Well, I'm building me house at the mo, so fiddle lessons are out the window for a bit.... any tips on how to achieve this great technique without my bow bouncing around like a drunk teen at a kiddies disco??
See, in my opinion, that's not technique that's helping him get that great sound - it's mainly relaxation, combined with a level of musicality (ie not to do with the physical way he plays) which I manage to achieve about once a year, and he just turns on like turning on a tap.
Yep, relaxation and lightness of being. It's actually not that difficult (in fact, it's the opposite of difficult): all you have to do is enter that dreamy state just before you fall asleep, and then maintain that while you play fiddle.
These are fun, easy tunes--great ones for relaxing into. Think effortless and small.
It also looks like a really good bow. A sh*te bow will tend to bounce around by itself more. However, if you do have a sh*te bow, just really really loosen it off so even with a bit of pressure, not much more than the weight of the bow itself, the hairs end up touching the stick.
Hey John - I just listened to your YouTube clip at six months on--you're doing fine! And I imagine you've improved a fair bit since then!
I did notice that you seem to be weighting the bow quite a bit with your hand. Try letting it dangle more--let your whole hand droop from the wrist and use just the weight of the bow itself to draw sound from the strings.
By not pushing the bow into the strings, it'll have less reason to spring back and bounce. You'll also find a wider pallette of tone and volume, and a lighter, more relaxed feel, all of which leads to sounding more like Randall Bays.
I've played fiddle for 30 years. If at 6 months I was as far along as you were, I'd be the Paganini of Irish music by now.
there is an exercise using a pencil,that you can do,that can be practised.
this enables you to get a good wrist movement,important for bowing.
hold the pencil upright,use a bent thumb to grip the pencil,rest your wrist and arm on the edge of a table,move the pencil in a perpendicular /vertical direction,from the wrist.
.if your thumb is not bent you will have much more difficulty,flexing your wrist.
The Secret to the Fiddler's Loose Wrist
For years I’ve been teaching that the secret of the fiddler's loose wrist is in the fingers. There are two exercises recommended by violin instructors for achieving this. That is, teachers use one or the other of the two, usually not both.
The one I use was promulgated by the great violin pedagogue, Carl Flesch. My teacher, when I was a teenager, had studied with him at the Leipzig Conservatory. He taught me this critical skill, which I practiced until I mastered it.
Before spilling all the beans, let me admit that not all fiddlers have this loose wrist. Some fiddlers play with a wrist that is locked, or a firm wrist. They still produce an excellent sound and move from one string to another quickly and effectively. My impression is that they have to work a little harder to get the same effects as us "loose wristees."
Relax When You Play the Fiddle
There is a general rule we can invoke here: When you play the fiddle, let all your muscles relax as much as they can, especially those that are not involved in the production of sound.
In my early years of learning to fiddle, I played over simple tunes several times, just paying attention to how much I could relax and still play.
As I relaxed those muscles under tension acquired during years of learning to play the violin, my approach to the instrument changed. It became more fun.
This is the process I used.
Select a tune you can easily play, one that you need not give much attention to for a good performance. Choose an easy tune.
As you begin playing through it for the third time, (and be sure you don’t speed up as you go--that will spoil the process), just focus you attention on your legs, then your hips, buttocks, midsection, chest, shoulders, neck and head, especially your jaw. As you are aware of these areas, one by one, just ask if there is a muscle you can relax a little bit.
It may surprise you how may muscles are tense for no particular reason. It did me.
The Loose Wrist Secret Drill
Flexibility and responsiveness is the key. How do you get it?
Suppose you are using the standard bow grip, and you extend the bow in front of you with the tip pointing straight up and your forearm parallel to the floor. The picture below should be a good representation of what you see.
Unfortunately my resident artist is on vacation, so you’ll have to see this the way I drew it.
The thumb should be flexed out, not concave with the joint locked.
Your task is to flex your fingers inward, drawing the bow towards your palm. This is not easy to do at first. When you pull the bow into your hand, it should look like this.
The thumb is still flexed out, it’s just the foreshortening that makes it look funny.
