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Kantele maker Michael King was the person who introduced me to the idea that you can play the kantele with a bow. (Visit Michael online.) I love the way it sounds!

Bows come in different sizes. I use a 3/4 size bow. The full size bow is awkward to handle, and the child's bow is too short and tends to "snag" on the strings.

Use the screw at the end of the bow to tighten or loosen the bowstrings. The strings need to be tight -- but not too tight. You'll recognize how much you need to tighten them with practice. To begin with, tighten them just enough to produce a good sound. If you loosen the bowstrings before you put your bow away, it will last longer.

Before you start to play, you need to rub the bow strings with rosin so they'll stick enough to produce a sound. I tighten my bow and draw it over the rosin 7-8 times.

As you play, the rosin rubs off on the strings. This means, when you go back to plucking, your fingers will stick to the strings, too, making it difficult to play! I use a guitar string lubricant when I'm through with the bow. The spray removes the rosin; my fingers don't stick; and it extends the life of my kantele strings.

Another way to minimize this problem is to use the bow on the parts of the kantele you don't tend to finger. I place my bow as close as I can to the end of the instrument that's opposite the tuning pins. There are many ways to hold the bow, and each way will produce a different sound. For basic playing, I hold the bow lightly, using my forefinger to "steady" it. Then, using light pressure, I draw it evenly and smoothly across the strings. Unpleasant squeaks are normal when you're learning, but with a little practice you'll soon be able to add this technique to your repetoire of sounds.