Does a Better Bow Improve Your Playing?

The short answer is yes! The bow for your stringed instrument is the most important expressive tool in our arsenal as players, and makes up about 80% of the sound that is produced from our instrument. Different bows produce different tone colours, may feel harder or softer under pressure, and may produce more or less volume. Because of this – each bow fundamentally has an effect on the way we perceive our instrument’s sound and feeling, and this affects our playing technique for better or worse.

A good bow can enable a player to perform their best, achieve a wider range of moods, colours, and articulations, which in-turn creates a better playing and listening experience. An unsuitable bow will likely take effort to achieve the array of techniques or sounds which you desire, and in the worst case may encourage poor physical technique in order to compensate for the qualities lacking in your bow. If I could give a tip for selecting the right bow for you, I would encourage you to mostly consider the feeling of the bow; its strength, weight, and balance. Yes, while each bow may produce a brighter or warmer sound, these sounds can be adjusted through technique, strings, or rosin. The physical nature and qualities of the stick, however, are immutable, so make sure you choose carefully, and pick the bow which will bring out the best in your music!

31/10/2023 – Rhys Williams, Violin Specialist, BMus (Violin Performance)