Does your hand move up the violin bow while bowing?

Your bow hold needs to maintain it’s contact points: the spots where your finger tips touch the bow. Your knuckles and wrist need to be relaxed and flexible. In this way you can bow smoothly with control over your bow and a beautiful sound.

If should feel like your finger tips are glued to the bow and you are free to move your knuckles, wrist and arm.

In the video above I give you 3 tips to achieve this feeling:

1) Lower your elbow and wrist

The position of your arm, elbow and wrist shouldn’t be high above the bow. It’s easier to relax when you lower your arm and straighten your wrist. Watch the video to see what I mean exactly.

In this way it’s also easier to transfer weight through your index finger into the bow and create full deep sound.

2) Place a clothespin on your bow just above your bow hold

This is not meant to correct your bow hold. It’s just a little reminder to correct your bow hold yourself, when you slide up the bow.

Make sure not to damage the winding of your bow. Don’t use fixed stuff like tape, as you’ll become dependent on this.

3) Practice bowing movements with a pencil

You can do this bowing exercise anytime and anywhere. Hold a pencil like you hold a bow and practice bowing movements while maintaining the contact points of your bow hold.

It’s easier and lighter to do this with a pencil. When you practice this for a couple of minutes a day and you get back to the violin, you’ll notice that you can bow more smoothly.

Which tip worked best for you?

I’d love hearing your experience in the comments below!