Flautando.
Of more real use than the preceding, is the bowing sometimes styled sotto voce, or more properly "flautando"; the tone produced by this manner of bowing is of a beautiful soft flute-like character, and serves as a grateful change to a continued hard tone. It is accomplished by causing the bow to be drawn near the fingerboard, and without any pressure being applied; the strokes should be drawn much more rapidly than for the usual way of bowing, the change of bow-strikes being accomplished almost unheard. It is practicable for any sustained cantabile theme, especially if the tone is to be kept piano; great freedom in bowing must be obtained before anything like perfection be arrived at, the only objection to its introduction being the manner in which phrases are "chopped up" if bowed in this manner; this, however, is more apparent on paper than in the performance, as if the bowing is skilfully managed it is possible to reverse the strokes without any perceptible break in the tone, the phrase being as continued as if executed with one sustained bow-stroke.