Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.

Check out our 2023 Group Christmas Project HERE

AAA
Avatar
Please consider registering
guest
sp_LogInOut Log Insp_Registration Register
Register | Lost password?
Advanced Search
Forum Scope




Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
sp_Feed Topic RSSsp_TopicIcon
Bow hold
Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 (0 votes) 
Avatar
bunify

Member
Members
May 22, 2020 - 11:32 pm
Member Since: May 13, 2019
Forum Posts: 46
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Is the thumb supposed to be bent or flat on the bow? 
I normally have it curved as it feels so awkward to have it flat..

45378E5C-8B59-4589-9FF4-7525A708B39B.jpegImage EnlargerB6A77918-C5E4-4362-832A-719455FA385B.jpegImage Enlarger

Avatar
Jim Dunleavy
United Kingdom
Members

Regulars
May 23, 2020 - 2:47 am
Member Since: April 19, 2015
Forum Posts: 886
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Can't really see properly on your first photo, but the second photo looks just right to me. The thumb should be bent, with the stick resting on the tip of the thumb, just as yours does there.

Avatar
bunify

Member
Members
May 23, 2020 - 8:42 am
Member Since: May 13, 2019
Forum Posts: 46
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

The 1st photo is with the thumb flat up towards the stick. 

the 2nd photo is where I have my thumb curved and touching the round black part of the bow. 

Avatar
bunify

Member
Members
May 23, 2020 - 5:08 pm
Member Since: May 13, 2019
Forum Posts: 46
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

I’ve found a better photo here at the bottom. 
you see the first photo touches the curved part and then 2nd photo it doesn’t the thumb just touches the top of the stick.

I’ve always had my thumb touching the curved part as that seems natural. 
don’t tell me I’ve been holding my bow

wrong 😰

EDF5568F-0F09-4B73-BCCA-9ED816E09E79.jpegImage Enlarger6D146631-8547-47C7-BADE-8A114DC0EE68.jpeg

  

Avatar
tianze

Member
Members
May 25, 2020 - 5:28 pm
Member Since: May 18, 2020
Forum Posts: 6
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Looks like a good bow-hold to me! You may find you get better balance by extending your pinky. I am pretty sure mind ends up on the screw, and is pretty straight. I was taught to start just as you showed, holding it with the thumb and middle finger, and then letting the other fingers lay naturally, except extending the pinky onto the screw (or however far it goes when mostly straight) for the counterbalance.

Avatar
AndrewH
Sacramento, California
Members

Regulars
May 25, 2020 - 7:46 pm
Member Since: November 5, 2017
Forum Posts: 1692
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

The thumb should rest in the space between the frog and the leather grip.

One word of caution about the pinky: it should never be completely straight. While I agree about "mostly straight", there needs to be at least a little bit of a curve so that you can still add more weight to it.

Avatar
Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
May 26, 2020 - 8:34 am
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429

Great answers above. Yes, bent thumb and bent pinky as well.
As shown on this page I have some pictures of my bow hold and you can see that the pinky is sometimes bent and sometimes "ALMOST" straight.
The almost straight comes from pulling the bow UP, where as the more bent comes from down bow. If you straighten the pinky completely (As Andrew warns against) it might not bend so easily. You want it to be flexible automatically, kind of like the hair on a paint brush when painting a wall.....
https://fiddlerman.com/fiddle-.....o-i-start/

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

Avatar
bunify

Member
Members
May 26, 2020 - 5:17 pm
Member Since: May 13, 2019
Forum Posts: 46
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Thanks for the replies. My question is does it really matter where the thumb is placed on the gap or leather as long as you are comfortable & hand is flexible? 

Avatar
AndrewH
Sacramento, California
Members

Regulars
May 26, 2020 - 7:55 pm
Member Since: November 5, 2017
Forum Posts: 1692
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

bunify said
Thanks for the replies. My question is does it really matter where the thumb is placed on the gap or leather as long as you are comfortable & hand is flexible? 

  

I don't think so. The important thing is that the fingers should hold the frog securely and the pinky should be behind the frog. The recommendation to place the thumb in the gap is a good guideline for the average-sized hand.

Avatar
Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
June 1, 2020 - 12:26 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429
10sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

@bunify - I don't think so either but please take a picture of your bow hold so that I can analyze and make see that you are not doing anything that can be counterproductive. An image will be easier to judge.

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

Avatar
bunify

Member
Members
June 6, 2020 - 2:39 am
Member Since: May 13, 2019
Forum Posts: 46
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
11sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

FCFD1304-182B-4235-9E70-36008330F88E.jpegImage EnlargerD3D71810-0965-478C-8E40-59ACBA27C022.jpegImage EnlargerFiddlerman said
@bunify - I don't think so either but please take a picture of your bow hold so that I can analyze and make see that you are not doing anything that can be counterproductive. An image will be easier to judge.

  

This is how I hold the bow. My thumb is curved and sitting on the curved black part.. 

Avatar
AndrewH
Sacramento, California
Members

Regulars
June 6, 2020 - 4:54 am
Member Since: November 5, 2017
Forum Posts: 1692
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Hmm. I normally think of the thumb and middle finger as loosely forming a sort of ring, so the middle finger is close to the thumb and the ring finger is at the middle of the frog. The general idea is that the thumb, middle finger, and ring finger hold the bow, the index finger is used for leverage, and the pinky acts as a counterbalance. When your thumb is so close to your index finger, your whole hand is less flexible.

I probably should have mentioned this earlier; I just wasn't sure whether the pictures in the middle of the thread were pictures of your entire bow hold or just thumb placement.

Avatar
Mouse
June 6, 2020 - 7:47 am
Member Since: December 26, 2018
Forum Posts: 5296
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
13sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

I believe you are correct, Andrew H. It is pretty much the same with my cello. I have to remember to change the pinky finger when I switch from one to the other, but the index is leverage, and the pinky is counter-balance. I agree with the ring finger, also.

Of course, there are different ways people hold, but I think in all, or most, the mechanics of the index being leverage and pinky being counter-balance remains the same. Not sure how it would work, otherwise, at least while learning.

It will become natural to pick,upthe bow like that, eventually.

The Bumblebee Flies!

Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.

Avatar
Jim Dunleavy
United Kingdom
Members

Regulars
June 6, 2020 - 9:31 am
Member Since: April 19, 2015
Forum Posts: 886
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
14sp_Permalink sp_Print
0

That bow hold looks fine to me.

Forum Timezone: America/New_York
Most Users Ever Online: 696
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 77
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Members Birthdays
sp_BirthdayIcon
Today RCall
Upcoming Sofia Leo, TKDennis, Ms-G, FiddleDetroit, CookiesViolin, Bobby, Elaisa, Michael Browder, EBurrell, Gordon Shumway, ViolinD, dougga, MoonShadows, Astandane, JohnG
Top Posters:
ELCBK: 7718
ABitRusty: 3896
Mad_Wed: 2849
Barry: 2690
Fiddlestix: 2647
Oliver: 2439
Gordon Shumway: 2422
DanielB: 2379
Mark: 2138
damfino: 2113
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 3
Members: 31657
Moderators: 0
Admins: 7
Forum Stats:
Groups: 16
Forums: 81
Topics: 10581
Posts: 134093
Newest Members:
bittruster, fiddlecastro, jackdaniel, romanmills08, creativestringsinfo, rubble_b, mariachi, avagrey92, Alison, David
Administrators: Fiddlerman: 16429, KindaScratchy: 1760, coolpinkone: 4180, BillyG: 3744, MrsFiddlerman: 2, Jimmie Bjorling: 0, Mouse: 5296