Bow hairs breaking

[corvideye]

???Greetings,

I recently took my erhu out after a long hiatus and was dismayed to find that about 7 of the bow hairs had broken at the tip of the bow (where the bundle is tied off, not the end you hold). My first thought was that bugs might have gotten to it, but I didn't see any sign of that (residue, casings, etc.), and if it were bugs, perhaps the damage wouldn't be only at that end... Other thoughts on what might be causing this? Maybe it's getting stressed when I apply rosin? Also, should I be loosening the bow when I store it for months?

Should I just pull the broken hairs out of the bow? I remember breaking a few in the past, and I suppose there's a point at which it gets too bald to use, but I'm not sure when that would be...

thanks!

[mrbamboo]

Well, 7 hairs is nothing. At least if your bow is as good as new. It's normal that bow hair wears off in time. It also depends on your style of playing how soon you will break its hairs. I have seen bows which almost resembled a bottle brush on either end but still worked. Though the more hairs are missing the less grip a bow will have on the strings and the less control you'll have when playing your erhu. That's why I think it's a good idea to have a couple of spare bows around as a replacement. Erhu bows are a lot cheaper than violin bows so don't be parsimonious about that.

When you store your bow for months you should loosen its hank, that's right. If you feel you have to remove the ruined hairs - do not pull them out of your bow, simply cut them off as close as possible to the bamboo end. That'll do.

R.

[corvideye]

Thanks, that's very helpful. I have no experience with bows (my previous instruments were piano and harp), so I just wasn't sure if this was a big deal or not. I haven't played it very much, but I guess it was enough to break a few. A violin player was just telling me to clip the broken hairs at the base with a nail clipper, so I'll go ahead and do that, and I'll loosen it when storing in future. (Though I've never been quite sure if I have the bow tension right anyway! I sure wish I could see a knowledgeable player close up to get a feel for that.)

[davidmdahl]

I don't break many bow hairs. Usually they break by getting caught on something. If you are using a good quality bow, you should not have problems. Check the bow hair tension though. It should not be like a violin bow. The hair on a erhu bow should not be tight even when being used, so loosening it for storage should not be necessary. Of course, it would not hurt either.

If your bow has lost a lot of hair and is old, a new bow might be a good idea. The real test is how well it plays. A good bow in good condition will make it a lot easier to play the erhu, which is tough enough. Fortunately, a good bow is not very expensive.

Best wishes,

David