- 1). Grasp the violin bow securely at the frog with one hand, and hold the screw located at the very bottom of the bow between the thumb and forefinger of your other hand.
- 2). Twist the screw clockwise to increase the tension on the bow. Doing this engages the threading on the screw to act upon the corresponding threading on the inside part of the frog. This action moves the entire frog down away from the tip, pulling the hair in between taut.
- 3). Release the screw, reset your hands to the original position, and repeat the twisting motion until the hair is just under 1/2 inch, or approximately 1 centimeter, from the wood of the bow. The number of twists needed will depend on the bow, as well as the amount of rotation for each twist, but in general, around four repetitions will be good.
- 4). Recheck the bow tension throughout your practice session, as factors such as temperature and humidity can act on the wood of the bow, and cause the tension to increase or decrease.
- 5). Twist the screw of the bow counterclockwise when done playing to release tension on the bow. Only loosen the bow until the hair touches the wood, and you see the hair slacken.
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