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Maybe this is an old chestnut..? Advice needed on bow hold
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Reptile Smile
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July 21, 2015 - 4:48 am
Member Since: July 18, 2015
Forum Posts: 34
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Hi all,

Bit of a n00b, I'm afraid. I'm just getting into this, and very much from the perspective of folk fiddle (cajun and bluegrass), rather than any kind of concert/classical aspirations!

I'm aware of the huge diversity of approaches to holding the bow (and, indeed, fiddle) in folk (thumb over frog, thumb under frog, thumb bent, thumb straight, holding way up the bow nowhere near the frog, etc, etc)

On the one hand I don't especially want to limit myself later on, and on the other, I suspect it's always possible to re-address and correct technique later. My general thoughts at the moment are, I guess, if it sounds ok, feels comfortable and doesn't hurt, go with it.

Equally, it would be daft to proceed without checking in with folks on here, and seeing what you all think.  I guess there's a pretty sensible school of thought about 'proceeding as you mean to go on', so maybe it's not a bad idea to get it right at the beginning..?

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Fidelestre
Texas
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July 21, 2015 - 6:40 am
Member Since: June 21, 2015
Forum Posts: 240
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My teacher has been spending a lot of time working with me on the bow hold, so it would appear she regards it as something important to get right from the start. The hold I'm learning looks very much like the pictures at the following site:

http://teachsuzuki.blogspot.co.....lding.html

This is a beginner bow hold, and the thumb will later move inside the frog.

The most difficult part for me is learning to avoid putting the bow weight on the pinky finger. The little finger should be able to lift up freely and tap the bow.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
July 21, 2015 - 9:26 am
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429

https://fiddlerman.com/fiddle-.....o-i-start/
You can see my own hairy hand with pictures and a description on how to hold the bow but in the end, after attempting the most common bow holds, I'm sure you can find tons of examples on the web, use what works the best for yourself and you should be good.
Remember that the techniques taught by professionals are proven to be effective and are worth taking seriously.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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