<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Re: [CAUT] Bowing piano strings?</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> Hi Alan,     Thanks for the specifics. They are in line with what I have seen and heard about. We had a bowed piano ensemble come through as a guest performance last year, that unfortunately my schedule didn’t allow me to attend. I heard great things about them, and the recording of their performance was remarkable. Ten or more people around the piano, picking up their various “bows”, kind of like a handbell choir, as I understand, damper pedal either wedged down or operated by a designated person. The name Scott is vaguely  ringing a bell, but I have forgotten.     Yes, they used a concert D, lid removed. Needed a full size instrument to fit everyone around it. No, there were absolutely no negative after effects. And ditto about wound strings. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico On 11/13/07 5:43 AM, "reggaepass@aol.com" <reggaepass@aol.com> wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE> Zeno, For plain wire, we use bows made by fishing line coursed back and forth between two large paper clips. taped at each end for tidy-ness (a word?).  And rosin.  For wound strings, we use caution tape ("Police line-do not cross", etc.).   And I want to second the notion that it takes very little by way of contamination to ruin a wound string. Hope that helps..let us know what you come up with. Alan Eder P. S. Is the composer in question Stephen Scott? ae     -----Original Message----- From: Zeno Wood <zeno.wood@gmail.com> To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org> Sent: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 8:04 pm Subject: [CAUT] Bowing piano strings? <TT>Anyone have any thoughts on bowing piano strings?  It's for the contemporary music ensemble, can't remember the composer right now. The piano strings would be sounded with string/horse hair held in both hands and shoe-shined, kinda like dental floss.  The performers are trying to figure out what material to use for this.  I think that rosin is probably not too good for bass strings, what do you think? Is there some kind of material that would have the necessary "grab" to put the string into motion without rosin? Thanks, Zeno Wood Brooklyn College </TT><HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="100%">Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail <http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/index.htm?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000970> ! </BLOCKQUOTE> </BODY> </HTML>