Does Your Violin Bow Hold Slip? Try this Trick

[@hamwhacker]

Thanks! The simplest ideas are the best...

[@nelsonsarah15]

The rubber band idea is genius! I went down to my kitchen and took the rubber band from around my asparagus, good way to upcycle/recycle as well! :) I have a tendency to let my hand slip, too. I notice that my bow tends to fall into the palm of my hand instead of fall over the stick, like with your student, so we'll see if this does the trick. Thanks always for sharing!

[@professorV]

Great. Good luck Sarah!

[@Megolomart489]

Thank you so much for freely sharing your advice on fiddle technique. Incredibly generous of you!

[@JoMama123451234]

Good advice. I find that my wrist gets too high when I'm changing bows. I think focusing on keeping your wrist down really helps.

[@GAStrings]

I'm addressing a little one with the same issues. Thanks for the tips. Love your channel and your article was a great read.

[@professorV]

Thanks, Theresa Smith! I very much appreciate your kind comment.

[@mikeandtina59]

Great suggestion, I will give it a try! I think the bow hold I use is called a Russian Bow hold, as my first finger joint is higher on the bow then yours. My hand slides up higher when I go toward the tip. My arms are pretty short, so I think this is the way I compensate. I've been thinking of trying out a center chin rest - maybe that will give me just a little more length. Again, thank you for your videos - they are all gems!

[@virginiamaes4th]

Brilliant! THANKYOU! In a relaxed state, of course my bow is going to move and do a little shifting. Practicing a quick reset is BRILLIANT! So simple, so effective. It is completely illogical to think that from the time I pick up my bow to midway through my first warm up, my bow grip will remain the same!!!

[@professorV]

Thanks, Steven! Best wishes.

[@freundefriend4579]

Thank you so much! I also have this problem! It'svery work for me

[@khosrotohidi939]

great tip thanks no doubt you are a high level teacher. but i made a nest for my thumb and i made the bow stick thicker where the middle finger rests with a hose . i believe we have to match the grip part of the bow with our hand and fingers . amber reed has the same idea to stabilize the grip .

[@jas71188]

Great idea. I'll try it

[@DanielLee-fy5qb]

Thanks. pretty helpful

[@ChrisEbbrsen]

Excellant! Thanks!

[@professorV]

Thanks, Chris. Best wishes.

[@ctnspvtltd8664]

we use this to hold our cloths on the string while they dry after the wash..

[@josephbarshay]

Thanks a lot. I struggle to reset when switching from pizz. to arco etc. My pinky and pointer finger slip the most.

[@jameskrys5286]

Professor V, you da man!

[@professorV]

Thanks, James. :)

[@MusicalMarzy]

thank you!Really awesome ideas

[@Elliott7695]

Hello, I very much enjoy your videos, I played the violin as a child for four years, gave it up at age 12. I have begun to learn again at the age of 37 but i lost my right index finger to a table saw some years ago and i am wondering if you might have any suggestions for a bow hold. The dexterity of my hand is quit good though i have had to relearn everything. I have tried several ways, Thumb locked into the frog, under the frog and so on but it always seems loose and unstable. I am practicing regularly but I cant seem to find the right control.

[@professorV]

Hi Elliott, Very sorry to hear of your accident, but it does present an interesting pedagogical challenge! As I experiment with this, it seems that if I relax the bow hand and let the violin support the weight of the bow, I can do most of what I want. Lifting the bow off the string is definitely harder though, and causes my hand to tense up. I guess I find the most control by placing my thumb under the frog, instead of in its usual place, and contacting the bow in the first knuckle of the middle finger. Whatever you do, just try to let the violin hold the weight, so your hand can relax. Good luck!

