Congratulations! You have found the perfect violin for your musical journey. You have also selected the best violin strings for your instrument. Now comes the hard part: finding the best violin bow for your violin.
Choosing the best violin bow seems like a daunting task for beginner students. Rita Yeo of Stradivari Strings says that there are a lot of options available in the market. However, there are also a few factors which you would have to consider. Thus, the feeling can be overwhelming. Luckily, she has provided the students with the best buying guide for a violin bow.
Table of Contents
Know Your Budget
Rita says that this is the first thing a student should consider! If it suits your budget, you should narrow your search to within a 1/4-1/3 of the value of your violin. You want the violin bow to compliment the instrument. Thus, you should never compromise when you go to purchase your violin bow. The same is with the cello bow too!
Beginner students are often confused about which is the best bow to buy. This is where the advice of a professional comes into play.
What Type Of Playing Do You Do?
This is the next point that Rita suggests considering. Are you interested in playing one genre or interested in various forms of music? Know your priorities since not all violin bow isn’t made for the same type of playing.
Choose A Good Violin And Violin Strings
Before choosing a good-quality bow, you must first consider buying a good violin and violin strings. The bow needs to enhance the violin. If you do have a violin, make sure that you bring it with you when trying out a violin bow.
Trust Your Instincts
Make sure that you try varieties of violin bow with different characteristics to help narrow down your choices. When you are going through the selection procedure, make sure that you test every single violin bow.
Rita Yeo recommends that if you find something wrong with the violin bow, it might not be a good fit for you! Be patient and trust your instincts. You will know which bow fits your appropriately.
What Should You Consider While Buying A Violin Bow?
Balance
The consistency of the wood and the quality of shaping and carving the stick determines the balance of the bow. The appropriate fulcrum point is ¼ of the length of the stick from the frog.
Weight
A violin bow usually weighs around 60g, with some going as low as 58g. The lighter the stick, the better control you have over the bow. Some players need more weight to get more power but, for most, lighter is better. The quality of the wood is measured by the weight and buoyancy. Professional bowmakers sometimes use tanks with different concentrations of salt to accurately grade the wood. A high quality wood stick can be made thinner and lighter weight, still maintaining strength and flexibility.
Strength
With the numerous violin techniques, the violin bow has such an influential role in the performance. All these techniques are made more efficient with a strong bow. If the violin bow is too soft, it can cause many issues. A resilient violin bow not only allows for more power but also more accurate force. As a result, you will play with better articulation, accuracy, and speed.
Tone and Response
Like the violin, the quality of wood determines many attributes. These include tone, response, and many other factors. This term describes the quality and speed of vibration throughout the bow. Wood is an organic medium and can look normal on the outside. However, it can lack the proper cell structure or have too much sap in the wood. This brings vibration to a standstill. As a result, you can hear a profound difference in tone and projection with the same violin.
Ending Note
If you want to purchase a high-quality violin bow, Stradivari Strings provides some of the best collections. Although it can be tough for some players to determine which bow they should buy, but this is what this guide is here for, right?
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