35
votes
Why are modern string bows concave instead of convex?
It's a fun experience to play with a convex Baroque bow, but if you've ever tried to use it for anything romantic or later, you'll quickly want to get back to the concave Tourte design that everybody ...
- 35.3k
29
votes
Accepted
Should I loosen the tension on the bow for a break?
As a bowmaker, I would like to temper these answers a bit. Yes, if you leave a bow under tension too long, it will lose its camber (bend) faster. So that's true: one should get in the habit of ...
- 6,454
21
votes
Should I loosen the tension on the bow for a break?
I'd add to Dr. Mayhem's list:
You never know when something will interrupt your plans. You might be 20 mins into a planned 1-hour break, and then the doorbell rings, you welcome a friend, ... next ...
- 14.9k
18
votes
Accepted
Does the horse hair in a bow all go in the same direction?
As a bowmaker, I'd like to expand upon Carl's answer. The question of the scales seems to be answered by microphotographs of bow hair, which show all the scales to be gone once the hair is played in, ...
- 6,454
15
votes
Does the horse hair in a bow all go in the same direction?
Not too hard to find some strong opinions from skilled luthiers. Here's what DavidFinck wrote in a blogpost.
That’s a great question. Every hank I have received is knotted at the
root end. The ...
- 14.9k
14
votes
Should I loosen the tension on the bow for a break?
I would always loosen it off for that one hour break, for two reasons:
Over time, tension will eventually damage the bow. Keeping tension on when you don't need to will just shorten the lifespan of ...
- 36.8k
11
votes
Accepted
What is different in double bass bows with black hair?
I'm assuming we are talking about natural horse hair and not synthetics.
From what I understand, the white hair is finer and preferred by violin and viola players. The black hair is the coarsest and ...
- 1,447
9
votes
Why are string bows so hairy?
Even if you angle the bow quite strongly, the entire breadth of hair does touch the string as soon as you put some pressure on the bow (the outermost hairs will get stretched and give way, i.e. the ...
- 35.3k
9
votes
Accepted
Why are all my bow hairs falling out?
They probably weren't secured very well at the tip (which is where I assume they were falling from) and when you pulled a couple out it freed a bunch of others.
If half the hairs are gone it's time ...
- 106
8
votes
How does one change bow hair?
First off, I would seriously consider having it done by a professional. Violin bow rehairing can cost about $50 with cello and bass bows costing a bit more. Given that it is quite a skilfull operation,...
- 556
8
votes
Accepted
How to improve jerky bowing on the violin
If you really want to work on your bowing, do it without involving the left hand. If you are fingering notes, part of your mind will always be thinking about the left hand. By eliminating it, you can ...
- 6,439
8
votes
Why are modern string bows concave instead of convex?
If you trace the development of the orchestra, you'll see that there has been a shift toward larger groups in larger spaces between the baroque period and now. A natural consequence of this is that ...
7
votes
How to improve jerky bowing on the violin
Long-tones. All the time. Extremely slowly. Always. Meditate on your open strings with long tones until they are perfect and serene and the bow only does what you want only when you want it. Long ...
- 25.5k
6
votes
Accepted
How do I keep my E string from "squeaking"?
The E string whistle may be caused by many things, usually a technique issue with the bow, but there are some strings that are more likely to whistle. I've found that the gold plated unwound E strings ...
- 7,389
6
votes
How was the bow invented?
There are only two possible kind of vibrations with a string fixed at both ends:
Plucking; the vertical impulse leads to a transversal vibration
twisting, leading to a torsional vibration
To get the ...
- 10.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to "unbend" a warped bow of a string instrument?
Yes, a bow can be re-cambered, but it requires some skill and I wouldn't recommend trying it yourself (edit: unless it is a cheap bow you want to experiment on and don't care if you wreck it).
When ...
- 7,389
5
votes
Why are modern string bows concave instead of convex?
Late in the day, but:
The concave bow allows a lighter bow to be used for the same level of tension in the hair, because it reduces the torque over the majority of the stick's length (and particularly ...
- 91
5
votes
Is it accurate to tune with harmonics higher than the third harmonic on the double bass?
How high the harmonic is above the open string isn’t the primary issue, it’s the natures of the partials themselves. The 2nd partial harmonic an octave higher should be a true octave above the open ...
- 18.2k
5
votes
Accepted
How long does a violin bow technique last?
The first thing to note is that "Sul Tasto" means something entirely different from "sul D", "sul A", "sul G", etc.
"Sul Tasto" means "over the ...
- 5,620
4
votes
Why are violin bows longer than viola bows, than cello bows, than double-bass bows ?
It has more to do with the physical position of the arm and the instrument. A violin perched on a shoulder allows a longer bow stroke than a cello in front of the player's sternum. A cello player ...
- 41
4
votes
How do you hold a bow without getting finger cramps?
There may be multiple problems with your grip. You didn't say whether you're taking lessons or not, so I'll just emphasize that you need a teacher or an experienced cellist to look at your grip and ...
- 14.9k
4
votes
String Instrument Bowings
You would play this as down-up-down-up for the first measure, and so on. Unless there are more bowing markings, then you would switch to what the markings tell you. Otherwise you can refer to the lone ...
- 117
4
votes
Accepted
Is it time to replace my violin bow?
It might be. They do wear out in different ways. The wood could get worn out and leave it impossible to get the bow tension right. In this case it sounds like your bow hair is worn out. If your bow is ...
- 2,658
4
votes
Accepted
What range of violin bow hair tension is generally accepted?
The first thing to note is that you should slacken off the tension when you finish practice before you put the bow away to avoid long term damage to the bow and stretching of the hair.
Before ...
- 5,620
3
votes
How do I keep my E string from "squeaking"?
Basically, yes. Unless you've got a duff E string. Or you might be using too much rosin. But basically, bow straight, in the right place, with the right amount of pressure. Your teacher will ...
- 90.6k
3
votes
Bowed single string instrument with lever?
You seem to be talking about a Brownie Bass: a wooden box with a thick neck, similar in size to an upright bass. The single string is fastened at the butt, passes over a bridge, and the other end is ...
- 31
3
votes
Accepted
Bowed single string instrument with lever?
Made one!
It's...pretty rough. And I don't have a bow. And it's harder to control than I hoped. And you guys are right; it only has about an octave of feasible ...
- 171
3
votes
Bowed single string instrument with lever?
As pointed out, a washtub bass is what you are thinking of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washtub_bass
Though the most common way to play it is to pluck the string, I have seen it played with a cello ...
- 163
3
votes
How to apply the right amount of rosin to a bow?
Well, Rule Number One is to make sure you wipe down your strings and your instrument after every session. Don't let rosin -- or anything else-- cake up on your axe.
What little observation I've done ...
- 14.9k
3
votes
Tips for bowing in the Spiccato-esque part of Tchaikovsky's Pezzo Capriccioso on the cello?
I believe the name of the stroke you are looking for used in this section of Pezzo is sautille, French for "jumping," or in this case, "jumping bow." There are many schools of thought on how to ...
- 31
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