Bowing

Explained and demonstrated are some important bowing techniques to improve understanding of the violin. Arco indicates that the music should be bowed (as opposed to plucked). Notation: arco. It is assumed that a passage is bowed unless marked otherwise. However, once a 'pizz' indication has been given, 'arco' must be indicated for the next bowed passage. Where unusual bowing techniques are used, 'ord' will return the player to normal bowing.

Up and Down Bows

The up bow (traveling from point to frog) has a weaker sound than the down bow, and therefore is often used on on upbeats. The somewhat heavier down bow (moving from frog to point) is then used to emphasise the down beat in the music. Notation: There is no need to indicate bowing unless a specific pattern of up and down bows is required, in which case the symbols shown are used above the music. Experienced players can play up and down bows so evenly that it is often impossible to tell which is which just by listening. However, when a particularly heavy attack is required there is no substitute for a strong downbow.