For violinists, choosing a bow is a hard job. For beginners, because the technology is not yet perfect, the requirements for the bow will not be too much, mainly to have an appropriate strength and good curvature, and to achieve a balance in weight. However, as the technique progresses, the requirements for the bow increase.
The best bow should reach the following level: when you play, you will not feel its presence. A good bow is an extension of the right hand, and you should pull it without any effort or effort. When you pick up a fine French bow (Peccatte or Voirin), or a well-made contemporary bow, you should immediately feel that it can make you a "bow" twice as fast.
At the beginning of the bow selection, the veteran string magazine STRINGS suggested that everyone should know the following knowledge:
Raw material for the bow
Bows usually see three basic ingredients: Brazil wood, Pernambuco wood, and carbon fiber.
Brazilian wood is actually a general term for the cheaper variety of tropical hardwoods, mainly produced in Brazil and other tropical countries. The Brazilian Xylophone Bow usually costs between $50 and $200 and is a good choice for beginners and beginners.
Since the 18th century, Pernambuco wood is the representative of the "good bow", also produced in Brazil, its texture is tough, thick, with excellent strength, elasticity and reaction. Since there are many subspecies of Pernambuco wood, the top bowmakers will choose one out of a thousand, especially looking for the best quality Pernambuco wood. With climate change, the Pernambuco wood is on the verge of extinction, and the Brazilian government has now restricted exports, making it more precious and expensive.
The inaccessibility of Pernambuco wood can also affect the quality of contemporary bows. Most players believe that the 19th-century French bow is of the highest quality, and it is difficult for posterity to catch up. Looking closely at the reasons, some people think that it is because the Pernambuco wood plant used in the 19th century has been extinct by the 20th century, and some people think that the bow factory at that time had the best craftsmanship: such as Tortte, Peccatte, Simon, Pajot and other contemporary brands. The bows they make are unique and soft to the touch, making the player feel like his own hand, and these bows can produce a very rich acoustic effect.
I often hear people describe a fine French bow as "as silky as cream". However, there are also performers who prefer the more rigid, strong and responsive contemporary bow.
In the past 30 years, due to the shortage of Pernambuco wood, carbon fiber bows have become popular. The carbon fiber bow is made of resin sticky and a variety of carbon fiber materials, which can provide a texture similar to Pernambuco wood, and it is durable and affordable.
If you want to be cheaper, there is also a fiberglass bow, usually used in the lowest-priced student instruments, the biggest features are long durability and low price.
No matter what ingredient you choose, all bows have the following considerations for playability:
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > sound</h1>
Inexperienced players are often surprised by the significant change in tone after the bow change, which, although subtle, is not only heard by the player's ears, but sometimes by the audience. The famous American bow maker Andersen (Morgan Andersen) once said that a softer bow can produce a more sleek and rich sound. However, if the bow is too soft, the sound will lack clarity and brightness. A harder bow produces a brighter, more focused sound, but sometimes a bow that is too hard can cause the sound to be too rough or sharp. It is unlikely that there will be a combination of the two advantages of the bow.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > weight and balance</h1>
The violin bow averages about 60 g (70 g for viola and 80 g for cello), but this is only "on average". Many good bow makers weigh about 54 grams, but they are still of excellent quality. However, if the bow weighs 66 grams or even more, almost everyone will feel too heavy. Some people will dismiss the bow because it doesn't have exactly 60 grams, but doing so will only make them miss the bow. If a bow feels good in your hand, it means it's a good bow. It is recommended that you pick up the bow at a 45-degree angle, a good bow will make people feel natural and comfortable, from beginning to end is quite balanced and average weight.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > round or octagonal? </h1>
The top French bow makers rarely made octagonal bows, but the big contemporary bow makers mainly made round bows. Some people are non-octagonal and don't buy it. Under the premise of using the same wood, the octagonal bow will be more solid, creating a harder, flat sound with little variation. Some German bowmakers produce octagonal and round bows for the same series, but the former is more expensive, which may also lead to the myth that octagonal bows are better.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > the in-store purchase rule</h1>
How do I find the best bow? The first step should be to grab your budget, but also to be mentally prepared for the possibility of going a little beyond. If you don't know much about bows, the advice is to try pulling with as many bows as possible to increase your understanding.
When you go to the store, be sure to bring your own piano and your current bow as a benchmark. Each bow will have a different sound on a different instrument, so keep in mind that the bow you're looking for is the right one for your instrument. Usually the store will show several bows at a time, after selecting one or two from them, be sure to ask the store to show you more other ones. Take turns playing the same short phrase with these bows, and soon several excellent bows will appear.
First impressions are quite important. A good bow feel can't be too heavy or too light, not too soft or too soft, and shouldn't be too easy to lose hair when playing. When looking down from the bowpole, it needs to be kept straight.
Then, try playing many bow techniques, such as legato, spiccato, natural jumping bow (sautillé), etc., such as Etudes-Caprices, which can be practiced with Wignowski's work No. 18, to make people feel how the bow reacts when playing high difficulty and fast sound groups. At the same time, try to pull and look at the head, middle and tail of the bow, and the bow should feel comfortable everywhere. Try to pull slowly, listen to the sound of each bow, and the feel of the bow, you will surely notice subtle changes in clarity, fullness and noise, and ask yourself how well this bow fits your instrument?
Also, be sure to use your time precisely when you're in the shop, you're choosing a bow, not practicing or performing. When you've chosen 2 or 3 of your favorite bows, ask if you can try them out for a week. Try them out well at home, in an orchestra or in class, and if you feel your teacher's advice is important, make sure you see him the week of the bow. However, consulting too many people may only add to the confusion, and everyone's opinions are different and may not be helpful.
So remember, this bow is yours, not theirs, so you should believe in yourself and make the final decision.