Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:31:31 -0500
Subject: Bowing ?

What is thre difference in sound when a muscian draws a bow with the flat full side of the bow versus the edge of the bow

Greetings...this is a valid question...

I was taught to use only a portion of the bow hair as I drew it over the strings...and this was by a classical musician. In experimenting with playing with all of the hair as compared to tilting the bow slightly and catching approximately 1/2 to 3/4s, I've found that there's a little more harshness to the tone...it seems that it becomes a little more scratchy too. When playing with a slightly tilted bow, it seems to tone down the overall tone....and offers more pleasantness to the tone. Maybe it's my violin...not sure why.

Mickey

Subject: RE: Vibrato Technique
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 16:58:25 +0800

Hi again,

I was progressing with my vibrato when I read from the net that all the
while my way of holding the bow is totally wrong.

Hopefully, you've also seen our images illustrating the proper way to hold the bow.

And actually I found several
different methods in the net and this confuses me.
-What is the circle they talking about?

I'm not sure what you're referring to here specifically...there is a circular motion that can be achieved that facilitates violin bowing technique.. Do you have a direct reference from where this was written. I'd love to read this myself. It's easier to misinterpret what's written...when you can see, in person, the proper way to hold the bow...whether being instructed by a personal teacher or a video, or even by images on a website, you're less likely to misinterpret the message. Written text leaves a lot of open areas for discussion.

-The middle finger touches the stick on the 1st joint or 2nd joint? (BTW
when we say 1st joint, is it from the tip?).

Yes, the 1st joint would be from the tip of the finger to where it first bends...really, all of the fingers should be touching the bow at the first joint in some way...

-How about the first finger, on the first joint or 2nd joint?
-The tip of middle finger and ring finger touch the frog?

Yes, this would be possible...check out our images in our free Onlne Lessons section and see if this makes more sense...I'm not sure if we have these types of close-ups...if we don't, I'd be happy to put them up on your behalf.

Mickey

Thank You.
Zabion Jimmy

Subject: Strange bowing sounds
Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2004 09:28:27 -0400

Hi

Greetings Eric,

I'm not too sure what's happening here...unless I can analyze this in person, it's quite difficult to assess by e-mail. I will give you a few measures that may assist:

1. Make sure that you're playing with the very tip of your fingers...
2. Make sure that you're not accidentally touching adjacent strings...
3. Make sure that you have sufficient rosin on your bow...too much shouldn't be causing this...
4. Make sure that you're not adding unnecessary pressure to the bow as it's drawn across the strings...
5. Make sure that your bow hair is not too tight nor too loose...it should only have a slight bounce to it...
6. Make sure that you're drawing the bow slowly and steadily; do not draw the bow too quickly...

Hope something here helps...Mickey

I'm having a problem with my violin producing harmonic tones when I try to bow a particular note. The note produced frequently sounds about an octave higher that the string is tuned to. Could I have too much rosin on the bow or maybe too much?

Eric Crane

Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 23:55:41 -0600
Subject: Re: Question on when to move up/down the bow.

Dear,

Greetings,


I got your Tape ("Intro to the Violin and Fiddle"). It is wonderful tape. I still confuse when we move up the bow and when we move down the bow. I am sure there is a rule for this, because I saw people playing violin together and they moved the bow the same way on each note.

The direction of the bow is usually dictated by the song being played...when beginning on your violin, you'll want to follow a pattern that teaches you good form first...and the bow direction will eventually become natural. Yes, every song can have a myriad number of bow pattern possibilities...so there's no right or wrong bow direction. If it sounds right, then the bow pattern works. Keep in mind, that there's also many other considerations when determining down and up bow patterns...such as: slurs...slurs include two or more notes played with one bow stroke...either down or up. And slurs add a certain smoothness of tone unattainable when playing each note one at a time with a down or up stroke. As you can see, this can become quite technical...this is why I'd recommend that you take it slowly and learn some basic studies and exercises that focus on good form first...and, you'll soon find that the bow strokes will come natural...

