Working on your violin bow hold is an essential part of perfecting your technique. “What is the proper way to hold a bow?” and “How can I improve my violin bowing?” are two questions that we hear a lot. In this post, we’ll attempt to answer both of those questions for you.
How to Hold a Violin Bow
Learning how to hold a violin bow is not all that complicated. We recommend that you attend at least one lesson so that you can learn good habits from an instructor. Once you form bad habits, it’s difficult to unlearn them.
The Thumb Position
You’ll bend your thumb to close to a 90-degree angle. The right corner should be inserted into the gap that’s formed between the leather section of the grip and the frog. Do NOT place it in the frog’s notch.
You’ll know you have it right when you can feel the metal clip holding the hair in place under your thumbnail. You should be able to feel a little of the hair in the bow as well.
The Position of the Fingers
According to Strings Magazine, the rest of the fingers should be quite easy to position. They’ll curve naturally into the right shape. Your middle finger should be draped over. You’ll be able to feel the leather grip on your knuckle. The tip of the finger should be on the metal clip.
Your ring finger should also be draped over your bow. You will even feel the stick against your knuckle. The tip of your finger should cover the frog’s center dot.
Your pinky should barely touch the bow. It should rest on top of it. Keep it bent and away from the adjusting screw.
Your index finger is draped similarly, but your knuckle will feel the metal winding. This figure is meant to wrap around the body, and the tip should touch the leather grip. This is the most critical finger position.
The index finger should never be straightened while playing. It is this finger that is going to do most of the work here.
Try and space your fingers as evenly as possible. The gap between the middle and index fingers can be a little wider, but the rest should be equidistant.
How Tightly Should I Hold it?
You need to keep a good grip without holding on too tightly. The more relaxed your hand is, the better control you can exercise. That’s especially important in getting your best performance possible.
The Contact Point
Positioning is essential when you’re using the bow to play as well. You need to put the midsection either on the A or the D string. It should be held parallel to your violin’s bridge and the fingerboard’s end. The hair should connect at the fullest section of the F hole.
This will be about half of the way between the fingerboard and the bridge. This position should be more comfortable as your elbow and wrist should be level. Keeping your arm higher will increase the tension. This, in turn, makes it harder to control the movements.
It’s common for beginners to place the hairs too close to the violin’s fingerboard. You could try stopping up the hole with a straw so that you remember not to do this. Your wrist should stay flexible, and your arm should be relaxed.
Final Notes
Getting the right position is essential. Not getting this right will mean that playing will be more difficult. If you’re not sure that you are getting the position right, consider practicing in front of a mirror.
Now that you know how to hold a violin bow, you can learn more about its construction. This article will provide you with a rundown of what materials make up the bow and how to choose the best one for you.
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