From Guitar World · · 1m 10s
Bowed Guitar Technique Tips
How to make electric guitar sound ethereal with violin bow.
In brief
How to make electric guitar sound ethereal with violin bow. Guitarist Janelle Borg shares tips for using violin bow on electric guitars to avoid screeching and achieve ethereal sounds. Originally reported by Guitar World.
Bowed Guitar History
![Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused (Live at Madison Square Garden 1973) [Official Video] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sarm8rzdY3Y/maxresdefault.jpg)
Jimmy Page used violin bow on Led Zeppelin's Dazed and Confused at Madison Square Garden 1973.
“Jimmy Page is undoubtedly the most famous of them all”
Inspired by Eddie Phillips
Eddie Phillips of The Creation inspired Page and other guitarists with violin bow technique.
“Eddie Phillips is widely cited as the player who inspired Page”
My First Experiment
I used my first violin bow on my first electric guitar as a teenager.
“The violin was my first instrument before I took a walk on the wild side”
Rosin for Guitar
Guitarists need more rosin than violin to avoid string damage.
“Rosin leaves a lot of dust behind that can gradually ruin your electric guitar strings”
Bow Size Matters
Shorter bows easier for beginners, full size for sustained chords.
“A 4/4 bow gives you more space for sustained chords”
Angle Over Pressure
Tilting bow slightly up or down avoids screeching cat effect.
“Nailing the bow's angle matters more than pressure”
Chords Work Better
Chords sound better than individual strings with bowed guitar.
“Chords tend to sound better, so don't shy away from experimenting with capos”
Guitar Type Matters
Humbuckers produce clearest sound, single coils create airy tone.
“Humbuckers tend to produce the clearest sound”
Reverb and Effects
Reverb and distortion enhance bowed guitar's ethereal quality.
“Considering its inherent airy quality, a bowed guitar sounds best when it's drenched in reverb and delay”
The main idea
Guitarist Janelle Borg shares tips for using violin bow on electric guitars to avoid screeching and achieve ethereal sounds.
