Which term describes using the wood of the bow on the strings?

Which term describes using the wood of the bow on the strings?

• A. Arco
• B. Pizzicato
• C. Col Legno
• D. Tremolo

Answer: (C)

Using the wood of the bow on the strings is called col legno. This technique asks the player to strike the strings with the bow’s wood rather than drawing them with the hair, producing a dry, percussion-like sound that contrasts with ordinary bowing or plucked notes. Arco means playing with the bow on the strings in the normal way, yielding the standard bowed tone. Pizzicato means plucking the strings with the fingers. Tremolo refers to rapidly repeating a single note or alternating between notes, usually with very fast bow strokes or rapid plucking, not by using the wood of the bow against the strings.

Using the wood of the bow on the strings is called col legno. This technique asks the player to strike the strings with the bow’s wood rather than drawing them with the hair, producing a dry, percussion-like sound that contrasts with ordinary bowing or plucked notes. Arco means playing with the bow on the strings in the normal way, yielding the standard bowed tone. Pizzicato means plucking the strings with the fingers. Tremolo refers to rapidly repeating a single note or alternating between notes, usually with very fast bow strokes or rapid plucking, not by using the wood of the bow against the strings.