Now you flex your fingers out, so that they are almost straight. Now your hand looks like this.
Go through a good number of reps on this little exercise, five to ten. Rest and repeat as you can. You can do this from time to time in a normal practice session.
Remember to keep the bow balance with the point straight up. This makes the drill a little easier.
An even easier way to practice this ability is to use a pencil or pen. In my teen years, I did this at school during the boring moments, which were many. It got to be so easy that I simply stopped practicing this after a long time.
This movement of the fingers and the bow in and out of the hand is next transferred to a small movement of the bow on the strings.
You lay the bow on the strings past the half way point and flex the bow in and out o
savage, you really were doing exceptionally well, at 6 months.
One suggestion: Curl your fingers around the bow a bit more, and try to relax your wrist. Using thumb vs. fingertips pressure, with the fingers spread out, tends to make your wrist too stiff.
I once saw Itzhak Perlman playing, and I remember how he had his right hand (and a big, meaty hand it was, too) sort of glommed around the bow, with fingers together and curled around it.
Yep, I agree with mickray. Keep your fingers together (don't be stretching that pinky out to the screw).
And yes, flex your thumb. But don't waste your time poking the air with a pencil for more than 2 minutes (if you can't do it straight off with the bow).
I just thought of another good example of the "loose wrist" thing--shooting pool! The way an experienced pool shark works the cue--that relaxed, push/pull action--is pretty much the same thing.
This is an American thing, but use your hand like Donald Trump when he says, "Your'e fired!"
The bow hand, as well as your left hand should curve naturally ("cadaver hand" - ha!) and if you can make the same shape while having nothing in your hand, then you are on the right track.
Playing every day, becoming intimately familiar with your instrument (now, don't go there...), experimenting with bow tension, and relaxing is key.
Also having someone there to watch you and give you pointers will be your best bet.
Advice and exercises can be helpful, but remember to use your intuition and look for what "feels" right to find the right bowing technique that fits your body and your style.
Having said that a loose wrist really does help with fiddling, so it's a good idea to experiment with that.
But the real secret to smooth, beautiful bowing is daily practice for many years. That's the only way to get there, and there really aren't any shortcuts.
You've received tons of great advice from the above, but I'd add one more thing.
I used to have the "bouncy bow" problem when I was learning as well. The thing that helped me the most was to let the weight of the bow go into the string. A lot of the time we try to control the bow a little too much. Gravity and momentum actually do a lot in our favor. If you think about it, the weight of the bow + the weight of your arm = plenty of weight to pull the tone out of your instrument. All you have to do is stop working so hard to hold all of that weight up in the air.
Once you've got the hang of that, you can add to your relaxed bowing. Keep you fingers in contact with the bow (imagine little spots of super glue). Your hand is otherwise relaxed. Your wrist is also relaxed and flexible. Your wrist will naturally follow your arm, your hand will follow your wrist, your fingers-your hand, your bow-your fingers, all in one smooth motion. (It's a lot less complicated if you just try it out.) Then you get to add a bit of weight to the bow (through your first finger) as needed (particularly at the "attack" of some notes to give them a crisp, clear start).
Presto! You have great bow technique! What, not yet? Yeah, I know, "Easier said than done". Well, what everyone else said, keep at it and stay relaxed as much as possible.
Yep, I agree with mickray. Keep your fingers together (don't be stretching that pinky out to the screw).
And yes, flex your thumb. But don't waste your time poking the air with a pencil for more than 2 minutes (if you can't do it straight off with the bow).
why is that does it make you go blind?
LOL, no dickens. Practing poking the air with a pencil will make you very good at poking the air with a pencil. Go for it, if that makes you happy.
(That exercise is widely used, but it works just fine holding the bow vertically. If that feels clumsy, hold the stick nearer the middle. As soon as you get the fingers moving the bow up and down, do it horizontally on a string, in normal bowing position. *That's* what you want to practice, if you're aiming to play fiddle.)
Kevin Burke once demonstrated that it's possible to hold just the end of the frog lightly between thumb and forefinger and guide it across the strings while playing a tune ... almost in a single bowstroke.
