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Bow, can be described as a bristle bar between the two ends. In this article, as musiconline; we mentioned the parts of the bow which is a fundamental of stringed musical instruments, the things that should be taken into consideration when buying and the things that should be done for maintenance and protection.

Parts of the bow:

Hair: Naturally and artificially divided into two. Natural bow hair is made from horsetail. It gives a clearer sound and its usage time is much longer than artificial hairs. Artificial bristles are made of plastic materials. With friction, the amount of hair and the brightness of the sound decrease over time.

Frog (Bottom): It is the part where the head part of the bristles is connected. At the same time, the base of the bow is to be held by hand.

Screw: Located at the bottom of the bow. It is the screw that allows adjusting the tension of the bristles.

Winding: It is the part made of plastic or metal material located in the bottom area of the spring bar so that the index finger does not slide back and forth.

Stick: It is made of special trees and has a tapering structure towards the tip. The slope in the middle gives the spring flexibility. The value and weight of the bow vary according to the type of tree used.

Tip: It is also the thinnest part of the spring rod, where the bristles are attached at the top. In the end, a piece of ivory, usually made of glue, is attached to the spring cap. This part prevents the cap from cracking. At the same time, it ensures the hairs to stand properly.

Although not part of the bow, the rosin should be used to allow the bristles to easily rub against the wires.

Things to consider when choosing a violin bow:

• The weight of a standard violin bow is 60 grams. The bow should be neither heavy nor light. The determination of the weight of the publication depends on the person himself. Therefore, archives must be taken by trying.
• Make sure that the spring bristles are complete. Bow hairs produced from fishing line or horsehair will break-in time. If natural spring hair is preferred, it can be used for longer years as the amount of rupture will decrease.
• The spring should have a flat appearance. There should be no distortion to the right and left, and attention should be paid to whether it is curved.

If you are playing the professional violin , the materials used in the construction of the bow are very important for the right tones. The Pernambuco tree is used in the rod section of a high-quality arsenal. This tree grows only in the Atlantic Forests of Brazil. Horses living on the border with Mongolia and China are preferred for bow hairs. The reason is that the horses of the horses living here usually have the same thickness and are more resistant.

Maintenance and Protection of the Violin Bow

• The bristles should be loosened after use to maintain spring flexibility.
• After an operation, the spring should be wiped with a dry cloth.
• Spring bristles should be replaced with new bristles.
• The auger slots of the violin bow can wear out over time. In this case, the bristles cannot remain tensioned at the desired frequency. In such a case, the bow must be taken care of or renewed.

In order to get a good sound from the violin, the quality of the violin bow is as important as the quality of the violin. In order to capture the right tones, we must make a good selection of bows. In this article, we talked about the parts of the violin bow, how to choose and how to protect it. You can also check out our other blog posts.

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