What range of violin bow hair tension is generally accepted?

That is the hair tension the player adjusts the bow to at the start of playing. I found in my past experiments and in my work at Oberlin College that most players like to adjust their bows between 10 to 12 pounds at their operating range.

1. How much tension should be on a violin bow?
2. How do I choose a violin bow for my hair?
3. Why can't you touch the hair on a violin bow?
4. What is the best violin hair?

How much tension should be on a violin bow?

So how much tension is enough and how much is too much? A good rule of thumb that I use is a pencil width. If you tighten your bow a bit and can just fit a pencil in between the bow hair and the stick in the middle of the bow, that is enough tension.

How do I choose a violin bow for my hair?

The hair on the bow is traditionally white horse hair. Many substitutes have been tried over the years but horse hair is still considered to be the best material. In evaluating a bow make sure it has been rehaired recently. Over time the hair stretches and loses its ability to hold rosin.

Why can't you touch the hair on a violin bow?

The reason touching the hair with your fingers is discouraged is because natural oils from your fingers or skin will transfer to the bow and cause the hairs to "slicken." This greasiness (think of how greasy your own hair gets after not washing it for days) compromises the dry texture of the hair that grips to the ...

What is the best violin hair?

When it comes to the horsehair ribbon, white hair is the smoothest and the best for violin bows. Beyond the horsehair, the width of the ribbon itself and the quality of the rosin you use to give it the necessary grip also affect the quality of the bow.