Con crini

This is the traditional way of using the bow. The technique consists of playing the string directly with the hair of the bow — that is, with the strands stretched between the frog and the tip that normally make contact with the string. The hair is traditionally horsehair and produces a particular sound through its direct contact with the string.

The hair can be used with different gestures, pressures, or bow positions, depending on the desired sound effect. This technique differs from those using the wood of the bow, such as col legno. It is sometimes necessary to indicate it explicitly given how often the manner of bowing changes.