Sometimes they are asked to pluck the string instead of bowing it.
They learn to control the bow with strong fingers, but never to hold the bow tightly. They have to learn to control the bow so that it makes a lovely sound on the string. People who learn to play the violin, viola, violoncello, and double bass spend a very long time learning the technique of bowing. There are other cultures which have bows with only one thick hair.īowing techniques The kind of bow in use today was developed by the bow-maker François Tourte in 19th century France. The overhand method is called the French method.) Some double bass players still hold the bow in this way (this is called the German method. In the Renaissance the viols were played with a bow which was held with the palm upwards. There are other instruments which use bows. Expensive bows sometimes have a tip made of silver. Near the frog is the grip, which is made of leather or sometimes snakeskin. The frog may be made of ebony, but sometimes it is made of ivory or tortoiseshell. The black bit near the heel of the bow (the end where the player holds it) is called the frog. This is to stop the wood from warping (bending out of shape). After playing, the bow hairs should be slackened again before the bow is put away. There is a screw at the end of the bow for tightening the hairs. They may need to rosin the bow for a short while each time they play. Every violinist needs to keep a piece of rosin (called a “cake of rosin”) in his or her violin case. The rosin makes the hair grip the string as it is drawn across. When the bow is new, or when it has just been re-haired, it will not make any sound until the hairs have been well rubbed with rosin (also called “colophony”). When a lot of the hairs have fallen out the player can have the bow re-haired. These hairs gradually fall out when the bow is used a lot. Horsehair is used for the hairs of the bow. The bow has to be slightly curved so that it straightens out a bit as the hairs are tightened (this is like the bow of ‘bow and arrow’ where letting go of the tension of the bent bow makes the arrow fly off). They are often cheaper and still of very good quality. Some bows nowadays are made from carbon fiber. The wood used for good quality bows is usually pernambuco wood from Brazil. It is used to pull across the strings of a string instrument such as a violin, viola, cello or double bass.īow construction
In music, a bow is a stick which is strung with hair.
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