First you need to know what function your pinky has in bowing and when you need it and when you don’t. Sometimes your pinky can even get in the way of smooth bowing.

You need your pinky when you play at the frog to smoothen your bow changes.

At the extreme tip you might want to lift your pinky a little bit, because you don’t really need it at that point. Some people can’t even bow straight to the extreme tip with their pinky on the bow. Choose to lift your pinky instead of bowing skew.

In saltando you use the natural jump of your bow and you don’t want your bow hand to get in the way of this natural movement. Lifting your pinky can make the bow jump more naturally.

I hope you now understand that your bow hold is not a rigid thing, but a constant motion. Whether you have your pinky on the bow depends on the music you play and the function the pinky has in this.

Is this video helpful to you? Please let me know in the comments below! If you like it, share it with your friends!

Love,

Zlata

PS: Do you have questions or struggles on violin or viola playing? Post a comment below or send an e-mail to info@violinlounge.com and I might dedicate a Violin Lounge TV episode to answering your question!

When you only use your arm and lock your wrist, it’s hard to control your vibrato

In the video I give some exercises to start using your wrist for vibrato and move your arm a little less. In this way you can control the tempo of your vibrato and your violin will be more stable.

Start with vibrato when you learned the third position

If you’ve learned how to shift between positions, you are already used to a motion that is a bit similar to vibrato. It will be easier to learn vibrato at this point.

When you only use your arm and lock your wrist, it’s hard to control your vibrato

In the video I give some exercises to start using your wrist for vibrato and move your arm a little less. In this way you can control the tempo of your vibrato and your violin will be more stable.

Start with vibrato when you learned the third position

If you’ve learned how to shift between positions, you are already used to a motion that is a bit similar to vibrato. It will be easier to learn vibrato at this point.