[@Elliott7695]

***** Thank you for your help, tried this last night , and again this morning, it does seem to improve the tension in my bow hand. Thank you

[@MishaSkripach]

Thank you so much for your videos, and especially for this video! Please could you look at Misha's playing - he seemed to have the very problem you described here - the bow slips higher, and the whole hand wraps around the violin bow more than needed - making him stiffer. Misha is very keen and loves music - so he was always a very compliant and attentive pupil, however, being small, he cannot understand some explanations. While Misha was learning the Seitz concerto, I (mum) noticed the very deep hold Misha had - and the teacher started the exercises, explanations, all again intensely - however we had big problemwith his hold still - it would slip... Yesterday at night, in desperation, after reading loads of articles re. violin hold and keen to help my confused little one, who could not understand why he is not allowed to play his beloved concerto, - I found this video of yours... We tried this today - I even drew teeth and eyes on the "shark" which clips to the bow -wow - the result is immediate! about an hour of excercising -huge progress! For simple scales (he plays some 3 octave scales and loves it) Misha could even do it already without the "shark". Seitz still goes slowly and with it. I am so grateful!!! This teaching tip is priceless! Misha was smiling with joy! Thank you!

[@professorV]

Misha and Mum! Thank you for the very kind comment. I’m really happy to hear this video was helpful! I watched several of your videos and also subscribed. You are doing so well!! Keep up the great work and I will follow as you continue to fly. Best wishes! :)

[@MishaSkripach]

Thank you very much! We have been doing the exercises for two days - already there is more flexibility in Misha's fingers. Taking the clip away make the hand yet slip when playing difficult things, but for scales and open strings Misha already keeps the correct position! Just several days. Today we are seeing the teacher - hopefully she will be happy. The irony is, when Misha started at 3. 5, his grip was correct straight away, but, as he could not speak yet, when learning difficult new things - problems started - the teacher could not concentrate his attention and correct him enough- the child was only responding to sounds, not speech explanations... So, 2 years later, the grip problem kekt dragging along .

[@MishaSkripach]

Good afternoon! I thought you might be interested in what we discorved might have been causing the hand slipping its hold oin the bow for Misha (and so possibly some of your students if they encounter this problem). We went to the teacher - she was not interested in seeing how the clothes pin worked :( (despite me seeing that the trick definitely works and willing to show this to her) So I kept trying to find out what causes the problem - and I found. The bow has that little metal part near the hair - this metal bit, if you place the thumb correctly - was digging into the skin of the thumb painfully! I compared this bow with the other, Misha's previous, bow by the same cheap make - on the other bow the metal bit was not this much forward. So, if the thumb touches hair - on this bow it is painful. Probably in order to avoid pain, -Misha was inserting his thumb under sharp angle to the bow (like very from the side), and therefore the fingers had to slip into the certain position. So now we will try to do exercise with vthe different bow and see if this makes a difference. If not for your videos, we would not have come to this understanding at all...

[@professorV]

Misha and Mum, very glad to hear of your progress and discovery. Very good news! Best wishes as you move forward.

[@MishaSkripach]

Thank you so much for your help and support! The teacher was shocked today to see all the progress. Yesss! We will not miss a single video of yours now :)

[@magnolia2]

- This is great!! Thank you.

[@DanaNourie]

Ooooo super helpful!

[@jono8100]

Thanks -- these are great

[@Perineon]

Great idea! My hand tends to slip up the bow sometimes. I do however have one question about the bow hold. Slightly unrelated to this topic. If i'm using a Russian bow hold should my thumb stay bent or flat? It always wants to go flat when i hold it that way.

[@professorV]

Hi Nivek Kelone, what you describe is not uncommon. I think the micro-movements of the fingers are reduced when you use a Russian hold, but there are benefits too, such as more arm weight, and for people with short arms, a less severe wrist bend trying to reach the tip. If you can avoid a collapse of the thumb you are probably fine, just try to keep things relaxed.

[@douglasbezerra5814]

teacher, as should be done when we moved away to a string? for example, the G string for A String. The bow should continue on the string making a quick stop or get up the bow and place the following string?

[@professorV]

Hi Doug, When you are first learning, I would definitely recommend that you keep the bow on the string during your string crossings. Good luck.

[@douglasbezerra5814]

Thanks teacher!

[@phiddler1]

tell them to try the French bow hold it will help to get the feel

[@spyros.violin]

Great trick professor. Your videos are always so helpful and on the spot. Thanks. Is that a Codabow? Can you please give your idea about the diamond series?

[@professorV]

Spyros Spyrou, I have two Coda Bows from the Diamond series, the NX and the GX. They feel about the same to me; both very strong and on the stiff side. Great articulations and a good sautille. If you like a more flexible stick, look into JonPaul bows. All excellent for the price.

[@spyros.violin]

***** Thanks for the answer professor.