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Searched this forum and others, plus looked at introductory videos here and at Violaman's site and the only thing I found on bow tension was @Mouse's post stating a pencil width between hairs and bow at narrowest portion is recommended. My bow is already that distance when the screw is out enough to the loosened position.
So do I need a new bow, or is there some other way to determine proper tension. I normally tighten the screw 2-3 twists, each of which is about a third of a complete turn. Too much? Too little?
I also posted this in my blog, but got no answers, thus the double post!
The old curmudgeon!
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John, I have to tighten my bow tighter than a pencil, I have to use my pinky to pass through or I get a lot of unwanted bow bounce.
Most likely the hair we just to short when installed on the bow, on a non expensive bow I don't think I would worry to much about it.
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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@Mark - Thanks, guess I'll just keep with my 2-3 twists for now!
The old curmudgeon!
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Pencil width is a decent rule of thumb for an average bow, but the right amount of hair tension for your bow may vary with the stiffness of the bow or the type of music being played. Also, your bow hair will expand and contract with changes in humidity, so you may have to adjust for the seasons. It mostly comes down to how it feels to play, and how much of a bounce you want.
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So, more tension will give less bounce?
The old curmudgeon!
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@JohnG -
It's like Andrew said.
Now, my bow is pretty darn flexible, so here's how I adjust my tension:
- Place your bow on your strings
- then put some weight on the bow... like if you get excited to play a strong, loud note or passage.
- Observe the clearance between bow & hair
- I look for about ⅛" of space - WHILE you have your loud-playing pressure applied.
- If your stick & hair & strings are ALL touching when you do that , then tighten your bow a half turn until right.
- Check after each adjustment.
- On the other hand, if you dig into playing a note loud and have more than an ⅛" of clearance between bow & hair - I'd loosen the tension by a half turn until right.
- Check after each adjustment.
You can decide down the road, if you want to buy a more or less flexible bow - you're probably going to want to just keep working on your bow grip for a bit, first (we all need that). 😊
- Emily
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@ELCBK - Thanks, I'll try that, too. Looks like a repeatable, relatively easy way to do it!
The old curmudgeon!
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@JohnG -
Guess I should've probably mentioned it's good to start my above, 'fine tuning', test with your bow tension at what YOU would consider 'normal'. 😊
...and bounce can be several factors all at once.
Christian Howes - "showing you how elite players stop bow skip and play with a Smooth Change & Strong Sound on violin or viola."
Good luck - hopefully this helps.
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JohnG,
So, more tension will give less bounce?
Seems counter intuitive, when my teacher told that I looked at her like a 3 headed alien, and tried for weeks to disprove her for weeks but for me and my bow (eats crow) she was right.
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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So a pencil width at the closest point between the arch and hair is a good starting point. If you are performing a slow sweet lyrical piece you might want more flexibility and if you are playing powerful music and or possibly spiccato, perhaps more tension.
John, what kind of bow is it? If it's a carbon fiber bow, you'll be fine since it won't loose its tension. Do you live in a very dry environment? Humidity causes the hair to be longer whereas dryness makes the hair shorter.
If your bow is a wooden bow, I would consider getting a re-hair.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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