Use Exquisite Bowing Techniques on a Violin

The violin is a beautiful instrument. But, it is not so pretty when your bow keeps slipping or you don't give it the best tone you can. This article will show you how to use your bow to make any piece wonderful.

Steps

  1. Know that it is essential that you keep your bow straight, about halfway between the bridge and the end of the fingerboard. Also, make sure your bow isn't leaning in either direction, but is perpendicular to the strings.
  2. Bowing should be done with the elbow and the wrist; the shoulder should not move much at all. Your elbow should be approximately the same height as your shoulder when the bow is placed on the A or D string(this may differ on how you hold your violin and what style of teaching you use, most students that use the Suzuki method of teaching are sometimes told to put a book under their shoulder to use more wrist and less arm, however this can result in not using a full bow on louder notes resulting in poor projection which can make one press too hard on the bow causing it to give a scratchy sound.) Sometimes it is helpful to lean your shoulder against a doorpost so that it cannot move.
  3. Mind the pressure you place on your violin strings.
    • PP =Pianissimo. Put on enough pressure to not make a wispy sound but light enough so that the audience (or you) can hear it clearly, and softly.
    • P = Piano. Use a bit more pressure but not so much that it sounds like F. It should show contrast from PP so that they don't sound exactly the same, but not too loud. It should be a little bit less pressure than MF.
    • MP = Mezzopiano. Medium soft, a mix between P&MF. Many violinists make the mistake of thinking that MP is quieter than P, but it is actually louder. The Mezzos (MP&MF) are difficult to analyze, because they are the most unique dynamic and are used to show small contrast.
    • MF = Mezzoforte. Medium loud, give it a light, airy sound that does not hold too long, and then crescendos or diminuendos(decrescendos) in a piano sound.
    • F = Forte. Loud, try to use your full bow if the passage you are playing allows you to. It will give it a full sound. The sound of Forte.
    • FF =Fortissimo Very loud; don't hesitate to play the loudest sound your instrument can produce! And yes, there are FFF(fortonoando)& FFFF(sometimes referred to blastissimo), but you do not see them often. FF is extremely loud. Considered the opposite of PP, use a lot of pressure for this loud dynamic. Also, increase speed of your bow.
  4. Now, articulations.
    • Trills- Make sure to have plenty of bow to give it a full sound, and make sure it resonates. Try to trill fairly fast also.
    • Slurs- A slur is more than one note played in the same bow stroke. String crossings are sometimes difficult when you slur, so it's recommended that you let you bow flow to the the next string. Do not jerk your hand/arm; it will hit the other string too early, or you won't leave the other string in time.
    • Staccato - Very quick, short notes. Jerk your hand, not your arm. Think of it as a "bouncing a ball" motion.
    • Spiccato - Spiccato is done near the frog of the bow (on the balancing point), never near the tip as this is very difficult. Allow your bow to leave your string. Spiccato is like many fast lifts, so remember, move your arm a concave curve. You have to use your fingers to propel the bow to move. Always bounce the bow near the string, lest you get a short, scratchy sound. Try to make the sound lush and longer. Spiccato requires lots of practice and listen to how your teacher describes doing it.
    • Play a full bow, but there are times when one may have to play at the frog for a strong sound, or play at the tip for a soft sound.
    • Be very particular with the section of the bow and the speed at which you are playing.

Tips

  • Do not tighten bow too much; the proper tightness is when the hair is no more than a centimeter from the wood of the center of your bow.
  • Too much rosin can give a scratchy noise. It is suggested that you rosin your bow once every 5-9 hours of playing. If you are performing, rosin your bow a few days in advance; if there is too little rosin on your bow before a show, rosin very lightly to avoid a scratchy sound when playing. Motrya, Hill, Paganini Solo, and Jade are good choices of rosin.
  • Don't forget to loosen your bow after playing.
  • To make more noise and project more do NOT press much harder on the bow; rather move you bow faster. The weight of your bow should be sufficient for an expert violinist.
  • Make sure that the speed of your bow is balanced with the amount of pressure that you apply. An imbalance can cause sound that is either too scratchy or too airy.

Warnings

  • Never forget to loosen your bow.
  • Check your bow regularly for things you don't want to see on a bow.

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