Ya know what? This thread is a classic example of what is GREAT about this site... experienced and generous players sharing insights, little jewels and tricks acquired over the years with all and sundry. Cheers.
It's Randall Bays playing the Ninety-Nine March followed by the Ninety-Eight March. He wrote the Ninety-Nine March. He recorded this set on his CD "The Salmon's Leap."
Just logged on this morning and am really thrilled with all of the help you have given me.
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it.
One thing I'm not too sure of, what do ye mean by keeping the thumb flexed?
I think I need to address my thumb position because at the end of a set of tunes my thumb sometimes hurts as if its about to cramp. I have been trying to relax but if I start to relax my thumb then my tone goes to sh*t.
Oh one other thing, sometimes when i do relax everything, my bow tilts forward a lot, so instead of sitting perpendicular on the strings it leans forward at something up to 60degrees.
How bad is that??
Virtually everything you'll ever need to know about technique will be found in http://virtualviolin.blogspot.com/ which I mentioned recently on another thread.
It lists in order of difficulty all the YouTube teaching videos by Todd Ehle, a college professor and violin teacher. The videos are very clear, everything is explained and illustrated well by Professor Ehle, and are probably the best violin teaching videos you'll find on YouTube, imho.
John, the thumb isn't always flexed (meaning bent in at the joint just down from the thumbnail). Mainly, the thumb stays relaxed, so it can flex and straighten fluidly as you change bow direction. It bends for an up bow and straightens for a down.
Your cramping may be due to pressing the thumb into the stick--bit of a death grip on the bow. Instead, think of the stick as a cigarette between your thumb and index finger--hold it so lightly that you would not dimple the cigarette's paper.
As for keeping the bow perpendicular, that's one of the more important things for keeping your tone even. The more relaxed and flexible you allow your thumb, fingers, and wrist to be, the less arc is needed from your forearm and elbow to keep the bow running in its proper groove. Try some long slow bow strokes, watching yourself in a mirror.
Tilting the bow forward a bit is standard, for classical players. Apparently it's controversial, for some trad players, based on a previous discussion here about it.
As for thumb pain, I have had trouble with that too. I think my case was due to too much sawing away in a noisy room (it was a weekly gig, for while) and also playing the mandolin. Trying to pick a fast melody on a mando sets you up for that, I think. Oh, and a lot of frantic mouse-clicking, testing software at my old job. I moved the mouse to left side, put away the mando for a while, and made it a strict rule to take a break after 45 minutes of playing.
I would also like to make my hands younger, but I guess I'm out of luck on that one. ;>}
Bowing technique help... again :)
Bowing technique help... again
You all remember this great piece.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dr-dxaoz3g
Well, I'm building me house at the mo, so fiddle lessons are out the window for a bit.... any tips on how to achieve this great technique without my bow bouncing around like a drunk teen at a kiddies disco??
Go raibh maith agaibh.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by session savage
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Brilliant, isn't it? But ...
See, in my opinion, that's not technique that's helping him get that great sound - it's mainly relaxation, combined with a level of musicality (ie not to do with the physical way he plays) which I manage to achieve about once a year, and he just turns on like turning on a tap.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by benhall.1
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Yep, relaxation and lightness of being. It's actually not that difficult (in fact, it's the opposite of difficult): all you have to do is enter that dreamy state just before you fall asleep, and then maintain that while you play fiddle.
These are fun, easy tunes--great ones for relaxing into. Think effortless and small.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
It also looks like a really good bow. A sh*te bow will tend to bounce around by itself more. However, if you do have a sh*te bow, just really really loosen it off so even with a bit of pressure, not much more than the weight of the bow itself, the hairs end up touching the stick.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by llig leahcim
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Heh, a really good bow in a really good bow hand....
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Play fiddle every day, taking great care to do it as perfectly as you possibly can--for about 30 years.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by mickray
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Let go. Stop caring about it. Don't try to do it. Just do it. It's a zen thing.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by crazy_fingerz
Re: Bowing technique help... again
mickray, substitute "effortlessly" for "perfectly" and I'll agree with you.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Thanks very much guys.
have a sh*te bow... will try loosening it michael. Thanks
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by session savage
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Hey John - I just listened to your YouTube clip at six months on--you're doing fine! And I imagine you've improved a fair bit since then!
