Orchestra Final Practice Test

What is col legno and which family uses it?

Col legno means strike the strings with the wood of the bow; used by string players for special color. Col legno means bowing near the frog; used by brass players. Col legno means pluck the string with fingers; used by string players. Col legno means play with the opposite bow hair; used by violinists.

Correct Answer:

Col legno means strike the strings with the wood of the bow; used by string players for special color.

Explanation:

Col legno is a technique where the musician uses the wood of the bow to strike the strings, instead of the bow hair. This produces a distinctive, percussive timbre that adds a dry, “colorful” color to the music, and it’s a tool primarily used by the string family to achieve a special effect. The method belongs to string players because it relies on drawing or striking the strings with the bow itself, not on brass or other families. Other choices mix up different ideas—pizzicato is plucking with fingers, and there isn’t a standard technique called “play with the opposite bow hair,” while “bowing near the frog” isn’t what col legno refers to.

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