’s natural reaction to the initial contact note. This natural reaction occurs by throwing the middle of the bow down onto the string for the first note, thus the bow will bounce or ricochet.

Collé bowing technique

To play collé on the violin, the note is pinched and the strings are attacked at the same time from the air. The bow is immediately lifted off of the string in preparation for the next note.

A flexible wrist, relaxed arm, and fingers will help this movement feel more natural.

Sautillé bowing technique

Sautillé is a quick bouncing bow stroke. Different from spiccato because you do not lift and drop the bow between the bow bounces. When playing sautillé, you move the bow so quickly that it has a natural up and down bounce. The bounce will be better if the middle of the bow makes contact with the string.

Fouette or Whipped bowing technique

An accent is quickly produced by slightly lifting the bow off of the strings of the violin and “whipping” it down back onto the strings. This requires speed and arms control.

This technique is usually performed in the upper half of the bow. It almost always starts with an upbow.

Jete bowing technique

A thrown bow that you control with your arm, wrist, and fingers. Therefore, you control the bounce, speed, and quality of sound you can produce.

Chops bowing technique

Chops is a percussive bow technique, executed with a vertical drop and lift motion of the bow onto the strings. You control the bounce with your arm wrist and fingers.

Your sound will be more solid if the contact is made with the strings near the bow’s balance point. This is located in the lower half of the bow near the frog.

Pizzicato

Pizzicato is a percussion technique used for string instruments. Violinists pluck the strings of their violin with their finger instead of using bow strokes.

You can use either the finger of your left hand or right, usually while holding the bow.

Marcato

A notation in music indicating to bow note, passage, chord, etc. with more force. The player accentuates them more strongly than the other notes in the passage.

Tremolo bowing technique

Tremolo comes from the word to tremble. The technique requires the repetition of a note where the player plays as fast as possible, without using any specific rhythm. Doing this creates a trembling sound that adds great effect if the composer or conductor wants to add tension or heaviness to a section of the score.

Measured Tremolo bowing technique

Tremolo that needs to be played into a precise rhythm. The rhythm is noted using a specific number of flags in the stem of the note.

Sul Ponticello

A notation in the music indicates to the violinist that the bow makes contact with the string away from the fingerboard and closer to the bridge of the violin. As the bow moves closer to the bridge, the tone will increase in volume becoming eerie and somewhat shrill.

Sul Tasto

Sul tasto is a bowing instruction in the music for the violinist to bow over the fingerboard creating an airy, flute-like effect and warmer sound.

Col Legno

Col legno is a term used to describe a bow technique where the sound is produced by hitting the wood of the bow onto the string, as compared to drawing the hair of the bow across it.

Au Talon

Talon is French for “the heel” and the term au talon, “at the heel”, means to play the music with the bow hair at the heel or bottom part of the bow closest to the hand. Other terms for playing music using the bottom part of the bow include “at the frog” or “at the nut”.

Arco

Acro simply means to play your violin with the bow. The sign is most commonly used to let you know to switch and use the bow after playing pizzicato with your finger.