Before you can get to the double-stops and harmonics, you’ll need to learn how to develop your bow hand. Without this foundation, other techniques may be compromised. Read on for a tutorial and bowing exercise from Portland, OR violin teacher Greg A...
When it comes to playing the violin, one of the most important skills to master is your bow hand. A good bow hand can make all the difference between a profound, professional musical performance and an amateur one.
Unfortunately, this skill can be difficult for many beginners—so here are some violin bow tips to help you out!
How Can I Improve My Bowing Technique?
One of the most important skills to acquire when playing an instrument like the violin is proper bowing technique. To achieve proficiency in this area, it is necessary to practice regularly and focus on certain key aspects:
- First, maintaining good posture is essential so that you can hold the bow correctly; posture should be upright and relaxed, with your arms relaxed at the sides but still able to move freely.
- Controlling the speed of your bow strokes is important if you want to produce a beautiful sound; try practicing different speeds on your strings and observe how both slow and fast strokes create different effects.
- Finally, don’t forget about accuracy; clean upstrokes and downstrokes will help keep a steady rhythm so that any patterns you are trying to create come across clearly.
With dedication and hard work, your bowing technique can really start to shine! Taking violin lessons is a great way to pick up all the tips for bowing violin players need to know. In addition, you’ll gain other helpful skills like what you see in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U3HT0wwxSA
How Can I Improve My Violin Bowing?
Are you a violinist who feels like they’re stuck in a rut? If you’ve been playing the same songs and your bowing technique is becoming repetitive, it may be time to take a step back and re-evaluate your bow arm technique. Here are some more tips to help improve your violin bowing.
Relax Your Shoulders
The key to good violin bowing is relaxation. This means keeping your shoulders relaxed while you play as tension can cause fatigue and make it harder to move the bow smoothly over the strings. You will also be able to move more efficiently if you keep your shoulders relaxed, which will make your playing sound more natural and effortless.
Practice Different Bow Strokes
Practicing different bow strokes will help give your playing variety and texture. For example, practicing with spiccato or staccato strokes will add energy and life to the music, while long bows (legato) can create a smooth, lyrical effect. Experimenting with different bow strokes can also help improve coordination between both hands as well as strengthen muscles in your arms and fingers that are used for violin playing.
Consider Changing Your Bow Grip
If you’re having difficulty controlling the bow when you play, try changing up your grip slightly by rotating it slightly towards either side of the fingerboard or adjusting how much pressure you use on each finger separately when holding the bow.
It might take some trial and error but eventually finding the right grip can make a huge difference in how well you control the bow when playing difficult passages or fast passages on the violin.
My Top Tips/ Violin Bowing Techniques to Know
It can be mesmerizing to watch the fingers of a fiddler run up and down and across the strings, fast as lightning. But the motor that’s doing the bulk of the work and producing the beautiful tone is actually in the bow hand. Before picking up the instrument in a first lesson with any student, I work with the right hand and with the bow. Here is what I do to help my students form good right hand habits:
Make a Claw Shape
Before picking up the violin or the bow, made a claw shape with your right hand that resembles a backward letter “C,” and notice how all three knuckles on each finger and two on your thumb are bent. This is your “go to” or “ready” bow hold position. This position does not stay static while the bow goes across the strings; it is merely your starting point and a place to come back to while working out your bow grip. Also notice that the palm is not flat and plane-like, but concave, like it could nest a bouncy ball or a racquetball (depending on the size of your hand).
Slide the Frog into the Claw
With your left hand holding the bow somewhere in the middle, slide the frog (the place at the end of the bow where your hand goes) into your claw-shaped hand. Start with the pinky and thumb: both should make contact on their tips. The pinky is placed near the screw (the tightening knob on the end of the bow) and the thumb is wedged between the end of the frog and the leather wrap.
Remember to keep the knuckles bent, as the tendency is to let the thumb curl backward into what I call a “hitchhiker’s thumb.” Imagine balancing the bow on these two fingers alone: the thumb acting as the fulcrum and the pinky acting as the counterbalance. The tip of the thumb should be facing straight up toward the ceiling and the tip of the pinky should be facing straight down toward the floor.
