Cello Lesson: A Relaxed Bow Hold--Tension Be Gone!

Watch as an Interlochen Arts Academy Instructor of Cello shows cellists how to hold a cello bow.

[@ZekeTheDCCat]

My instructor said my "grip" was too tense and I started to lose confidence in picking the cello back up but after watching your video...I feel better! Thanks :-)

[@mjeffbr]

Not only the best video on bow hold, but the best bow hold lesson I ever saw

[@TheDawn41182]

Thank you. My grip hurts a lot, possibly because I am a violinist trying to hold a cello bow, and your video helps very much. And thank you again!!! I like how you refer to the orange (ball). What would you say about the cello bow elbow?

[@brittneylucero3448]

best vid I've seen so far for cello bow hold

[@user-4262]

This is sooooooooooooo helpful! thank you so much!

[@HubertK28]

Rostropovich and some other cellists used (or are using) a bent inwards thumb. I played several years with a bent outward thumb but changing to the bent inwards bow hold gave me a more relaxed and more "powerful" bow hold. So, I think there is no definit law or rule, respectively, how to hold the bow, it also depends on one's hand size.

[@thepointykitty]

Thank you! This is a very helpful video!

[@joylynne8]

Thank you. This was so helpful!

[@jamielikestrees]

That was way helpful thanks

[@chinija71]

Great. Useful. Thankyou very much.

[@cherylbrownful]

IT WORKS!!!

[@monkeyman15387]

My thumb slips off the bow when I turn the bow up-side-down like you did at 3:10.

[@syddo123]

Thx!

[@benorr4196]

Is it bad if when holding the bow I bend just my first knuckle on my pinky? (The one closest to the fingernail) It doesn't feel right, and my hand instinctively does it.