Musicians will tell you, choosing the right piece of equipment is both a technical but at the same time very personal decision. Like finding the right partner, the instrument has to emphasize your strengths, and maybe even balance out the parts where you’re still improving, or at least help you make progress. Choosing the right violin bow is now different. Factors such as comfort, responsiveness and enhancement of the personal playing experience are absolutely essential.
Why spend all the time and money to find the perfect violin and then don’t match those efforts on finding the matching bow – it wouldn’t make sense and waste a large chunk of your potential. In order to bring out the very best in your instrument, offer you greater control, improved tone and more dynamic expression, there is a selection progress to be followed. From student bows to high-end models, let’s take a look at the steps and factors to consider in order to find the best fit for the individual player.
What Are The Key Factors When Choosing A Violin Bow?
When selecting a violin bow, these factors would be considered majorly important in making the right decision:
Weight – a bow that is too heavy or too light can cause both strain or set a limit to dynamics control that you have when playing. Both things that you want to avoid in order to start this choice on the right foot. The average violin bow weighs around 60 grams.
Balance – crucial for a flowy and smooth playing. An unbalanced bow can make the basics challenging and has an immediate effect on the sound.
Flexibility – bow flexibility has a big impact on the quality of play articulation. Where stiffer bows offer very precise control, more flexible bows deliver much smoother, legato notes. Given the individual style, something to keep in mind on the road to perfection.
Material – a big factor on the sounds as well as durability. With common materials such as Pernambuco, carbon fiber or Brazilwood, there is a variety of different bow types to choose from in order to find the sound you are looking for.
Filtering your bow through these different features will fast track you to a much smaller and less overwhelming selection of bows to choose from.
Different Level Bows For Different Level Players
There are three different general categories designed for different playing levels and preferences when it comes to violin bows. These are student bows, intermediate bows and professional bows.
Student bows will usually be made from rather inexpensive materials such as brazilwood or composite and offer a both durable and affordable option for beginners.
Intermediate bows are generally made from higher quality woods such as Pernambuco, and offer a quite noticeable step up in sound quality and responsiveness compared to beginner models.
Professional bows represent the top of the crop and are made from the finest materials, usually handcrafted by master bow makers. These bows deliver unparalleled sounds and handling.
As the names of the different categories suggests, it is most practical to make these selection based on your playing level and budget.
How Important Is The Material?
Not only does it determine the aesthetic appeal of the bow – to some degree – but it also has a major impact on its sound characteristics and durability. The most popular options would be Pernambuco, Carbon Fiber and Brazilwood. While Pernambuco is the gold standard for professional bows, the other two can offer practical solutions and qualities at a lower price point. Truly, the choice depends on your personal level, sound and playing style.
You’re In The Shop – How Do You Test The Bow?
Testing a violin bow before making a purchase is a non-negotiable. These little steps should help evaluate its quality and suitability quick and easy.
The Bow’s Bounce – make sure the bow bounces evenly from the strings in a controlled manner.
Give it some variety – try a few different styles and listen for both clarity and responsiveness. A high quality bow should be versatile and not have any real weaknesses.
Assessing the balance by holding the bow at its balance point is a must as well. It should never feel tip-heavy or too weighted at the frog.
Now this one should be an absolute minimum but especially in the lower budget choices, make sure the hair is spread evenly and has neither gaps nor clumps across the bow.
Avoiding a few classic mistakes when choosing an instrument also applies for the selection of your bow. Over Prioritizing the price or aesthetic design can sometimes distract you from making the best choice. Instead, look for true quality and how it feels when playing the violin.
Another one is underestimating the importance of comfort. Playing a couple minutes in a shop is not the same as practicing or performing for an hour or longer. Even the highest quality bows will not bring you much joy if they’re uncomfortable to play.
Similar to choosing the perfect violin, the choices are almost endless. Knowing both your budget, playing style, and most important factors for tone and material narrow these down by quite a bit. As always, try to think long term rather than a short solution, especially when it only saves you a few dollars. Choosing the higher quality product when it comes to instruments and equipment can amplify the joy of playing by such a margin, that it’s hard to justify with any bargain made. However, take your time in making the decision and don’t be shy to ask the dealer as many questions as you have.
