About Violin Bows

Ladies and gentlemen, do you know what a violin bow is?

Yes, I do.

It is that long wooden stick.
The long wooden stick is covered with the hair of a horse's tail.
The sound is made by rubbing the hair of the horse's tail against the violin's strings (usually metal).

By the way, did you know that there are various ranks of violin bows?
The lowest is under 5,000 yen, and the highest is 5 million yen.
Let's take a look at the different prices. (Prices are based on the author's intuition.)


Below 5,000 yen
Distorted, with zero flexing. It is tough to play fine passages.
It is usually only about 60% of its capabilities.


I can only play about 60% of what I am capable of.
This is about the same price for a carbon bow.
Carbon bows are basically unbreakable, so they are safe even for children.

50,000 yen
A bow that can be played normally.

100,000 yen
This is enough for an amateur player.

500,000 yen
The cheapest bows for music college students are around this price.

1,000,000 yen
This is the most expensive bow for a music student.

2,000,000 yen
It has a very great sound.

5 million yen
People who accidentally pick it up and really want it will buy it.



What do you think? In a word, the price of a bow is pinkiri.

However, not everyone can afford an expensive bow.
Here is the author's own opinion on bows.


◆Good sound requires weight.

You don't need mobility, so you want to produce a sweet, fruitful sound!
If you are such a person, take a heavy bow.

Basically, to get a good sound, you need arm weight.
(Which often justifies being fat.)
A heavier bow has the same effect as adding arm weight.


◆ People who cannot afford expensive instruments invest in bows.

Basically, the performance of a string instrument is the price of the body plus the price of the bow.
However, in the case of violins, the price of the body is absurdly high.
Those without money worried, they come up with an idea!
It's more cosmetic to spend money on a bow."
To achieve high quality playing without having to replace my instrument,
I seek out bows that perform well.


The emphasis on mobility.

In an ensemble, a bow with mobility may be more useful than an expensive instrument.

Instruments that are too expensive can be a nuisance in an ensemble because they stand up more loudly than other players.
However, a "good bow" has excellent mobility and helps the player to keep in tune with the playing of others.
Therefore, it can be said that a "good bow" produces a good ensemble.




◆Finally.

How was it?
You may want an expensive bow.

But don't forget this!
Bows are basically consumables! ・・・・・・

See you then.