To us violinists, the bow is arguably as important as the violin itself. Without the bow, the only way to make a melodic sound on the violin is by plucking the strings, and while that can be fun sometimes, I don’t think an audience nor the righthand index finger of the soloist would be very pleased by the Tchaikovsky violin concerto entirely in pizzicato. Indeed, the bow is a valuable piece of technology. The bows we have today are able to deliver the tone and technique needed to play Tchaikovsky’s works, but bows were not initially born with these capabilities. What the majority of violinists are using now is known as the modern bow; prior to this there were two other categories of bows: the classical bow and the baroque bow. And even before the first baroque bows, there existed the bow in its earliest form.
Early Bows
When thinking of early forms of violin bows, people tend to first think of baroque bows. But the baroque bow didn’t just pop out of nowhere; even before the baroque bow, there was an initial model that accompanied early stringed instruments. The shape of these bows was more comparable to an archery bow than the violin bows we have today due to their convex structure (2). Tension of the hair was not a consideration as the hair was attached on this stick directly with no way of tightening or loosening it.
This video demonstrates the main use of early bows: to produce sound on an instrument for rhythmic accompaniment. Notice the length of the bow: it is much shorter than the modern bows we use today. At first glance, they look awkwardly short, but their length was enough to serve their purpose. These early bows were most commonly used to accompany vocal music as the rhythm section since they were viewed as of lesser importance than singing.
The Baroque Bow
The invention of the Baroque violin during the 16th century was created due to a demand for something new. Initially, older bows that were designed for rhythm instruments were used on the baroque violin, but as Italian composers such as Arcangelo Corelli began to compose for the violin as a solo instrument, there became a need for longer bows to produce a more singing sound. The lengthening of the bow set off a chain reaction of multiple constructional modifications, such as added height to the top of the bow, which helped balance the bow and made it possible to comfortably use the full length. Initially, the tension of the bow hair was changed by how much pressure the player put on it with their thumb, but this idea of hair tension was played around with until a system was developed where the bow hair could be loosened or tightened by a screw. Typically made from snakewood, the stick started out as convex but as time went on, convex shapes decreased in popularity as straight/concave shapes became the norm. Other than these general changes, there was no standard model for the baroque bow because of the wide range artistic choices bow makers of this era made. Both ends of baroque bows were decorated and designed to fit the aesthetic ideals of the maker.
This is an example of the ornamentation on baroque bows: near the frog, the screw has been decorated with multiple circular shapes, and the tip is shaped in an upward swoop. The wood used for this bow is also easily identifiable as snakewood due to it’s scale-like pattern. (Image by CJS Steven Violin Supplies).
The Classical Bow: A Time of Transition
During the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries was the age of the classical bow. However, the “transitional bow” would be a more proper name for this bow as bows made during this period were “open to all influences” and ever evolving (1). Similar to the reasons for the development of the Baroque bow, the developments of the Classical bow were inspired by the changes in music composed for string instruments, as new solo repertoire was emerging that called out for advanced bowing techniques and a strong, soloistic sound. Giovanni Battista Viotti (considered a father of modern violin playing) was the Corelli of this age, as his compositions and performances emphasized the importance of the bow and created a need for a more capable piece of technology (4). During this transitional stage of bow making, the main advances revolved around strengthening the bow, including a strengthened stick (improved by John Dodd’s technique for cutting wood) and a metal underslide (added by Christian Wilhelm Knopf); these inventions both removing some of the Baroque bow’s weak points (3).
The Modern Bow, Thanks to François Xavier Tourte
Prior to the era of the modern bow, there were numerous people that influenced the development of the bow. However, the majority of developments of the modern bow can be linked to one person: François Xavier Tourte. Nicknamed the “Stradivarius of bow making,” Tourte built off and perfected the advancements of classical bows by responding to the needs of the soloists of his day. He mathematically calculated the measurements of his bows and made them concave to ensure their balance and reactivity to the string; as a result, his bows were very responsive. His changes expanded the capabilities of the bow: from variety in techniques to range of dynamics, the capacity of the bow increased greatly. A few especially notable measurements that he adjusted were the size of the head and horsehair mounts, which he widened, and the length of the bow, which he slightly increased.
As if perfecting the structural measurements of the bow wasn’t enough, Tourte also set an aesthetic standard for the bottom of the bow. He popularized pearl underslides and pearl inlays, which are now standard in terms of decorations on the frog. (Image by Photo Bucket).
Most Recent Developments
In recent years, composite bows have entered the market, most commonly made out of carbon fiber and fiberglass. This has resulted in an increase in the accessibility of bows, as not every 5th grader who wants to play in school orchestra has parents who will buy them a bow sporting the same price tag as a used car. And while initially they were made as cheaper alternatives, higher end ones are now being made. Because their material can be manufactured, composite bow they have been growing in popularity due to Pernambuco wood shortages as deforestation in their natural habitat (Brazil) has caused these trees to become quite rare.
Now What About the Future?
So, will there ever be a time when the current bow we have becomes a thing of the past? Based on the current dynamic of the violin world, I’d say not for a while at least. This is because the majority, if not all of the standard violin repertoire can be performed and properly executed with the current bow we have. Based on the trends of bow development in the past, new bows emerge whenever new music is composed or new instruments are created that require a bow with different capabilities become popular. For the bow we use today to be updated and replaced, there would have to be a significant modification to the violin or style of compositions that people are wanting to play. Given that the violin’s structure and demands of repertoire have been supported by the modern bow ever since Tourte’s modifications, I wouldn’t predict that to be anytime soon. But the field of music is ever changing, so who knows what the future may hold.
So… What?
Now that you (hopefully) have learned something about the development of the bow, you may be wondering, how does this relate to me? While I can’t speak for you, in terms of myself, learning the history of the bow has inspired me as a violinist to experiment with and work on different bow techniques that aren’t used as commonly in repertoire because the bows we have today have been developed to be extremely capable. As I practice, I have a goal in mind of growing closer to being able to utilize this technology at its full potential because now with the way the bow has been improved and developed, the potential of the bow depends on the potential of the artist. Practicing bow techniques can sometimes seem dull and uninteresting, but it’s all a matter of perspective. When new digital technology comes out, we all want to test it out and discover its features. So why not view the violin bow the same way? True, the model resting in your case at this very moment is not the same type of technology as the current iPhone or windows tablet. But think about it: have you already explored and perfected every technique the bow is capable of? Bowing exercises are only boring if you view them as simple repetitions. So go test out its features, aiming to see what you can discover through your practice and just how much you can accomplish with this piece of technology.
Sources
- European Violins: History of the Violin Bow http://www.europeanviolins.eu/en/history-of-the-violin-bow
2. Corilon Violins – The violin bow: a brief depiction of its history
https://www.corilon.com/shop/en/info/modern-bow.html
3. Basil De Visser Period Bows https://baroquebows.com/
4. A History of the Violin Bow https://animato.com.au/a-history-of-the-violin-bow/