What is a Col Legno?

Col legno is a string playing technique in which the performer uses the wood of the bow instead of the bow hair to strike or draw across the strings. The term comes from Italian and means “with the wood.”

There are two common forms of this technique. Col legno battuto involves lightly striking the strings with the wooden stick of the bow, producing a dry, percussive clicking sound. Col legno tratto involves drawing the wood of the bow across the strings, creating a soft and unusual tone.

Col legno is often used in orchestral music and film scoring to create special sound effects or eerie textures. Composers such as Hector Berlioz and Gustav Mahler used this technique to add distinctive color and rhythmic character to string passages.