This style of bowing (Ex. 14) is known as martelé. It consists of a smart heavy stroke, with the upper third of the bow. The bow is stopped suddenly at the end of each stroke, without allowing the pressure of the first finger to relax; the bow stroke being suddenly checked, causes the abrupt stoppage of the smartly vibrating string, and allows a short pause to be made between each note. The effect might be represented thus:
Short detached crotchets may be played with the upper half of the bow. The stroke must be made smartly, without any real gap between the notes. The bow should seem to pass quickly and smoothly over the strings, the tone being produced by friction, rather than any pressure which the first finger may exert. The scales in crotchets may be played with martelé bowing, using whole bow-strokes as previously explained in the remarks on early exercises.
Short detached quavers should be played with the upper third of the bow. There are numerous examples of this kind of bowing in the studies for violoncello, by Kummer, Dotzauer, etc.
This is an exceedingly difficult kind of bowing, but if well executed has a very brilliant effect. To produce the sforzando note with the up stroke, the bow should be lifted and thrown on the string with force, care being taken to do this close to the point, or instead of a sforzando note, a series of bounces will result. The balance is preserved with the fourth finger, which also assists in raising the bow from the string for the next sforzando note; the quaver with the down stroke should be played smartly. It would be unwise to use a gold mounted Tourte, in the first attempts at this bowing, as it is possible to seriously damage the bow if not executed with skill.