One of the first questions that comes up in cello playing is: what’s the difference between separate bows and slurred bowing? Both are ways of playing legato (smoothly), but they shape the sound in slightly different ways.
Separate Bows
🎵 Example (watch video above):
Playing Frère Jacques with separate bows gives each note its own clear start, while still flowing smoothly.
Slurred Bowing
🎵 Example (watch video above):
Playing Frère Jacques with two or four notes per bow sounds more fluid, like one continuous breath.
Musical Uses
Reading the Notation
Practice Suggestion
Try a simple piece first with separate bows, then with two or more notes per bow. Notice the difference in sound and how your left hand must stay independent from your bow arm. A good piece to explore both is Floating in Time (sheet music here) from my book It’s a Cello Thing, Book 1 (Boosey & Hawkes). It combines both separate and slurred legato bowing so you can directly compare the two.
Separate Bows
- Each note is played with its own bow stroke, either down bow or up bow.
- Even though the bow changes direction, the sound can still be smooth and connected.
- There is usually a tiny “consonant” sound at the start of each note (the natural articulation of the bow change), which gives clarity and definition.
🎵 Example (watch video above):
Playing Frère Jacques with separate bows gives each note its own clear start, while still flowing smoothly.
Slurred Bowing
- Two or more notes are played within the same bow stroke.
- The bow keeps moving at the same speed and weight, while the left hand changes the pitch by adding fingers.
- This creates an uninterrupted line, more like singing without adding extra consonants.
🎵 Example (watch video above):
Playing Frère Jacques with two or four notes per bow sounds more fluid, like one continuous breath.
Musical Uses
- Separate bows: great for clarity, rhythm, and articulation. They can be used slowly or very quickly (tiny bows for fast passages).
- Slurred bows: useful for lyrical phrases, flourishes, and expressive colour. Composers in the Impressionist era (like Debussy and Ravel) often used long slurred passages to create flowing textures.
Reading the Notation
- If nothing is written, assume each note has its own bow.
- If you see a slur marking (a curved line like a rainbow) over two or more notes, they should be played in one bow direction.
Practice Suggestion
Try a simple piece first with separate bows, then with two or more notes per bow. Notice the difference in sound and how your left hand must stay independent from your bow arm. A good piece to explore both is Floating in Time (sheet music here) from my book It’s a Cello Thing, Book 1 (Boosey & Hawkes). It combines both separate and slurred legato bowing so you can directly compare the two.