Martelé (bowstroke)

Martelé (French; Italian martellato), literally "hammered," is a bowstroke, used when playing bowed string instruments, though the Italian martellando and martellato are also applied to piano and vocal technique, and even (by Franz Liszt) to the organ (Milsom 2002). It is also used for percussion instruments. The effect is usually produced by holding the bow against the string with pressure, then releasing it explosively to produce an sharp, biting attack with a rest between strokes (Cooke 2001). Some violinists use it when playing staccato notes.