# name of bowing technique in Psycho theme

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-of-bowing-technique-in-psycho-theme/131789>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 11, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-of-bowing-technique-in-psycho-theme/131789 "2002-10-11T06:47:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![evilyam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f475e1/32.png) [@evilyam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilyam)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-of-bowing-technique-in-psycho-theme/131789/1 "2002-10-11T06:47:01Z")

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What’s the name for the technique of playing strings by stabbing or maybe bouncing them with the bow, or whatever it is they do to make the quick, stabby sounds in the Psycho theme?

Recommend some other good songs that use this technique?

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**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-of-bowing-technique-in-psycho-theme/131789/2 "2002-10-11T07:18:22Z")

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I don’t remember the term, but I do believe it is using the wood of the bow rather than the hair.

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**Author:** ![JDM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/90db22/32.png) [@JDM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDM)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-of-bowing-technique-in-psycho-theme/131789/3 "2002-10-11T08:00:10Z")

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Bouncing the bow off the string is called _spicatto._  
Using the stick instead of the hair is _col legno._  
I don’t think, though, that the Psycho theme uses either of those- it just uses repeated normal downbows, which creates a space between the notes, and an accent on each note. And each note is a short glissando, or slide, up the string. Probably the best term would be _martele._ [This page](http://www.bright.net/~hhelser/terms.html) has descriptions of various bow techniques. JDM

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**Author:** ![EchoKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@EchoKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EchoKitty)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-of-bowing-technique-in-psycho-theme/131789/4 "2002-10-11T14:40:42Z")

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I’ve just always called it “phychotic violin music” and it scares me every time!