Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bow

There's a frog on my bow.

mendel — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:29:04 -0800

Why is the wooden block at the end of a violin bow called a "frog"?

David Bowie

gnutron — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:57:42 -0800

Bass player. Long time pizzicato, first time arco. What do I need to know about my bow, specifically regarding rosin? I have played bass for 15+ years, with almost no formal teaching - mostly electric bass guitar.

A few months ago, I invested in an electric upright bass - which is really freakin' awesome, and has added a new dimension to my playing style.

In the spirit of exploration, I picked up an inexpensive bass bow on ebay - although I am sorely lacking some practical/technical knowledge on how to use it.

So my main question...do I *need* to rosin the bow? Will the rosin leave gunky residue on my bass strings? Any other tips or techniques would be greatly appreciated.

Web/etc resources for autodidactic upright bass rookies?

cortex — Fri, 04 May 2007 15:59:42 -0800

I'm looking for good resources for upright bass DIY education—especially regarding bowing basics and other physical/form questions. Wife and I are the proud parents of a new upright 3/4, but neither of us has any real experience with bowing string instruments, or with dealing physically with the upright bass. And though it may well be my poor domain-specific vocabulary, I'm not finding good stuff online.

Useful:
- absolute beginner bowing technique (French style bow);
- good guidance on dealing physically with the bass for playing;
- miscellaneous stupid-obvious things we don't know even though we should.

Web-based resources, a really killer book or two, or straight up advice: bring it on.

How do I tie a decent bow on a dress or coat?

zembla3 — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 15:35:51 -0800

I have a trenchcoat that ties in the front, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to make a bow that doesn't look lopsided. Is there an illustrated guide to this somewhere? I've checked Google, but all I can find are guides to making floral bows or tying neckties.

Where did the phrase "bow-chicka-wow-wow" originate?

blueshammer — Tue, 03 Feb 2004 07:53:43 -0800

Meme origin question: The phrase "bow-chicka-wow-wow" has become the standard way to signify "porn movie music." I remember seeing a stand-up comic in the late '80s/early '90s who spoke that phrase, and that was what got my circle of middle schoolers using it, although I doubt that was the real progenitor. But it's too specific of an expression to have been developed independently. Thoughts?