Col legno (
Italian for
with the wood) is a method of playing bowed
string instruments (particularly the
violin,
viola,
cello and
double bass) whereby the strings are struck with the wood of the
bow rather having the hair pulled across them.
The resulting sound is percussive and dry.
Col legno is also the name of a
record label specialising in contemporary
classical music; see
Col legno (record label)[?].