Taking Care of Your Bow: Answering Your FAQs
Published May 2016, updated April 2025.
This month's blog post focuses on a few questions I am often asked about violin bow care and maintenance. If you'd like to take the mystery out of bow care, keep reading below!
Q. Why do I need to loosen my bow before I put it away in the case and tighten it before I play?
When you play, you need to tighten the tension of the bow hair to produce a consistent sound on the violin. The tension of the hair creates resistance against the string and springiness with the bow's wood. When you are finished playing for the day, it is very important to loosen your bow to release the tension of the hair.
Releasing the tension maintains the health of your bow hair and stick. If you keep your bow tightened all the time, eventually, the hair will stretch out and no longer be responsive. The stick of your bow will warp and bend, meaning it will no longer move and balance in your hand how you would like it to. You can have both of these issues repaired; however, if a stick is extremely warped, it can often not be repaired, meaning you may have to buy an entirely new bow.
Q. How much should I tighten my bow?
Properly tightened bow using the finger rule.
A. The answer to this question also depends on the player. If you are a more experienced player, you tighten the bow to your need, depending on what music you are playing. If you want more spring in your bow, you increase the tension; if you want less spring, you loosen your bow more.
For beginning players, I suggest the finger rule. I tell my students to tighten their bows until they can place their pinkie finger between the stick and the bow hair. It is best to avoid over-tightening the bow, as this can stretch out your bow hair or even warp the stick of your bow. Additionally, an overly tight bow will have an extremely springy response, making it difficult to control and play.
The final thing to consider is the time of year and the climate you live in. During the winter months, in cooler climates, the air tends to get extremely dry. Since the bow is made from wood and hair, which are porous materials, they "shrink" with the loss of humidity in the air. As a result, you need to tighten your bow less to achieve the desired hair tension. The opposite happens in the summer months or in regions with higher humidity. The wood and hair absorb the moisture in the air and "expand," meaning that you need to tighten your bow more to achieve the desired tension you want.
Q. How often should I rosin my bow, and how do I tell when it needs rosin?
A. The answer to this question depends on how often you play your violin. I typically tell my beginning students to rosin their bow once or twice a week. Intermediate players will likely rosin their bow twice a week. More advanced students will likely want to rosin their bow more frequently, perhaps every two to three days, depending on how much rosin they prefer on the bow. The more you play, the faster the rosin wears off your bow, increasing the frequency you need to rosin the bow.
Holding the bow a a downward angle to see if it needs rosin.
The bow hair on the left is rosined, and the bow hair on the right is un-rosined.
To answer the second part of the question, if you are a more advanced player, you can tell by how the bow responds to the string whether you need more rosin. If you feel you need to add more weight to the string than usual to get your bow to grip or respond to the string or notice that your sound is less full and clear than normal, it is a good indicator that you need more rosin.
For less experienced players, hold the bow at a downward, slightly diagonal angle with the hair facing you and looking directly down the bow hair. You need more rosin if the bow hair appears dull or beige/cream/off-white. When properly rosined, the hair will appear bright white.
Q. One of the hairs on my bow broke . . . what should I do?
Trimming a broken violin hair near the frog with a pair of fingernail clippers.
A. The answer to this question also depends on the player. If you are a more experienced player, you tighten the bow to your need, depending on what music you are playing. If you want more spring in your bow, you increase the tension; if you want less spring, you loosen your bow more.
For beginning players, I suggest the finger rule. I tell my students to tighten their bows until they can place their pinkie finger between the stick and the bow hair. It is best to avoid over-tightening the bow, as this can stretch out your bow hair or even warp the stick of your bow. Additionally, an overly tight bow will have an extremely springy response, making it difficult to control and play.
The final thing to consider is the time of year and the climate you live in. During the winter months, in cooler climates, the air tends to get extremely dry. Since the bow is made from wood and hair, which are porous materials, they "shrink" with the loss of humidity in the air. As a result, you need to tighten your bow less to achieve the desired hair tension. The opposite happens in the summer months or in regions with higher humidity. The wood and hair absorb the moisture in the air and "expand," meaning that you need to tighten your bow more to achieve the desired tension you want.
Q. When should I have my bow re-haired?
A. The answer to this question is also a matter of personal preference. Intermediate and advanced players will have their bow re-haired several times a year. However, less experienced students could go a year without having their bow re-haired.
It depends on the amount you play. The more you play, the quicker you wear down your hair, meaning it has less grip and freshness. Generally, even for less experienced players, having your bow re-haired once a year ensures optimal sound and responsiveness.
If your bow hair becomes stretched out, (you can no longer make it tight by tightening the bow), it becomes too dirty, or it no longer grips the string- even with rosin, it is most likely time to have your bow re-haired.
You can have your bow re-haired at a local luthier (instrument repair person). The price for a rehair varies greatly depending on where you are located but generally ranges between $120 - 175 CAD.
Following these care practices will ensure you can properly maintain and care for your bow, leading to years of enjoyment!
