Scan 22
Chats to violin students on how to study the violin, 1895
10 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 6. See the scan on archive.org.
1CHAPTER II.
3Of the Right Hand, the Bow and Bowing.
5NEXT in importance to the violin itself comes the bow, both in regard to its choice and use. There have been remarkable improvements made in the bow. It seems strange that the violins of to-day are exact copies of those of last century and earlier, and are generally inferior to the older ones, whereas the modern bow is in every way superior to those of earlier date, being lighter, more elastic and more adapted for producing variety of tone and style. The sticks of the bows are made of Brazil wood (otherwise Fernambuc or Pernambuco wood) which is at the same time strong and flexible; and they are made as light as possible. The hair is taken from the tails of white horses, and is chosen for strength, absence of grease and cylindricity.
7Tourte (of Paris), Vuillaume and Tubbs are the three best makers, and very high prices are asked for good specimens of these artists, especially for those of Tourte, as the demand is always increasing and the supply has ceased.* The bow is held with the four fingers of the right hand close to the nut: the thumb should be bent
9* It is remarkable that even the poorest specimens of Tourte's work command such high prices. One authority has said that a Tourte for £20 is not worth having. That is, of course, from the player's point of view as opposed to that of the collector.—ED.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.