downbow

Downbow is a bowing indication used in sheet music for bowed string instruments such as the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. It instructs the musician to begin the note with a downward stroke of the bow, from the frog toward the tip. The corresponding up-bow sign, a V-shaped mark, indicates an upward stroke from tip to frog. Together, these marks guide articulation, accent, and the distribution of bow strokes within a passage.

The down-bow symbol is a small square-like mark placed above or below the staff, depending on the note’s position and the instrument’s voice. When used on a sequence of notes, it tells the player to sustain or initiate each note with a downward bow stroke, while the up-bow symbol directs upward strokes. Performers may combine these indications with slurs, dynamics, and tempo to shape phrasing and articulation. In practice, players use down-bow and up-bow marks to achieve even bow distribution across fast passages and to control tone quality, articulation, and bow speed.

The marks are primarily used in arco playing on bowed strings; they are not applied to plucked instruments or pizzicato, where bow direction is not a factor. While the exact shape of the down-bow symbol may vary slightly between editions, its function remains the same: to indicate the bow’s direction for the note or phrase.