How to Hold a Bow Scientifically
For beginners to play violin, it seems difficult to strike notes with left hand, but in long run, bow with right hand is really difficult to master. If you want to learn how to handle a bow and its skills well, first of all you need to learn how to hold a bow well.
I recently taught two students. They learned this some time ago, but without exception, there is a big problem in holding bow, that is, thumb and little finger are straight, and even upside down. it's on nose. This posture is very harmful. Why is it harmful? Firstly, two muscles associated with thumb and little finger are very tense, so that whole palm becomes stiff, and holding bow becomes bow entrapment. Secondly, directly influence relaxation of right wrist. Galamian, a famous American violin teacher, said a sobering word: "The brush must always be soft" when bowing, it does not meet requirements of a straight and even one.
To avoid developing this bad habit, you should intensify following exercises:
1 Beginners should first learn independent flexion and extension of thumb and little finger. I remember Mr. Zhao Yong, a violin professor at Xi'an Academy of Music, talking about how to hold bow with right hand. saying that this is most important and most remarkable part of owning a bow. His act made a deep impression on us. Therefore, before learning how to hold a bow, you can practice bending and extending without a weapon.
2. The teacher should patiently teach beginners position of thumb and little finger curl while holding bow, and correct it often in process of teaching. Of course, it is best to correct mistakes at beginning of music or in a certain paragraph, too much will be boring and not conducive to continuing learning. In addition, students should trim their nails short to facilitate thumb curl and little finger position on bow hilt.
3. If an error occurs frequently, it should be corrected each time piece of music is completed. My method is this: if student's pinky and thumb are straight and stiff when bowing with right hand, I tell student to stop when they reach a certain passage below and keep their hands still (freeze). ), and then have student self-check pinky and thumb and make corrections.
4. While holding bow, before putting it on Qin Xuan, add some of finger flexion and extension exercises while holding bow. Some students can bend and unbend their fingers with their bare hands, but they do not bend or stretch after holding bow. During practice, bow can be in a vertical position in order to relax fingers as much as possible.
I believe that after these stages of learning and learning, combined with patient practice, students will learn how to properly hold bow.
In addition, exercises are notand right wrist relaxation and left thumb relaxation exercises (hukou) should be practiced separately, referring to above methods.
How to Hold a Bow Scientifically