Violin bow guide

Details Violin bow guide Violin bow guide

1992-03-10

1994-04-12

Gellner, M. L.

Music

Instruments

Stringed

G10G 700

Patent

active

053015894

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention is a bow guide to aid players of bowed instruments in the violin family, such as the violin, to learn the art of bowing. Violin students and players normally have much difficulty learning to hold a straight line with the bow, i.e. to avoid moving the hand in an arc toward the bridge when bowing. The present invention helps the player to bow in a straight line, and to produce even sound from the violin.


BACKGROUND ART

Various devices are known which are intended to assist the student in learning bowing technique. Such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,041,146, issued May 19, 1936 (Portnoff); 2,239,579, issued Apr. 22, 1941 (Solodar); 2,240,696, issued May 6, 1941 (Gusman); 3,169,438, issued Feb. 16, 1965 (Belcher); 3,188,901, issued Jun. 15, 1965 (Baderak); 2,782,670, issued Feb. 26, 1957 (Lipski); 3,306,150, issued Feb. 28, 1967 (Philips); 3,987,700, issued Oct. 26, 1976 (Dunlap); 4,222,302, issued Sept. 16, 1980 (Sanfilippo); and 4,554,859, issued Nov. 26, 1985 (Hanley).


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a bow guide for a stringed, bow-played instrument, such as a violin, comprising a rod, means for attaching the rod to the bow whereby the rod extends substantially between the ends of the bow, a rod guide having means for slidably receiving the rod and for guiding the rod for movement at substantially right angles to the strings, and means for supporting the rod guide above the strings and between the bridge and fingerboard thereof, whereby the bow may slidably engage the strings at substantially right angles thereto.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a violin bow guide comprising a rod, means for attaching the rod to the bow generally parallel to the back of the bow, a rod guide having means for slidably receiving the rod, and rod guide support means for supporting the rod guide above the strings of the instrument and between the bridge and fingerboard thereof, the rod guide support means having an axis about which the rod guide is pivotally attached, the axis being generally parallel to the strings and perpendicular to the means for slidably receiving the rod, whereby the bow may slidably engage the strings of the instrument.
The present invention enables the player to practice bowing in a straight line while playing on a real violin with a real bow (unlike in some of the prior art devices) and therefore hear the effect of the movement of the bow into and across the strings. The device permits the bow to play on all strings, separately or in groups. It can lock the bow on single strings or on groups of strings. It can be set to allow the player to control the depth of the bow on the strings, or, if preferred, the depth of the bow on the strings can be fixed. It can be set to hold selected positions of the bow between the fingerboard and the bridge of the violin. It can lock the angle of the bow relative to the strings, or permit the player to freely vary this angle. It can be set to have resistance to the back and forth movement of the bow so that the player will have a force to pull and push against when learning finger and wrist movement on the bow.


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the bow guide according to the invention, mounted on a violin;
FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, viewed from the side of the violin;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the rod guide;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view through an alternative embodiment of the rod guide;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the bow guide, mounted on a violin;
FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, viewed from the side of the violin; and
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line A--A in FIG. 6.


BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, which illustrates a first preferred embodiment of the bow guide affixed in operative position on a violin 10, the bow guide has stand 12 formed of flex

REFERENCES:
patent: 2239579 (1941-04-01), Solodar
patent: 4554859 (1985-11-01), Hanly

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