Variations on Bow Holding for Fiddle Beginners
Part of the Video Series How to Play the Fiddle
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Variations on Bow Holding for Fiddle Beginners
Hi! I’m David Kaynor for expertvillage.com. I’m going to talk in detail about some of the options for holding the violin bow for playing different kinds of fiddle music. One thing that comes into play in a lot of bow grips is where on the bow is the balance point? In some fiddle traditions and in just some preferences with regards to the bow it’s considered desirable to have the hand closer to the balance point, and so in some folk traditions fiddlers can be seen holding the bow in a what’s called a choking up position, like the conventional violin players position for holding the bow is down by the frog. But a lot of folk fiddlers choke up, now why do they do that? There’s various opinions but my opinion is that it has to do partly with the balance point. When you hold the bow up by the balance point, you have a really different physical experience of playing compared to when the bow is being held down by the frog. And a lot Appalachian fiddlers at one time used this grip, and in fact it was my first bow grip when I was learning how to play…and exactly what that does I’m not able to explain in terms of real actual physics, but I know that this grip feels really good to a lot of players. I’ve become accustomed to playing a more of a conventional violin grip, so a lot more of my bowing is near the balance point of the bow. For better or for worse!
Hi! I’m David Kaynor for expertvillage.com. I’m going to talk in detail about some of the options for holding the violin bow for playing different kinds of fiddle music. One thing that comes into play in a lot of bow grips is where on the bow is the balance point? In some fiddle traditions and in just some preferences with regards to the bow it’s considered desirable to have the hand closer to the balance point, and so in some folk traditions fiddlers can be seen holding the bow in a what’s called a choking up position, like the conventional violin players position for holding the bow is down by the frog. But a lot of folk fiddlers choke up, now why do they do that? There’s various opinions but my opinion is that it has to do partly with the balance point. When you hold the bow up by the balance point, you have a really different physical experience of playing compared to when the bow is being held down by the frog. And a lot Appalachian fiddlers at one time used this grip, and in fact it was my first bow grip when I was learning how to play…and exactly what that does I’m not able to explain in terms of real actual physics, but I know that this grip feels really good to a lot of players. I’ve become accustomed to playing a more of a conventional violin grip, so a lot more of my bowing is near the balance point of the bow. For better or for worse!
About the Expert
Expert: David Kaynor has over 30 years of fiddle playing experience. He currently teaches and plays the fiddle in the Connecticut River Valley. Read More
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