The bow is an essential part of playing the violin. Without a bow the violin can’t make much sound. Not many people know that it only takes one string to create a sound from the violin. A violin bow however has many hundreds of hairs attached to it.
A violin bow can be very expensive. Some violin bows can cost as much as the violin. As a general rule the bow should cost half the amount of money that the violin cost. Professionals however can pay thousands (and rarely millions) for their bows. A violin bow is made from wood and horse hair although some are made from synthetic hair, these are usually the cheaper and lesser quality bows.
In recent years bows have started to be made from fiber glass and it makes them fairly inexpensive. This is a great idea for violinist who is clumsy and tends to break their bows a lot. Fiber glass is a tougher material than wood and doesn’t break as easily as wood. So if you’re the kind of person who breaks things easily it may be wise to invest in a fiber glass bow. Fiber glass bows are also a popular choice as a practise bow.
Structure of the bow
At the end of the bow is a structure called the ‘frog’. This clamps the bow hairs to the bow at one end and has a metal adjuster which is twisted to adjust the tightness of the hairs on the bow. The hairs are clamped at the other end of the bow, which is the tip. The tip of the bow is the most delicate part of the bow and can break easily if the bow is not treated well.
How to care for your bow
Even though the bow hairs must be tightened in order for it to be played they must not be tightened when the bow is put away. If the bow hairs are tightened for a long period of time then it could cause damage to the bow. The hairs on the bow are also replaceable and must be replaced every so often. Professional musicians usually do this once a year or before if the bow looses too much hair. Vigarous violin playing can result in the hairs on the bow breaking and having to be removed. The hair on the bow must also be treated well. Violinist put a substance called rosin on their bows to lubricate it and help it slide across the bow. Rosin is a plant extract which is collected and formed into a cake to dry, that solid cake is then dragged across the bow and the rosin rubs off on the hairs.
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