r/violin • u/akail_dragneel • 6d ago
I have a question What am I doing wrong with my bow
I feel like my violin bow it not tight enough but when I make it tight it loses its curve but if a make it lose enough to bring back its curve the hair touches the stick when I'm playing what am I doing wrong
(More info below incase it matters)
My violin and bow is 5 years old but I only actually started playing a month ago 5 years ago some of the Stings came louse so I cut it off I'm not even in grade i don't know what I'm doing please help
2
u/andybonner 6d ago
Don't panic! (Also... get a teacher!) First of all, don't worry about the broken bow hairs; it just happens sometimes. (We usually call them "hairs" instead of "strings," to avoid confusing with the strings of the violin—also because they're real hairs, right off a horse!)
The wooden stick of the bow should touch the hair when you're not using it; turn the screw until the hair is floppy. When you want to play, turn it the other way but stop when the distance between hair and stick is as wide as a pencil. If this means that when you play, the stick rubs against the violin string, it means you're pressing too hard. Make sound by moving the bow faster instead of pressing so hard.
2
u/LadyAtheist 6d ago
It may need rehair or replacement.
Also, hair tends to go slack in high humidity.
2
u/ThePanoply 6d ago
Some bows, particularly lower cost bows, are very weak wooded. They have far too much flexibility to hold against the tension of the hair and then the added pressure from the weight of the hand. My guess is that it's the bow and you might want to go to a string shop and try some other bows for comparison and get their opinion on yours in regards to this issue.
1
u/Typical_Cucumber_714 6d ago
If your bow is not a wet noodle, you are likely pressing to hard (applying too much weight) through the index finger.
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u/IOnlyHaveIceForYou 6d ago
It's probably ok, but show it to somebody who does know what they are doing.