String playing is the greatest. And Stringsmagazine.com is here to support you and the string world with fantastic content (like this story!) If you like what we do, please make a donation to support our work and keep the site running.
By Laurel Thomsen
Squeaky, airy, scratchy and unclear sounds indicate that a bow is not properly gripping and vibrating the strings. Today’s excerpt from Improve Your Bowing Technique examines what causes this issue.
Advertisement
Squeaky, Airy, Scratchy & Unclear Sounds
These types of sounds indicate bow hair that is not properly gripping and vibrating the strings. The most frequent causes of this issue include:
- Not enough rosin
- Bowing at an angle
- Not enough weight (pressure) coming through the bow
- Using a sounding point that doesn’t work for the pitches and bow speed you are using
- A bow stick that is tilted toward you, causing the bow to slide toward the scroll
- The quality of your bow hair and/ or strings
Excerpted from Improve Your Bowing Technique