Definition of col legno in English:
col legno
adverbkɒl ˈlɛnjəʊˌkōl ˈlānyō
(of a passage of music for a bowed instrument) played by hitting the strings with the back of the bow.
Example sentencesExamples
- The attack (the initial transient) is not so rapid as in col legno, because the bow hair is softer than the wood.
- I took the strings to their extremes, using lots of pizzicato and col legno [in which the wood of the bow is used to create a harsh sound].
- ‘Jovial Jig’: using the same basic material as ‘Fairy Frolics’, the finale is a compendium of colour effects - snap pizzicato, col legno, sul ponticello, guitar-like strumming.
Origin
Italian, 'with the wood (of the bow)'.