Preface
It has always appeared to me a curious thing that the bow, without which the fiddle could have no being, should have received so scant attention, not alone from the community of fiddlers, but also from writers on the subject. I only know of one book in which the subject is adequately handled. Out of every twenty violinists who profess to some knowledge of the various types of Cremonese and other fiddles of repute and value, barely three will be met with who take a similar interest in the bow beyond knowing a good one, or rather one that suits their particular physique, when playing with it. They are all familiar with the names of Dodd and Tourte, but it is seldom that their knowledge extends beyond the names. As for a perception of the characteristics of bows as works of art, which is the standard of the fiddle connoisseur, it hardly has any existence outside the small circle of bow makers. Of the large number of undoubted fiddle experts now in London, but a small proportion profess to any similar knowledge of bows, and of these there are but few who can be credited with real authority in the matter.
It is, therefore, with the object of bringing the bow into more general notice that this little book has been written, and, to drop into the good old prefatory style, if I succeed in arousing the interest of but one violinist in the bow for itself, and apart from its work, my efforts will not have been in vain.
My most hearty thanks are due to those who have so kindly assisted me in my work. To Messrs. W. E. Hill and Sons, Mr. E. Withers, Mr. F. W. Chanot, Mr. J. Chanot, and Messrs. Beare, Goodwin and Co., for the loan of valuable bows for the purpose of illustration, and Mr. A. Tubbs, who, in addition to similar favours, most kindly placed much of his valuable time at my disposal, and very patiently helped me to a sufficient understanding of the bow maker’s craft for the purpose of collecting materials for the second part of the book.
The third part, in which I treat of the use of the bow, I have purposely avoided making a systematic handbook of bowing technique, for to handle that subject as exhaustively as I should wish would require a separate volume. As stated in Chapter XIV., that portion of the book is addressed almost exclusively to teachers, and in the few cases where I have gone into questions of technique it has been limited to those points that appear to be most neglected or misunderstood by the generality of teachers.
“Anything that is worth doing is worth doing well” is a maxim that teachers should hold up to themselves and their pupils, and this reminds me of an exhortation to that effect in “Musick’s Monument,” that quaint and pathetic book of Thomas Mace (1676) with which I cannot do better than end my already too extensive preamble.
“Now being Thus far ready for Exercise, attempt the Striking of your Strings; but before you do That, Arm yourself with Preparative Resolutions to gain a Handsome—Smooth—Sweet—Smart—Clear—Stroak; or else Play not at all.”
Publisher’s Note
In this new impression of the late Mr. Saint-George’s book opportunity has been taken to correct a few obvious errors, such as those occurring in the notices of the three bowmakers named Peccatte; the deaths of those makers which have occurred since the publication of the first edition have been noted, and a few fresh names have been added to the list contained in Chapter VIII. In other respects the text of the work remains practically as the author left it.
Photo Reproductions of Bows
| Plate | |
| I. | Head and nut of inlaid bow probably by Stradivari |
| II. | Heads of three English bows showing evolution of design |
| III. IV. | Heads of two violin, two viola, and one ‘cello bow, by J. Dodd |
| V. VI.. | Heads of three violin bows and one ‘cello bow, by François Tourte |
| VII. | Heads of bows by Lupot |
| VIII. | Two heads of bows by D. Peccatte and one by Panormo |
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT.
1. Locust, showing action of hind leg in producing note
2. Assyrian Trigonon
3. Crwth bow from the Golden Porch at Freiburg
4. Ravanastron and bow (Indian)
5. Uh-Ch’in and bow (Chinese)
6. Omerti and bow (Indian)
7. Kemangeh-a-gouz and bow (Arabian)
8. Rebâb-esh-Sha’er and bow (Arabian)
9. Sitâra and bow (Persian)
10. Sarìndâ and bow (Bengalese)
11. Method of hairing some Egyptian bows
12. Saw-Tai and bow (Siamese)
13. Bow of Nyckelharpa (Swedish)
14. Bow of Saw-oo (Chinese)
15. Bow of the eighth century
16. Bow of the ninth century
17. Bow of the ninth century
18. Bows of the eleventh century
19. Bows of the twelfth century
20. Bows of the thirteenth century
21. Bows of the fourteenth century
22. Bows of the fourteenth century
23. Bows of the fifteenth century
24. Bows of the sixteenth century
25. Bows of the seventeenth century (drawn actual size from specimens now in existence)
26. Bows of the eighteenth century (drawn actual size from specimens now in existence)
27. Showing detachable nut of some early bows
28. Heels of early bows
29. The Crémaillère
30. Head and nut of ornamented Cremonese bow (actual size)
31. Head and nut of Dodd bow (reduced)
32. Head of Dodd bow (actual size)
33. Geometrical construction showing gradation of stick (Fétis)
34. Bow stick in the rough (greatly reduced)
35. Pattern of bow head (actual size)
36. Ivory face in the rough
37. Gauge for nuts (actual size)
38. Parts of a bow
39. Tip of bow showing “cups”
40. Head of bow showing trench
41. Nut of bow showing screw and method of hairing
42. End view of nut showing bow with unequal facets
43. Dr. Nicholson’s bow
44. A fifteenth century violist
45. A seventeenth century gambist (from Sympson)