I did notice that you seem to be weighting the bow quite a bit with your hand. Try letting it dangle more--let your whole hand droop from the wrist and use just the weight of the bow itself to draw sound from the strings.
By not pushing the bow into the strings, it'll have less reason to spring back and bounce. You'll also find a wider pallette of tone and volume, and a lighter, more relaxed feel, all of which leads to sounding more like Randall Bays.
I've played fiddle for 30 years. If at 6 months I was as far along as you were, I'd be the Paganini of Irish music by now.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Will, I completely agree, re "effortlessly." But I still think it takes a lot of hard work, to achieve that level of effortlessness. ;>}
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by mickray
Re: Bowing technique help... again
there is an exercise using a pencil,that you can do,that can be practised.
this enables you to get a good wrist movement,important for bowing.
hold the pencil upright,use a bent thumb to grip the pencil,rest your wrist and arm on the edge of a table,move the pencil in a perpendicular /vertical direction,from the wrist.
.if your thumb is not bent you will have much more difficulty,flexing your wrist.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by dickens metrognome
Re: Bowing technique help... again
The Secret to the Fiddler's Loose Wrist
For years I’ve been teaching that the secret of the fiddler's loose wrist is in the fingers. There are two exercises recommended by violin instructors for achieving this. That is, teachers use one or the other of the two, usually not both.
The one I use was promulgated by the great violin pedagogue, Carl Flesch. My teacher, when I was a teenager, had studied with him at the Leipzig Conservatory. He taught me this critical skill, which I practiced until I mastered it.
Before spilling all the beans, let me admit that not all fiddlers have this loose wrist. Some fiddlers play with a wrist that is locked, or a firm wrist. They still produce an excellent sound and move from one string to another quickly and effectively. My impression is that they have to work a little harder to get the same effects as us "loose wristees."
Relax When You Play the Fiddle
There is a general rule we can invoke here: When you play the fiddle, let all your muscles relax as much as they can, especially those that are not involved in the production of sound.
In my early years of learning to fiddle, I played over simple tunes several times, just paying attention to how much I could relax and still play.
As I relaxed those muscles under tension acquired during years of learning to play the violin, my approach to the instrument changed. It became more fun.
This is the process I used.
Select a tune you can easily play, one that you need not give much attention to for a good performance. Choose an easy tune.
As you begin playing through it for the third time, (and be sure you don’t speed up as you go--that will spoil the process), just focus you attention on your legs, then your hips, buttocks, midsection, chest, shoulders, neck and head, especially your jaw. As you are aware of these areas, one by one, just ask if there is a muscle you can relax a little bit.
It may surprise you how may muscles are tense for no particular reason. It did me.
The Loose Wrist Secret Drill
Flexibility and responsiveness is the key. How do you get it?
Suppose you are using the standard bow grip, and you extend the bow in front of you with the tip pointing straight up and your forearm parallel to the floor. The picture below should be a good representation of what you see.
Unfortunately my resident artist is on vacation, so you’ll have to see this the way I drew it.
The thumb should be flexed out, not concave with the joint locked.
Your task is to flex your fingers inward, drawing the bow towards your palm. This is not easy to do at first. When you pull the bow into your hand, it should look like this.
The thumb is still flexed out, it’s just the foreshortening that makes it look funny.
Now you flex your fingers out, so that they are almost straight. Now your hand looks like this.
Go through a good number of reps on this little exercise, five to ten. Rest and repeat as you can. You can do this from time to time in a normal practice session.
Remember to keep the bow balance with the point straight up. This makes the drill a little easier.
An even easier way to practice this ability is to use a pencil or pen. In my teen years, I did this at school during the boring moments, which were many. It got to be so easy that I simply stopped practicing this after a long time.
This movement of the fingers and the bow in and out of the hand is next transferred to a small movement of the bow on the strings.
