36 The Study of Orchestration

On the bridge: sul ponticello [It.], au chevalet [Fr.],

am Steg (Ger.)

This effect is produced by playing very near or, in fact, right on

the bridge instead of in the regular space allotted for the bow stroke.
Since this produces upper partials of the tone not usually heard, it
gives the pitch an eerie, metallic, and somewhat glassy timbre. SuI
ponticello is often combined with bowed or fingered tremolo.

Example II-52. Strauss, Sinfonia domestica,

bewegt
mit Diimpter

pp sui ponticello
dlv. In 3

VI"l
~~~~~

With the wood: collegno (It.), avec le bois [Fr.},

mit Holz (Ger.)
1. Collegno tratto: For this effect, the bow is turned over, and the
sound is produced by the woodrather than the hair. Tratto means
that the wood is drawn over the string. The sound is very minimal,
since the friction of the wood is small compared to the hair, but it
again is an eerie effect most useful for tremolo, although sometimes
used in legato passages.
Example II-53. Mahler, Symphony No.1, third movement, mm.
135-37
0
ro I I
r9"~~j ;'b.O-~i~' ~? I"M~~ r.;; Z--.-.}--.;.
in drf'i ~, rol Ir9'0 PI' ........, 1,_, "'--:: ~ A_ n n~. ~PP ,~,.
Itlpi~

rhl'n
Par.
tl('1'\
.,
"
.,
I'P
root [rf7no

pp~
".."

v
- ~v
~ -.
.....
~

'-!.'
-p"!.

,- ;;pp'"
-
i

2. Col legno battuto: This designation means striking the string

with the wood of the bow. It is more commonly used than collegno
tratto, but it, too, gives very little pitch definition. It is a percussive
sound which acts like a very dry and short spiccato; do not expect to
hear a definite pitch except highs or lows, depending on which of
the strings are struck.
 Bowed String Instruments 37
-----------------
Example II-54. Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique, fifth movement,
mm.444-55
[rappez avec tes bOIS de fllrrhe'

(col legno bartula)

• e

oJ pill

pp
pILl

pp

./ A ----- ~ ~ ----- - ­
_ _ _ I'-I'-I'-I'-~ ~ ~_eeeee e e e ee
.,
-A(:~ ~~ ~~~
-- -- --- -- -- ---" -

,," ~ .IIL I'- ~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ - -- ---- - I'­

... " ~.
-'
tr
~ ~. ;i ~ I'- ~ I'- ;.
~- " " " ~e ~~Ile#F

.
- ­

:
.
-
Every time a special effect, such as collegno, col legno hottute, sui
ponti cello, or any of the others are used, one must insert the indica­
tion naturale or in modo ordinario in the score at the point where
the player should resume his normal playing attitude. The English
word natural is sometimes substituted, and is perfectly acceptable
in American scores.

PIZZICATO
Now we come to another mode of producing pitches on string
instruments, namely, by plucking the strings. This is called pizzi­
cato.
The normal pizzicato procedure is as follows:
The violinist or violist usually braces his thumb on the corner of
the fingerboard and plucks the strings with his index finger. The

... ­