Use Your Other Fingers for Balance
With the heavy lifting of the thumb and the pinky out of the way, the index, middle, and ring fingers lay down on the bow for support and balance. Ring and middle finger should nearly cover (or cover if your fingers are long like mine) the “eye” of the frog, making contact across the whole pad of the finger as if you were fingerprinting the frog.
The index finger lies down on its side, knuckles angled towards the tip of the bow. Maximize the surface area contact with these three fingers at all times. All four fingers should be evenly spaced and slightly angled toward the tip of the bow. The claw shape compresses a little bit, but remember to keep those knuckles bent.
If you’re having trouble holding the weight of the bow, try moving your hand up about nine inches to the balance point and work on your grip there.
Section the Bow
My favorite exercise for good tone (I do a variation of this as a warm up every day): Section your bow into thirds and place your bow on any string at the lower third position (closer to the frog). Put a little pressure into the bow by rotating your hand counterclockwise so you feel pressure on your index finger and the wooden stick approaches the hair on the bow (the motion is similar to that of holding a glass of water and pouring it out to the left).
Then, quickly draw the bow and release pressure simultaneously for a short and quick “pop” sound. It may be very gritty and ugly sounding, but this is OK.
Do these short little bursts until you reach the upper third, then go back and do the same thing with up bows. Remember these three steps before making each sound: “Ready” means bow on the string, “set” means pressure into the bow and “go” means a quick snap with the hand to make a sound. A few minutes of this exercise daily will yield positive results in tone very quickly. You can also try the simple exercise below for some extra practice!
Tips for Buying a Violin Bow
The best violin bow tip for the aspiring musician is to start with a high-quality bow. You can master all the violin bowing tips and techniques you want – without a quality bow, you’re not going to have much luck. Finding the perfect violin bow is key to mastering the instrument.
When selecting a new bow, there are several considerations to keep in mind – such as weight, balance, price, and material. To help you find the right tool for your musical journey, here are a few tips for buying a violin bow.
Check Out Different Brands & Models
When searching for your perfect bow, it pays to do some research first. Start by familiarizing yourself with some of the more popular brands and models on the market today. Don’t be afraid to try out different bows in person — even if you don’t have any professional advice. Each player has their own preferences and playing style, so it’s important that you get an idea of what feels comfortable and natural when playing with different bows.
Pay Attention to Balance & Weight
When selecting a violin bow, two of the most important aspects are its weight and balance. The weight of your bow should feel comfortable in your hand – not too heavy or too light – while also offering enough stiffness to provide you with control over your playing technique. Generally speaking, lighter bows tend to bounce more than heavier ones while providing better articulation during fast passages; however, they can also be harder to control than heavier models if not properly balanced. So make sure you pay attention to both when deciding on which bow is best for you!
Remember: Quality Matters!
When it comes to purchasing a violin bow, quality matters! Cheaper bows may seem like a good option at first glance; however, they often lack certain features that could affect how well you play (such as poor-quality hairs or stiffer shafts). Investing in a more expensive model can pay off in the long run since these bows typically offer higher performance levels and last longer than cheaper options.
Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy playing with an instrument that will make all the difference in your performance!
A Few Final Violin Bow Arm Tips
To ensure that you have a good grip on the bow, make sure that you keep your thumb pointed straight and close to the wood of the bow’s frog. This ensures that you have maximum control over the bow while playing with minimal effort. Additionally, make sure that your index finger is curved around the stick and that your other three fingers are relaxed.
Related Articles…
– Violin Video: How to Bow Straight
– Timing and Syncopation for Fiddlers
– Violin Video: Introduction to Phrasing
Post Author: Greg A. teaches violin, mandolin, music theory and fiddle lessons to students of all ages in Portland, OR. He received his degree in Mandolin and Composition from Berklee College of Music, and he joined the TakeLessons team in January 2013. Learn more about Greg, or search for a teacher near you!
Photo by joeannenah
Suzy S.