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THE sound of a violin bow across strings can be exquisite. But bowing well is hard to master. Now that smooth grace is encapsulated in a new kind of electronic instrument.

Developed by at in Leicester, UK, the O-Bow uses optical sensors to track the movement of a real violin bow across a groove in a metal instrument. The sensor detects the bow’s angle and speed to drive the production of digital music in a connected computer. Notes are created using a separate keyboard.

The instrument’s body is a smooth copper cylinder and the groove holding the sensors is shaped to ensure that the bow doesn’t skid off. It is easier to play than a real violin because the musician does not have to moderate the downward pressure of the bow onto the string, one of the trickiest elements of playing a violin.

Many different sound effects can be created and manipulated, while rotating the bow also creates a vibrato effect, a technique that novice violin players find difficult to master.

Menzies demonstrated the instrument at the conference in Barcelona, Spain, last month and plans to commercialise it. Listen to the O-Bow here:

This article appeared in print under the headline “Electronic violin gets you into the groove”