Vassar on Bowing

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Bowing

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Bowing patterns, techniques & approaches. How do you learn to bow in a particular style? What works for you, what doesn't?

94 Members, Created 3/9/2011 -

Administrators: dsreiner (owner)

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From Grassapelli on 6/2/2011 7:33:47 AM

I like this comment Vassar Clements made about learning to use the bow effectively.

"I'd practice drawing the bow from one end to the other. I thought that would wind it up, but no, I forgot that I had to move my fingers in between for it to come out right. I could be at the end of a bow and something would be wrong: it didn't come out right, and I'd have to pick the bow up and start all over again...because there'd be this deal where if I started back up you could hear the hesitation...and I had to figure out how you could get that thing out of there where it would just roll back into it and you couldn't even tell the end of one bow into another."

From Vassar Clements Fiddle by Matt Glaser, Oak Publications.

6 Comments
	Jed Todd says: 6/24/2011 8:56:50 AM Hi all, in your opinion, what would be the best gap between hair and bow whilst playing? if the hair is touching the bow, will this damage it? regards from the u.k. ged
	Grassapelli says: 6/29/2011 7:31:35 AM The hair would not normally touch the stick while you are playing. Either the bow is not tightened enough, or you are using Apocalypse level pressure. Elan
FiddleBelle says: 7/13/2011 7:30:53 PM Can you suggest a good bowing exercise to smooth things out a bit. One of my favorite songs to play is the Lovers Waltz by Jay Ungar, but i cant seem to nail the smooth flow.
	albert52 says: 7/17/2011 9:51:58 PM Hi Gail: Scales...scales...and more scales. Did I happen to mention scales? do them counting out 4/4 time and 3/4 time. When I teach my students I have them do a scale (doesn't matter which) As an example: with a down stroke on the G string playing G A B C as a slur, and then continue on each string...up on the D string, down on the A string, and up on the E string. Then reverse the bow starting with up on the G string and continue. Then I have them do each note individually. I have always found warming up with scales helps...then I tackle that new piece or work on improving one of the old ones. It just helps to strengthen the bow arm and work on the "flow" of things. Doing this with the weight of the bow only, then work on using some weight with your forefinger on the bow (not a lot) on the first and 2nd beat on 4/4 time and then the 1rst beat on 3/4 time.
	albert52 says: 7/17/2011 10:01:25 PM Hey Ged; I play with a "loose" bow. That is where I am not able to put my pinkie between the hair and the bow and the lowest part of the curve (some like it really tight and can actually place the top of their pinkie there). You have to find the tension where your stick does not touch the hairs or the strings when you add some pressure to the bow. You want to pull a good solid tone from your notes without to much scratchiness, your bow doesn't bounce around on you while playing. When I play songs with a bow bounce I usually tighten the hairs just a little bit more than normal so my stick doesn't hit the strings or the hairs. Every bow is different. Some are quite stiff and some not stiff, and this will determine your hair tension. Just remember to not pull the camber straight when you tension your hairs. You should always have a curve in your bow (lowest point is in the middle of the stick). Hope this helps; AJ
	albert52 says: 7/17/2011 10:09:30 PM Just to add to Ged's question there; I know a fiddler, really good, here in Thunder Bay, where his tension is so loose that you can see the back of the hairs all the time, and when you look really close to his bow one can see that the bow is on a slight angle towards the fingerboard, but yet no matter how much pressure he adds the stick does not touch the strings or hairs. Oh ya, the hairs are fully on the strings, no strands up off the strings that is. This is somewhat how I play my bow which is an octagon full length of the stick and very stiff.
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