You lay the bow on the strings past the half way point and flex the bow in and out o
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by dickens metrognome
Re: Bowing technique help... again
savage, you really were doing exceptionally well, at 6 months.
One suggestion: Curl your fingers around the bow a bit more, and try to relax your wrist. Using thumb vs. fingertips pressure, with the fingers spread out, tends to make your wrist too stiff.
I once saw Itzhak Perlman playing, and I remember how he had his right hand (and a big, meaty hand it was, too) sort of glommed around the bow, with fingers together and curled around it.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by mickray
Re: Bowing technique help... again
cross-posted with dickens--same thing, fewer words
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by mickray
Re: Bowing technique help... again
http://fiddleguru.com/Subscribers/bowgrip.html
this i where this information can be found.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by dickens metrognome
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Yep, I agree with mickray. Keep your fingers together (don't be stretching that pinky out to the screw).
And yes, flex your thumb. But don't waste your time poking the air with a pencil for more than 2 minutes (if you can't do it straight off with the bow).
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
I just thought of another good example of the "loose wrist" thing--shooting pool! The way an experienced pool shark works the cue--that relaxed, push/pull action--is pretty much the same thing.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by mickray
Re: Bowing technique help... again
(that's billiards, for you limeys) ;>}
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by mickray
Re: Bowing technique help... again
This is an American thing, but use your hand like Donald Trump when he says, "Your'e fired!"
The bow hand, as well as your left hand should curve naturally ("cadaver hand" - ha!) and if you can make the same shape while having nothing in your hand, then you are on the right track.
Playing every day, becoming intimately familiar with your instrument (now, don't go there...), experimenting with bow tension, and relaxing is key.
Also having someone there to watch you and give you pointers will be your best bet.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by wyogal
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Advice and exercises can be helpful, but remember to use your intuition and look for what "feels" right to find the right bowing technique that fits your body and your style.
Having said that a loose wrist really does help with fiddling, so it's a good idea to experiment with that.
But the real secret to smooth, beautiful bowing is daily practice for many years. That's the only way to get there, and there really aren't any shortcuts.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Marklar
Re: Bowing technique help... again
You've received tons of great advice from the above, but I'd add one more thing.
I used to have the "bouncy bow" problem when I was learning as well. The thing that helped me the most was to let the weight of the bow go into the string. A lot of the time we try to control the bow a little too much. Gravity and momentum actually do a lot in our favor. If you think about it, the weight of the bow + the weight of your arm = plenty of weight to pull the tone out of your instrument. All you have to do is stop working so hard to hold all of that weight up in the air.
Once you've got the hang of that, you can add to your relaxed bowing. Keep you fingers in contact with the bow (imagine little spots of super glue). Your hand is otherwise relaxed. Your wrist is also relaxed and flexible. Your wrist will naturally follow your arm, your hand will follow your wrist, your fingers-your hand, your bow-your fingers, all in one smooth motion. (It's a lot less complicated if you just try it out.) Then you get to add a bit of weight to the bow (through your first finger) as needed (particularly at the "attack" of some notes to give them a crisp, clear start).
Presto! You have great bow technique! What, not yet? Yeah, I know, "Easier said than done". Well, what everyone else said, keep at it and stay relaxed as much as possible.
I hope this helps.
-Kira
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by fiddleK
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Yep, I agree with mickray. Keep your fingers together (don't be stretching that pinky out to the screw).
And yes, flex your thumb. But don't waste your time poking the air with a pencil for more than 2 minutes (if you can't do it straight off with the bow).
why is that does it make you go blind?
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by dickens metrognome
Re: Bowing technique help... again
LOL, no dickens. Practing poking the air with a pencil will make you very good at poking the air with a pencil. Go for it, if that makes you happy.
(That exercise is widely used, but it works just fine holding the bow vertically. If that feels clumsy, hold the stick nearer the middle. As soon as you get the fingers moving the bow up and down, do it horizontally on a string, in normal bowing position. *That's* what you want to practice, if you're aiming to play fiddle.)
