Music Lesson: Bowing Techniques

The exercises do sound quite different from each other.

Differences in Exercises

• Pressure Exercise:

  • Feel the contact of the hair with the string deep down into the string.
  • Use "Release," "Deep release," and then "Deep, deep, deep, deep" when there are many in the bow.

• Speed Exercise:

  • The feeling is fast along the strings: slow, fast, slow and then fast, fast, fast, fast.
  • Rhythm:
    • Pressure exercise: heavy, light, evenly spaced.
    • Speed exercise: fast, slow, fast, slow.

Bow Application

• Use a little more bow on the fast strokes.
• Focus on differentiating between the pressure and speed exercises.
• In the speed exercise, use as little extra pressure as possible.
• Use "some" pressure in the fast part of the stroke, but only as much as necessary.
• Avoid combining the two exercises.

Technique Practice

• Aim to play to the ends of the bow, as close to the bridge as possible.
  • "Now get the sound resonating, make it go wide."
• For the third exercise:
  • Go deeper in the string and fast, fast, fast, wide, wide.

Experimentation

• Experiment with extremes to discover capabilities:
  • Observe variations in speed: fast, slow and fast, slow.
  • Even if it doesn't work, you learn for next time.

Further Instructions

• Aiming for Weight:
  • Combine fast, slow rhythms. Sustaining the sound offers a better result.
  • Remember the pulse:
    • "Fast, slow, fast, slow."

Changing Direction

• The most helpful technique in changing direction is to slow down in the last tiny bit of the bow.

• Execute strokes as:

  • Fast, slow, stop (though you don't actually stop).

• Maintain rhythm:

  • "Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum."

Common Issues

• Up Bow:

  • If the sound on the up bow lacks clarity:
    • "Not enough pressure" or "not enough weight."
  • Try two strokes with an emphasis on rhythm:
    • "Bump, bum, bum, bum, along, along."

• Observe strokes:

  • The first fast stroke on the up bow may not have enough weight; also be aware of bow usage.

• Conclude with:

  • "Slow down at the end of the bow."