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Bowing near the bridge, producing a thin, glassy, overtone-rich sound.
Sul ponticello creates an eerie, metallic tone quality — the harmonic overtones are emphasized while the fundamental is weakened. Use it for ghostly effects, tension, or supernatural atmospheres. Mark "ordinario" or "nat." to return to normal bowing position.
Berg's "Wozzeck" — sul ponticello strings create the hallucinatory atmosphere of Wozzeck's madness.
Sul ponticello is one of 228 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary, where every definition is written around how composers actually use the word.
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