Spiccato

What it means

With spiccato, the bow lifts off the string between the notes, with every note receiving its own bow direction. The bow falls, briefly touches the string, and bounces back; the result is a sequence of short, light, clearly separated notes. The bounce height determines the character: just above the string it sounds soft and round, thrown higher, sharper and shorter. Spiccato differs from jeté through the change of direction at every note, from martelé in that the bow leaves the string.

In the notation

It is written with staccato dots over individual, unbound notes, usually at a fast tempo. The word itself stands where misunderstandings are possible, for instance when the same figure could also be played on the string. With slower note values carrying dots, no bouncing is usually meant.

Musical use

The stroke shapes the sound of fast movements since the Viennese Classical period: pearling accompanying figures, dance-like themes, scherzo character. It allows speed without effort and keeps the texture transparent, because air remains between the notes. In the orchestra it is often demanded for whole passages, and the uniformity of a section in spiccato counts as a test of the group's quality.

Performance practice

Look first for the point of the bow at which it bounces by itself, and practise individual notes there without a melody. The movement comes from a small circle of hand and forearm, not from the upper arm. The faster the passage, the smaller the bow travel and the closer to the string the hair stays. Take care to make down-bow and up-bow sound the same; uneven strokes are the most common fault. A bow strung too tight bounces uncontrollably. Begin practising at a medium tempo and increase only once the bounces stay regular without effort.

Bear in mind that the stroke depends on the bow: every bow has a point at which it springs evenly by itself, and this point is not the same for all. Find it and remember it. Keep the fingers loose and let the stick do the work; every attempt to produce the bounce from the arm makes it irregular. Within a section, agree on the point of contact and the bounce height.