Sage-Tips

What is the difference between a violin bow and a cello bow?

While the parts are the same, the violin bow ranges from about 17 inches for a child’s bow to 27 inches for an adult. The cello bow ranges from 23 inches to 28 inches. The cello has a deeper sound by two complete octaves, but both instruments have the same relative range of over four octaves.

Could you use human hair for a violin bow?

Rather than show women brush or pull their hair to demonstrate strength, Unilever turned treated human hair into violin bows to be used by a professional quartet. Bows are typically constructed out of horse hair because of its strength, but the human hair lasted the entire length of a concert shown in the ad.

Why do they use horse hair for violin bows?

Horsehair absorbs water quickly and this can affect your bow considerably. In different temperature and humidity conditions the hair can react in different ways. At P&H we always use high quality unbleached horsehair to ensure the best sound for our bows.

How do violin bows work?

The violin bow is stringed with horsehair. The hair has little barbs. When rubbing the bow rosin is caught on the barbed hooks and barbs are set up. This creates the necessary friction resistance and the bow can make the strings sound.

Do bows make a difference sound?

When you are playing, the bow that you use is part and parcel of the sound that you create. In fact, the bow is responsible, at least by half, of the sound that you get, so choosing the best quality bow that you can, within reason, is definitely to your benefit.

What is the difference between violin bows?

A stiff bow produces a clearer sound and is probably easier for a beginner to handle. Yet a bow that’s very stiff and strong will produce a stiffer, rougher sound. The shape of the bow also affects its stiffness.

What type of hair is on a violin bow?

horsehair
Bow hair is made from horse hair The bow hair is made of a hank of horsehair. A single violin bow will use between 160 and 180 individual hairs. These hairs are all attached next to each to form a ribbon. Unusually thick hairs and kinked hairs are removed so that only straight hairs are used.

What kind of hair is used for violin bows?

horse hair

What is the best violin hair?

Bow rehairers can choose from Siberian, Mongolian, Manchurian, Polish, and more recently, Argentinian horsehair; according to Joan Balter, a bow maker and repairer in Berkeley, California, stallion hair from Siberia is generally considered the best.

Should you go natural or synthetic with your violin bow hair?

But given the delicacy of natural horsehair, the synthetic option has some appeal. Players of fine cellos, violas and violins typically perform on fine cello, viola and violin bows. At some point in rehairing these bows, the question may arise: Should one go natural or synthetic with the bow hair?

What are the different types of bow hair for different instruments?

For traditionalists, another conversation on different types of natural (horse) bow hair is more common: Black hair – This is the most coarse hair type, and as such it’s preferred for the lower (bass, cello) instruments and less for violins.

Why are the bows similar in style?

The bows are similar so that you can feel how the hair differs. We can rehair your personal bow with the hair you choose. If you decide you don’t like the new hair within a month, we’re happy to rehair your bow with the standard hair.

Why won’t my violin bow stay in the winter?

The temperature and humidity changes drastically from summer to winter. Hot, muggy weather causes the hair to stretch, which may make it impossible to tighten enough on the bow. In the winter, the hair dries and contracts, sometimes making it impossible to loosen the hair of the bow enough to relax the tension on the stick.