Stage 3Score symbolsLesson 23 of 46 · The bowREFERENCE
Bow-stroke words you'll meet
A part might print any of these words above a passage. Each names a way of moving the bow —
a bow stroke. This is a reference card: recognise the word, know roughly the sound, and know
that learning to do it is Stage 5's job (The bow). Reading it is enough for now.
The card
Word
Literally
The sound
Learn it in
détaché
"detached"
smooth, separate strokes, one per note, even and connected-feeling
Stage 5
legato
"bound"
notes joined under one bow, no re-articulation
Stage 5
martelé
"hammered"
a sharp bitten attack, a stop, then a firm release — crisp and strong
Stage 5
staccato
"detached"
short notes with air between (on one bow: a row of clicks)
Stage 5
portato / louré
"carried"
gently pulsed notes in one bow, a small swell on each
Stage 5
spiccato
"separated"
a controlled off-string bounce — short and springy
Stage 5
sautillé
"skipping"
a fast, light natural bounce in the middle of the bow
Stage 5
ricochet / jeté
"thrown"
the bow dropped so it bounces several notes on one stroke
Stage 5 (reference)
collé
"glued"
a pinched note caught from the string and released
Stage 5
bariolage
"multi-coloured"
rocking quickly across strings, often with one open string ringing through
Stage 5 / Stage 6
col legno
"with the wood"
struck (battuto) or drawn (tratto) with the stick, not the hair — thin and brittle
reference only
Seen in context
84 bpm
The word sits above the passage it governs, like a tempo or dynamic word — 'from here, this stroke.' The first bar asks for smooth separate bows; the second for a light bounce. Same notes, different bow arm.