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Bow Speed - Tell me everything you know :)
Bow Speed
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coolpinkone
California, the place of my heart
November 28, 2015 - 4:10 pm
Member Since: January 11, 2012
Forum Posts: 4180
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Hello folks...

I just wanted to know all you know about bow speed.  Your own struggles, your knowledge, what your teachers say.....etc.

I was watching Andrea Bocelli on PBS... and watched the orchestra behind him... those violinists with the long long fast bows.  It was very inspiring.

I have been told I need to increase my bow speed. Sometimes when I do that I end up screwing up the tempo.  I am getting better at it.  

Any thoughts or info to share on bow speed?

violin-1267treble-1226semiquaver-1214

Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato

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Jacques
San Diego

Honorary advisor
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November 28, 2015 - 5:33 pm
Member Since: December 15, 2014
Forum Posts: 210
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Always play the e string very firmly. If the string has not been played in firmly enough the fiddle will have a screechey e tune. So always remember to play a strong e.

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Mark
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November 30, 2015 - 1:20 am
Member Since: September 30, 2014
Forum Posts: 2149
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Coolpinkone,

I Know I struggle with this also. I have been working on using more bow, by doing bowing exercises with a metronome to help with timing and the better use of bow distribution.

Boring as it is it I believe to works, Simon Fischers has a 4 hour DVD set on 10 different bowing exercises that are tough, a bit beyond my pay grade at the present time.

My teacher has tasked me with playing these bow stokes as a warm up.

Metronome set at 52 BPM This is very important using the metronome it has opened my eyes to my timing variations of my bow strokes as I was working on this exercise. I had no clue I was varying so much, It was bad. bunny-headbang

25 whole notes up and down bows per string using the whole bow

25 half notes up and down bows per string using the whole bow  

25 quarter notes up and down bows per string using the whole bow

25 eighth notes up and down bows per string using the whole bow 

25 sixteenth note up and  down bows using 1/3 of the bow at tip next day in the middle of the bow. and if you want a challenge try at the Frog of the bow.

once you get past the whole notes it does not take long to finish the exercise.

Also to help past the time you can work on Vibrato 

I just found John Boulware.com sight he is a talented fiddle and he has put out a page with fiddle bowing exercises that I'm working on. He also has a page dedicated to Music theory with several links that I think is well written and layed out. Its called

http://www.music-theory-for-mu.....cians.com/

Keep up the good work    violin_girl thumbs-up

Mark   

Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.

Albert Sammons

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coolpinkone
California, the place of my heart
November 30, 2015 - 12:04 pm
Member Since: January 11, 2012
Forum Posts: 4180
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Thank you Mark.

I am going to try this tonight when I get home. This sounds like an excellent lesson.

:)

Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato

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