Starting on the String Yields Great Benefit With Less Effort
Starting from the string (SOS, or grounding one’s overall technique by focusing on the moment the bow first touches the string) is a critical tool in making playing both better and easier.
bowing
How To Master the Legato Bow Stroke (Hint: It’s Harder Than You Think)
By Laurie Niles | From the November-December 2020 issue of Strings magazine Flashy bow strokes, such as spiccato, sautillé, staccato, and ricochet, get a lo... Read More...
Developing Structure and Flexibility in Your Bow Hold
Awareness of the bow arm is key to improving tone and technique—and it all begins with the bow hold. Here's how to develop structure and flexibility in your bow hold.
A Refresher on Bold Martelé Bowing Technique
Martelé bowing is remarkably useful as a teaching tool, specifically for bow-hand strength & balance, & for development of accurate direction in the bow arm.
10 Bow Stroke Tips from Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins
For string players, gaining a command of basic bow strokes is paramount. Here are 10 tips to master bow strokes on the violin or viola.
Snow Day: 6 Things Cross-Country Skiing Has Taught Me About Bowing Technique
Having skied almost daily now for nearly two months straight, I’ve discovered some things in the frozen wilderness that have direct string-playing parallels. It turns out violists can learn a lot about bowing from a set of ski poles.
How to Overcome Bow-Hand and Bow-Arm Tension on Strings
Before you can produce the smooth sound on violin, viola, cello, or bass, that attracted you to strings in the first place, you have to overcome that tension in the bow hand.
Is It Possible To Play with a Straight Bow?
By Miranda Wilson
“Your bow’s not straight.” I found myself writing this comment again and again in undergraduate string juries, often for good players who ha... Read More...
Successfully Playing Beethoven’s Music Requires Mastery of Your Bow-Arm Weight
By Miranda Wilson
Every great composer has a few signature devices that happen so often, and in so many compositions, that an experienced listener can instantl... Read More...
3 Old-Time Fiddling Tips: How to Work the Bow
If your classical training prevents you from making old-time fiddle melodies and phrasing sound authentic, mastering these 3 bow strokes can help.