Using a viola bow on violin

October 19, 2014 at 03:23 AM · About 6 months ago I began to notice some difficulties with violin bowing. I blamed it on an essential tremor problem I have (but using a small dose of beta blocker solves that for violin-playing purposes). I blamed it on the rosin I was using, but then I realized that my bow was no longer staying at the sounding point I intended. I also realize that extensive use of an off-brand computer mouse with my desktop computers years ago strained my right shoulder (to the extend that I could no longer throw a ball as well as my 5-year old grandson back then) some 16 years ago. Still can't throw, and I used to be great!

I have no such problems with bowing when playing the cello - heavier bow, completely different use of arm, shoulder, and back muscles!

Two weeks ago it occurred to me while playing cello in piano quartets that a heavier bow might solve my violin problems. First I tried a cello bow - but it at 80 grams a typical cello bow is really too heavy. Even my ARCUS Concerto cello bow (that I've had beefed up to 74.5 grams with a weighted tip) is too heavy and not properly balanced. Fortunately I found that my Coda Classic VIOLA bow (72.4 grams) is ideal in both weight and balance.

Obviously one of the reasons this works is because the heavier viola bow takes more advantage of gravity so I don't have to apply as much torque to get the bow into the strings. Another factor is that my arms are definitely longer than average, so the heavier bow allows me to use my arms at better angles for me than do violin bows. It seems to be entirely an issue of weight, because the balance point of this viola bow varies from 0 to 1 inch closer to the frog than my various violin bows. I have another viola bow, a W. Seifert, at 70.9 grams that is my best for viola, but with a balance point 1 inch further from the frog than the Coda, is too tip heavy for violin playing.

I've been using the viola bow on violin for 2 weeks now and am satisfied, that with this change in equipment I'll be able to play all the way through my 80s - or until I drop.

The only downside is what to do with all my lovely violin bows!

I only post this in case it might help other violin players with age, body-part, or body-damage-related bowing problems.

Andy