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Kevin Burke once demonstrated that it's possible to hold just the end of the frog lightly between thumb and forefinger and guide it across the strings while playing a tune ... almost in a single bowstroke.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by airport
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Ya know what? This thread is a classic example of what is GREAT about this site... experienced and generous players sharing insights, little jewels and tricks acquired over the years with all and sundry. Cheers.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by drone
Re: Bowing technique help... again
What tune is the guy playing in the clip? Its a polka, ya?
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Farr
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Yep, a polka-fied march.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
It's Randall Bays playing the Ninety-Nine March followed by the Ninety-Eight March. He wrote the Ninety-Nine March. He recorded this set on his CD "The Salmon's Leap."
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Marklar
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Yes, but the rhythm is all polka.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
I agree, just giving the details.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Marklar
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Ayyuppp.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Slightly off topic, but does anyone know the name of that wonderful tune.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Fellenbaum
Re: Bowing technique help... again
never mind, I figured it out, it's the 99 march if anyone else cares.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Fellenbaum
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Well, that's interesting ... I don't think the rhythm is remotely like a polka ...
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by benhall.1
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Ben, try playing the first one (the 99) up to polka speed. It works. Or take something like Jessica's polka and slow it way down.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Just logged on this morning and am really thrilled with all of the help you have given me.
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it.
One thing I'm not too sure of, what do ye mean by keeping the thumb flexed?
I think I need to address my thumb position because at the end of a set of tunes my thumb sometimes hurts as if its about to cramp. I have been trying to relax but if I start to relax my thumb then my tone goes to sh*t.
Oh one other thing, sometimes when i do relax everything, my bow tilts forward a lot, so instead of sitting perpendicular on the strings it leans forward at something up to 60degrees.
How bad is that??
Thanks all.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by session savage
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Virtually everything you'll ever need to know about technique will be found in http://virtualviolin.blogspot.com/ which I mentioned recently on another thread.
It lists in order of difficulty all the YouTube teaching videos by Todd Ehle, a college professor and violin teacher. The videos are very clear, everything is explained and illustrated well by Professor Ehle, and are probably the best violin teaching videos you'll find on YouTube, imho.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by lazyhound
Re: Bowing technique help... again
John, the thumb isn't always flexed (meaning bent in at the joint just down from the thumbnail). Mainly, the thumb stays relaxed, so it can flex and straighten fluidly as you change bow direction. It bends for an up bow and straightens for a down.
Your cramping may be due to pressing the thumb into the stick--bit of a death grip on the bow. Instead, think of the stick as a cigarette between your thumb and index finger--hold it so lightly that you would not dimple the cigarette's paper.
As for keeping the bow perpendicular, that's one of the more important things for keeping your tone even. The more relaxed and flexible you allow your thumb, fingers, and wrist to be, the less arc is needed from your forearm and elbow to keep the bow running in its proper groove. Try some long slow bow strokes, watching yourself in a mirror.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Lazyhound... great link, thank you. Am downloading all those vids now
Will CPT .. Deathgrip!! lol, how true. I will watch that.
Sincere thanks everyone. Now to wile away the rest of the day till I get home and grab that fiddle
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by session savage
Re: Bowing technique help... again
So its not traditional, then?
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Farr
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Tilting the bow forward a bit is standard, for classical players. Apparently it's controversial, for some trad players, based on a previous discussion here about it.
As for thumb pain, I have had trouble with that too. I think my case was due to too much sawing away in a noisy room (it was a weekly gig, for while) and also playing the mandolin. Trying to pick a fast melody on a mando sets you up for that, I think. Oh, and a lot of frantic mouse-clicking, testing software at my old job. I moved the mouse to left side, put away the mando for a while, and made it a strict rule to take a break after 45 minutes of playing.
I would also like to make my hands younger, but I guess I'm out of luck on that one. ;>}
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by mickray
Re: Bowing technique help... again
Ah, mick, you're hands are as young as the woman you feel....
# Posted on April 12th 2008 by Will CPT
Re: Bowing technique help... again
nice thread....reminds me why I come here...thanks for the helpful advice everyone!
# Posted on April 17th 2008 by frauschmittle