In Western string instruments, the qin and bow are two inseparable parts. Like a qin, the quality of the bow plays a crucial role in the performance of stringed instruments. Generally speaking, a good qin should be paired with a good bow. Although both the qin and bow belong to the category of string instruments, they have different development histories, production techniques, and schools of thought. The production and development of violins were mainly in Italy, while the production and development of bows were mainly in France. Only the bow of a French master can match the violin of an Italian master.

The bow mainly includes the following main parts: head, stick, frog, screw, hair, etc.

The origin of the bow is generally believed to be in the 10th century AD, when nomadic peoples in Central Asia were the first to use the bow; Then it spread to China, North Africa, and Europe. In the Song Dynasty of our country, there was already a horsetail fiddle played with a horsetail bow. Before the invention of the bow, the qin mainly existed in the form of plucking. The development and evolution of the bow has gone through a long process, but the most significant development occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries.

In the early 18th century, the commonly used bow was the Corelli Tartini bow, also known as the Italian Sonata bow. This bow was the most important qin bow of the Baroque period. Its length is about 61-71 centimeters, and the bow head is shaped like a spear. The ponytail storage was initially fixed, but later a screw was added to adjust it. Compared to modern bows, this type of bow is shorter, thinner, and lighter. The position of the balance point of the bow (a point between the ponytail and the bow head) should be lower, and the width of the bow hair is about 6 millimeters. Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770) invented the octagonal structure of the bow.

In the mid-18th century, the development of the bow entered a transitional period. During this period, German violinist Wilhelm Cramer (1745-1799) invented a bow named after him. This type of bow has taken a big step towards modern bows. Its bow hair width is slightly wider than that of Collelli Tartini's bow hair, but still narrower than modern bows. The screws for adjusting the ponytail storage have become standardized, and most bow rods are made of Brazilian wood instead of the previous Snake wood. The bow of the Kolamoqin has a large curvature and good elasticity.

Before the invention of modern bow structures, all bows had no fixed size and form. The weight and balance point of each bow are different.