bow – D Rickert Musical Instruments

It’s Baroque, Man! (or the Low-down on Baroque Violins)

May 31, 2023

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in Announcements, Baroque Instruments, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Historic Instrument Replicas, Historic Makers and Instruments

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. This article is primarily for those considering acquisition of a proper Baroque violin. D. Rickert Musical Instruments has been making baroque violins, violas and violoncellos da spalla since our inception in 2007. We also make Baroque period pochettes (pocket fiddles) and their modern descendants, usually called Travel Violins.…

So You Think You Need a Pernambuco Fiddle Bow, Eh?

May 22, 2012

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Donald Rickert

in Bows, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Observations and Opinion

Well, okay…some people actually do need a pernambuco bow. Read on. In a recent article, Making Sense of the New Carbon Fiber Bows, I expressed a strong preference for the new generation of braided carbon fiber bows, for violin, fiddle, viola and octave violin (sometimes called baritone violin) for meeting the needs of the modern player. Considerations I…

Making Sense of the New Carbon Fiber Bows

May 22, 2012

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Donald Rickert

in Bows, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Observations and Opinion

The bow is just as important, and in some ways more important, than the instrument it is used on. There are different kinds of bows for different instruments. For example, a bow for a viola or octave (baritone) violin or fiddle is heavier, with a different balance point, than a bow for violin or fiddle. The…

It’s All About the Bow

May 22, 2012

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Donald Rickert

in Bows, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Observations and Opinion

Assuming that you have at least a moderate-quality fiddle or violin (that is properly set up) and some skill at playing it, NOTHING matters to your playing, the sound your playing makes and your development as a bowed string musician than the bow. The old rule of thumb that we old people were taught is…

Is a Snakewood Violin of Fiddle Bow an Alternative to Pernambuco?

May 22, 2012

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Donald Rickert

in Bows, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Observations and Opinion

No! Snakewood is for Baroque bows, which are used for playing Baroque music on Baroque violins. The wood is heavy and does not hold the camber (reverse curve) that is so critical to Tourte (i.e. modern) bows. Francois Tourte explicitly rejected snakewood as being unsuitable for his bows. We nearly cried when we heard that…

Dr. Don Rickert Revisiting the Best Bow for Octave Violins and Fiddles Question

May 22, 2012

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Donald Rickert

in Bows, Observations and Opinion

In an earlier post, I (Don Rickert) presented more or less a summary of what various musicians use to play octave violin or octave fiddle. In that post, I mentioned that the extraordinary 'cellist and also really good fiddler, Natalie Haas, uses a French-style 'cello bow on her octave violin. Natalie has since informed me…

Tag: bow

It’s Baroque, Man! (or the Low-down on Baroque Violins)

So You Think You Need a Pernambuco Fiddle Bow, Eh?

Making Sense of the New Carbon Fiber Bows

It’s All About the Bow

Is a Snakewood Violin of Fiddle Bow an Alternative to Pernambuco?

Dr. Don Rickert Revisiting the Best Bow for Octave Violins and Fiddles Question