Why don bass players all hold their bows the same way?
There are two styles of double bass bow – the French bow which is held with the palm down as with a violin or cello bow, and the German bow which is a descendant of the viola da gamba bow and is held with the palm tilted upwards. Each bow has its particular advantages and challenges. American orchestras usually include players of both types, depending on the bassists’ training and preferences, while European bass sections tend to be more uniform, with the French bow prevailing in England, France, the Netherlands and Italy, and German bow in Germany, Austria, Central and Eastern Europe.
