A note value is a length of bow
On the violin, a duration is a distance and a speed of bow. Reading a note's length is only half the job — the other half is planning how much bow it gets, so you don't run out halfway through a long note or scrub a short one.
Rough guide, on a full-length bow:
| Note | Bow |
|---|---|
| whole note | the whole bow, frog to tip — slow and even |
| half note | about half the bow |
| quarter note | a modest length, around the middle |
| eighth notes | short and quicker, upper half |
The bow is a ruler for time: match its travel to the rhythm and everything fits.
One long bow
How to play it
One whole note, one whole bow. Start at the frog, move the bow slowly and evenly all the way to the tip across the four beats — the sound should stay the same weight the whole way. Count '1 – 2 – 3 – 4 –' and time the bow to arrive at the tip on the last beat.
Four medium bows
How to play it
Four quarter notes, four separate bows — down, up, down, up — each using a modest length around the middle of the bow. Same amount of bow for each, since they're the same length.
Short fast bows
How to play it
Eight eighth notes — short, brisk strokes in the upper half of the bow, near the middle. Less bow than the quarters, and moving faster to cover it. Keep the wrist and fingers loose.
Plan a mixed line
How to play it
Before you play: the half note D gets a longish bow (about half), the two quarters E and F get medium bows, and the whole note G needs a full slow bow — so save bow on the quarters and arrive near the frog ready to spend it all on the G.
The usual mistake
Using the same amount of bow for every value. Then the long notes die early — the bow ran out — and the short notes are scratchy, because there's too much bow moving too fast for such a small note. Match the bow to the length.