I have provided some handy tips and tricks on How to Improve your Bowing Technique in this easily digestible bitesize 5 minute video. This video has been made in an entertaining and analytical way to keep practising fun and engaging! Enjoy and keep playing
➤ Slow practise! There are different techniques employed for violists and cellist depending what sound the player wants to create and/or the style of the piece. Experiment with angles, placement and pressure to find out what works and what doesn’t work.
➤ Isolate It! When we perform music on the violin,we have to rely a lot on the ‘automatic’ skills that we’ve built up during training. That’s fine if you already know a piece of music well. If you are learning a piece for the first time this can be really tricky to play with optimal bowing skill and attention with little or no mistakes. Try bowing the phrasing on open strings with the bow and using the right hand only without playing any notes (with the left hand resting on the body of the violin for support). When you feel confident with the bowing and phrasing of the piece or etude, introduce the left hand part and begin coordinating the left hand (playing the notes) with the right hand (using performance directions in the notation for bowing, phrasing and articulation).
If you’re monitoring your bowing, you’ll be able to see clearly whether or not your bow angles are correct, and whether the bow is parallel to the bridge.
➤ Use a Mirror/ Video footage! Mirrors and video recordings are great tools for giving visual feedback on your technique. As your experience grows, you’ll develop a second sense for what ‘looks right’ when playing the violin, and a quick glance in a mirror, or using recorded video footage, can give you instant feedback on whether what you’re doing is effective or not. If you’re monitoring your bowing, you’ll be able to see clearly whether or not your bow angles are correct, and whether the bow is parallel to the bridge. Remember to aim for Testing, Checking and Correcting your playing!
If you’re monitoring your bowing, you’ll be able to see clearly whether or not your bow angles are correct, and whether the bow is parallel to the bridge.
Remember to aim for Testing, Checking and Correcting your playing!
