Ricochet bowing is accomplished by which technique?

• A. Tossing the bow hair back and forth across the string
• B. Accomplished by throwing the upper third of the bow (while drawing a down bow) on the string and allowing it to bounce so that a rapid series of notes are produced
• C. A smooth legato stroke across the string
• D. A muted, staccato stroke near the frog

Answer: (B)

Ricochet bowing means letting the bow bounce on the string to create a rapid series of notes from a single stroke. The best description is that you initiate the bounce by placing the bow toward the tip (the upper third) and drawing a down bow, then letting the bow hair contact the string as it rebounds. This controlled bounce relies on the weight of the bow and the bowing direction to generate multiple quick contacts with the string, producing the fast sequence of notes characteristic of ricochet.

Other motions don’t fit this effect: moving the bow hair back and forth across the string isn’t how ricochet is produced, a smooth legato stroke aims for connected notes without bouncing, and a muted, staccato stroke near the frog would produce a short, detached sound rather than a rapid bouncing pattern.