Feel free to write us any other questions that may come up...I'm glad to assist...Mickey

Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2004 12:53:44 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Learning to play violin

Hi Mickey - Saw letters you posted from folks who are "older" and want to learn to play the violin. I started on my 65th birthday - not easy, but I'm determined! Where can I find a picture of the correct way to hold the bow? I'm taking lessons, but a picture would be worth a thousand words. Thanks for the encouraging words on your website. -Marilyn

Greetings Marilyn,

Well...good for you! It's inspiring to hear that you're not limiting your learning experience...I wish more would follow your footsteps. We're all ageless and everyday should be an opportunity to learn something new.

For images on holding the bow, go to our online violin lessons at:

http://www.folkofthewood.com/page3.htm

And, please keep us abreast on your learning journey...Mickey

Subject: adult beginner
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2004 13:34:23 -0600

Greetings,

I'm an adult beginner on the violin. My teacher is 11 years old. I'm taking lessons from him trying to encourage him to continue in his own lessons!!!! Question: Is there any difference between the up stoke and the down stroke? 

Yes, the upstroke on the bow would specifically mean that the bow moves upward...as in the case with a downstroke, the bow would then move downward.

Why does Suzuki insist that a certain note be played with an up stroke and another note with the down stoke?

Because this establishes a cadence, or rhythm if you will, that ensures that the timing is easier to accomplish and the piece sounds correct. Sure, new bowing variations can be introduced, only, it may or may not contribute to the piece...when Suzuki establishes the bowing techniques within a piece, it's more than likely the ideal bowing technique that best contributes to the sound of the piece and contributes to the beginner's advancement on the bow.

Hope this helps, Mickey

You have a fabulous web site!!! for us beginners....
Still sawing away on this project......

Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 17:10:56 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Violin-Beginner

Greetings,

I have just started to play the violin. I have only one problem so far. When I try to play a note on the "A" string, my bow also touches the "D" or "E" string. Is there something wrong with the tightness of my strings or bow? Or something else.. If you could me back, that would be great. Thanks so much.

You might want to go through our beginner violin lessons at:

http://www.folkofthewood.com/page3.htm

There could be a few of reasons why your bow is touching adjacent strings:
1. The bow hair is somewhat loose...and should be tight enough to bounce slightly...not too tight....

2. The strings themselves may need to be tuned up to pitch...if they're not tuned to concert pitch, they may be too loose to keep the bow above the adjacent strings...

3. You do not want to add any force, downward pressure, on the bow...the bow should be lightly resting on the strings as you draw it...

4. Your bridge may have been flattened by the previous owner so that it was adjusted for fiddling...many fiddlers will flatten the bridge so that there's less arch and the strings are relatively close to being on the same plane. This makes it easier to play double-stops (two strings at once) which is quite common in fiddling...

Hope the above helps somehow...Mickey

Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 01:15:13 EST

I have been learning from this site for some time and I have recently ordered the training video as well. I have only gone through the scales but I cant seem to keep the bow from bouncing at about mid stroke. I have tried to loosen the bow but this doesnt seem to help.
Lucas

Greetings Lucas,

Glad to assist:

Fiddle bow bouncing can be caused by a number of things:

1. How tight or loose the bow hair is...evidently, you've already tried loosening your bow hair...remember, you really do not want your bow hair too tight...this is covered in our instructional video which you've ordered...

2. How you hold the bow can be a large influence...You'll want to follow the images on our lessons section on proper bow-hold position...very critical...you might already be following our illustrations...this is covered extensively in the video. For instance, keep the little finger resting at the top...this adds immense control over the bow...

3. What pressure you're applying with your bow...too much pressure will cause more of a scratching tone...and fluctuating the pressure will cause the bow to bounce uncontrollably...

4. How fast you draw the bow...keeping controlled speed on how fast you're drawing the bow, will give you a controlled approach, and minimize potential bouncing of the bow...try drawing the bow slow and steadily from the frog to the tip as an exercise.

5. The angle the bow is drawn...this will not influence the bouncing as much as any of the above, however, it's still critical in good bowing technique...be sure to be drawing the bow in a straight line...evenly, without adding force...

