Which technique involves playing with the wood part of the bow rather than the hair?

Which technique involves playing with the wood part of the bow rather than the hair?

• A. Spiccato
• B. Col legno
• C. Pizzicato
• D. Sautillé

Answer: (B)

Using the wood part of the bow is called col legno. In normal bowed playing, the hair contacts the strings to produce sound, but col legno uses the wood itself to strike or rub the strings, yielding a distinct percussive color. This can be done by tapping the wood against the strings (col legno battuto) or drawing the wood across them (col legno tratto). The other techniques involve the hair side or a different gesture: spiccato and sautille rely on bouncing bows with the hair, while pizzicato involves plucking the strings with the fingers rather than using the bow. So the described approach is col legno.

Using the wood part of the bow is called col legno. In normal bowed playing, the hair contacts the strings to produce sound, but col legno uses the wood itself to strike or rub the strings, yielding a distinct percussive color. This can be done by tapping the wood against the strings (col legno battuto) or drawing the wood across them (col legno tratto). The other techniques involve the hair side or a different gesture: spiccato and sautille rely on bouncing bows with the hair, while pizzicato involves plucking the strings with the fingers rather than using the bow. So the described approach is col legno.