How to Use the Bow When Playing the Fiddle

Video Transcript

Hi! I'm David Kaynor on behalf of expertvillage.com you can learn more about me at my own website www.davidkaynor.com . I'm going to talk about bowing, bowing the fiddle. Here we have my bow resting on my index finger and I found the balance point. This is the point which the bow is completely in balance. Now what is the relevance of a balance point to playing fiddle tune. Well it has to do with making use of the mechanics of the bow. It is often thought that if you play with your bow contacting the strings in around the balance point you could most easily change strings. So my balance point is about here. It is often thought that pretty tones is near the tip of the bow. I think that is especially true when the bow isn't required to move really fast between strings. On the other hand a lot of the volume of the bow is down close to the frog. And some where in the middle near the balance point is perhaps best compromise between sweetness of tone, volume and the ability to move rapidly. This is all made more possible if the contact point between the bow and the string is somewhere in the range in about a inch from the bridge and the bow is as perpendicular to the string as possible. And one of the best—do this. The bow grip should be relaxed and yet as in control as possible, and I find that my bow hand flexes relative to my arm, and my arm flexes relative to my shoulder all the way through a bow stroke.

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