Hope something here helps...keep on fiddlin', Mickey

Subject: Re: Fwd: need help on bowing technique
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 23:43:51 +0000


hi again

thx for ur tips on shuffle bowing with hairs flat on string, rite now i am learning the hard way -- careful co-ordinated playing in front of a mirror. but i also found that in order to keep the hairs flat (and not wobbling side to side), more arm has to be used (FOREarm of course, lol), instead of the wrist (which saves energy)...the natural circular turn of the wrist causes the bow to flop from side to side...just wanted to ask u is it ok to sometimes shuffle with comparatively more forearm movements?

thx a lot, appreciate ur help

-KeviOn-

Greetings again...

Glad to assist you further:

I believe that there are no real rules to playing fiddle or violin...yes, there are long established guidelines for a disciplined approach to playing violin. And, these guidelines can be very helpful in learning to play with good form and technique. However, we should also take into consideration that no two players have the exact muscular and skeletal build...which means, what may work for one, may not for another. Therefore, my suggestion would be to do your best to adhere to formal violin technique while still taking liberties that fit your personal approach (be sure to consult with a qualified teacher concerning this).

For shuffle bowing technique, I've found that it can be accomplished effectively using mostly all forearm motion...however, for a looser feel, the loose wrist motion helps...many violinists do use a stiff arm approach; most fiddlers seem to have a looser feel with a very loose wrist motion. Thus, yes, it's certainly OK to use mostly forearm movements to achieve the shuffle bowing technique. Ultimately, it should be your own taste and personal style to dictate your violin/fiddle approach.

Hope this gives you something to go on...Mickey

Subject: BOW PRESSURE
Date: Wed, 5 Jun 2002 06:45:43 -0500

good morning , i would like to know how much pressure should be applied to
the bow (strings) while playing? im getting some awful sounds!

thanks , j


Greetings J,

There can be a few reasons why you're not achieving the sound you desire:

1. Pressure of the Bow: This certainly can affect tonal quality...as you've surmised. The first finger of your bowing hand is where most of the pressure is applied. You'll want to work with a qualified teacher on this since bowing technique it's such a critical aspect of learning to play well.

2. At what point on the strings is the bow applied. There's a "sweet spot" where the strings are the most responsive to the drawing of the bow without any harshness in tone. I've found this to fall right at the end of the fingerboard. You'll want to experiment yourself to determine where the "sweet spot" falls on your violin.

3. The bow needs to be in a straight line above the strings drawing a perfect plus sign. As you draw the bow over the strings, you'll want to focus on keeping the bow as straight as possible...the plus sign should be as accurate as possible throughout your playing.

4. Are you using the full flatness of the air of your bow against the string. Many good violinists will use approximately 3/4s of the hair applied to the string as the bow is being drawn. To do this, simply angle your bow just slightly so that part of the hair is raised closest to you. Again, you'll have to experiment with this to determine if it improves the tone.

5. How tight is your bow hair? When tightening the bow hair, be sure to leave it slightly loose and not over tighten. Over tightening the bow hair leaves too much tension and can affect the tone and the arch in your bow. The wood of your bow should still have a very slight arch to it after tightening the bow hair correctly (it should not be a straight line). You should be able to tap the bow slightly on one of your fingers and determine that the hair will still touch the wood part of the bow.

6. Did you apply just the right amount of rosin? If you have too much rosin, there will be a scratchy sound as you draw the bow...with too little, the tone will seem to disappear as you draw the bow.

Hope the above helps in some way...let me know how it progresses for you...as you can see, there are many critical elements involved with learning violin; that's why I highly recommend finding a qualified teacher to assist you through these hurdles.

Mickey

Subject: scratchy sounds
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 18:38:02 -0400

Hi! I am a beginner fiddle player and am having a difficult time getting a clear sound out of my instrument. I don't know if I don't have enough rosin on the bow or too much. Some notes come out clear and pretty and some are scratchy and flat. The violin is brand new and I am really enjoying it but my family doesn't think it is too great! Can you help?

Greetings,

There are a lot of variables that can contribute to a scratchy tone:

1. Too much rosin on the bow...
2. Adding too much pressure to the bow as you bow a string...
3. Not pressing down all the way on the string with your left hand...
4. Accidentally touching an adjacent string...

Try a couple of experiments...trying letting the bow carry itself without adding any pressure whatsoever...be sure to be pressing down firmly on the note with your left hand...make sure no other finger is touching an adjacent string.

You may already performing some of the above...if not, maybe it will be of some help to you...let us know how we might further assist you...

Mickey