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Instruction, Information & Inspiration for Players of Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass & Fiddle | Jan. 29, 2010

So You Want to Get a Baroque Bow?

If you enjoy performing music from the Baroque era, but find your modern bow unwieldy in Baroque's sometimes complicated passage work, you may be ready to purchase a Baroque bow. If you do, you will find it easier to maneuver in the intricate slur markings of Bach and his contemporaries. What do you look for in a bow so different from your modern one, and how do you go about selecting your first Baroque bow?

While there are few bows in original Baroque condition available today, there are several bow makers who specialize in making copies of Baroque bows. Ideally, you want to try a number of different Baroque bows to get a feel for them and find one that is suited to both you and your instrument. If you can attend an early music festival exhibition, you can try bows from many makers at the same time. If that’s not a possibility, try to visit a Baroque bow maker’s shop. If you can’t go to them, many bow makers will send you bows to try out and compare at home.

A Baroque bow will feel quite different in your hand. Neither the frog nor the tip is as substantial as on a modern bow. Because of the way it is weighted, you may well want to “choke up” on the bow, and bring your hand further up the stick (in the direction of the tip), leaving the frog behind. You want to look for the same things in a Baroque bow as you would in a modern one: it should be responsive, easy to control, and make your instrument sound good. Remember, though, that a Baroque bow does not have the sustaining power of a modern bow. It has less hair, and won’t produce a big sound. It will, however, make all those minute slurring details of Baroque music come to life. When trying out possible Baroque bows, be sure to have some suitable period music, such as Bach or Corelli sonatas.

A Baroque bow should produce a nice, consistent sound when drawn from frog to tip—even as it decrescendos. Some bows can be a little too responsive, and wobble or skitter at a certain point, often toward the tip end. Unless you feel you can control that skittery area, you might want to try a different bow.

By Sarah Freiberg

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News from the String World

2010 NAMM Show Report

Innovation abounded among the more than 1,500 exhibitors at the annual winter gathering of the National Association of Music Merchants, held January 14–17, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. NAMM’s exhibitors at the bustling show included more than 350 devoted to various aspects of the string trade, ranging from violin and bow makers to manufacturers of instruments cases and electronics. The mood, overall, was upbeat and confident, after the uncertainty amid economic woes the previous year. In upcoming issues, Strings will be reporting on many of the new acoustic instrument and bow models as well as the latest instrument cases and other accessories.

But it’s worth reporting that the electronics segment of the trade showed a lot of activity. Read More

ACO Appoints George Manahan as Music Director

Conductor George Manahan, music director of the New York City Opera, will join the American Composers Orchestra as music director at the start of the 2010–11 season. Read More News

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