How To Hold And Use Your Violin Bow.
Section Links: Intro Parts Tightening Rosin The Grip The Stroke Bow Pressure
This picture identifies the violin bow parts (all except the tip).
The screw. The part you can see, at the end of the stick, is connected to a threaded screw that passes into the stick and through a threaded bolt. The bolt connects to the frog inside the stick. When you turn the screw, the frog moves back and forth along the stick. If you turn it clockwise, the frog slides toward the screw, increasing the tension on the hair. To release the tension, turn the screw counter-clockwise.
The pad. The pad (or thumb pad) is a little piece of rubber or leather wrapped around the stick. Its purpose is to provide a little comfort for the tip of the thumb, which, if you use the grip that I recommend elsewhere in this lesson, you'll be pressing against the stick in exactly the spot where the pad is located.
The wrap. Right next to the thumb pad is something called the wrap. Depending on the quality of the violin bow, it might be made of plastic or very fine guage wire. It is located where the first finger falls across the top of the stick (again, if you use the grip that I suggest you use); and its purpose is to provide a little traction for the first finger to keep it from sliding around on the stick.
The frog. The frog anchors the violin bow hair at one end and slides back and forth to tension and de-tension the bow. It also can provide a brace point for the thumb to keep the violin bow from slipping and turning in your hand as you play. More about this in the discussion on gripping the bow.
The stick. Most violin bow sticks are wood, but in recent years sticks made of carbon fiber have gained in popularity. All sticks are curved so that when the screw is loosened, the stick lightly touches the hair at the mid-point of the bow, and the hair is loose.
The hair. More about the hair in the sections on tightening your violin bow and using rosin.
The tip (not shown above). Of course, as you move along the stick away from the screw, it tapers and ends with a clasp to anchor the bow hair. This end is imaginatively called (the envelope please)--the tip.