The Effect of Bow Tilt on Performers’ Perceptions of Violin and Cello Timbre

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of bow tilt on string performers’ perceptions of timbre. Participants ( N = 41) performed a short melody using two bow conditions: flat hair and tilted hair. After each condition, participants rated their tone on six semantic differential scales and described their tone in free-response questions. Participants rated the overall tone quality, fullness, loudness, and resonance of the flat bow condition higher than the tilted bow condition. When describing the tone quality of the flat and tilted hair performances, participants’ responses aligned with the following coding categories: (a) sensory codes, (b) mass codes, (c) playing perception codes, and (d) tone as a musical element. Participants identified which performance they preferred (flat hair, tilted hair, or no preference), and they rated the flat hair condition significantly higher than no preference, but no other significant differences were found. Bow tilt appears to be an important variable for stringed instrumental timbre. Additional implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.