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New players should watch this.
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Cleverpun
Griffith, IN
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January 24, 2017 - 1:25 pm
Member Since: January 12, 2017
Forum Posts: 14
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?.....ylVQuTAe_Q

I've been playing for two weeks now. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't figure out what. Bow too loose? Bow too tight? Too much rosin? Not enough rosin?

Well, now I can see what I'm doing wrong. Part of it anyway. I was floored when I first saw this, because from my perspective I was drawing the bow straight. However, it's now obvious I am not, my bow technique stinks.

I was not going to post this video at first, as it really embarrasses me. It does, however, make a good point. Even if you don't post a video, make one and watch it. You might not like what you see, but it will help.

Side note - from behind my violin the intonation sounded right, but in the video I noticed some... problems.

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Uzi
Georgia

Honorary tenured advisor
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January 24, 2017 - 6:22 pm
Member Since: January 19, 2014
Forum Posts: 973
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After two weeks I'd be a lot more shocked if you were bowing straight.  Luckily, you have a video cameral.  That's not as good as a violin teacher, probably, but at least you can see what you're doing and you'll be able to fix it.  

Clearly, the issue here (as seems to be for 95% of new violinists) is that the motion for moving the bow is coming from the upper arm at the shoulder, rather than the forearm at the elbow.  It is impossible to bow straight by bending the arm at the shoulder.  Instead, all but for roughly the lowest 1/4 - 1/3 of the bow, the proper motion is created by extending and collapsing the arm at the elbow. Shoulder movement is mostly confined to raising and lowering the angle of the bow to make contact with the desired string. 

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright

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Cleverpun
Griffith, IN
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January 24, 2017 - 10:44 pm
Member Since: January 12, 2017
Forum Posts: 14
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Thanks for the input. I wish I could find a teacher, but I work weird hours.

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Uzi
Georgia

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January 24, 2017 - 11:39 pm
Member Since: January 19, 2014
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The left hand and arm are only responsible for playing the correct notes and vibrating.  The volume, tone and the soul of the violin is all in the right arm.  Fiddlerman has some videos on bowing that are well worth watching.  In addition, the great violin teacher Ivan Galamian has much to say on the subject.  Here's an entire work by Galamian, but the link points to the beginning of the bowing section.  It's well worth studying. 

http://med-etc.com/musik/Galam.....html#05-01

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright

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Charles
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January 26, 2017 - 11:34 am
Member Since: June 7, 2016
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You've got nothing to be ashamed of. You're providing a valuable service for lots of people to come.

Your intonation is better than most people's is at two weeks (it's certainly better than mine was). I suspect you didn't notice the intonation problems when it was under your ear because you were concentrating on all the other things you were doing. As you get more practiced at that piece (and all the techniques), you'll have more mental cycles to spare to notice things like that.

As soon as you saw the bowing, you recognized the problem and knew what should change. If you recognize the problem and know what to do to fix it, you're 80% done.  (Of course, the 80/20 rule applies - it will take much longer to train in the muscle memory so that you do the thing you know is right without concentrating on it.)

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
January 26, 2017 - 3:01 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16537

As everyone said, you have nothing to be ashamed of, in fact, quite the opposite.

Take note to how your bowing from your upper arm/shoulder. Make most of the movement from your elbow and you'll see a world of difference.

Thanks for sharing this so that others can learn from it.

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

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
January 26, 2017 - 3:16 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16537

Also Cleverpun

Congratulations on your first badge. :)

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

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Guest
Guests
February 11, 2017 - 8:16 pm

Cleverpun said
I've been playing for two weeks now. 

How are things going? I am a beginner (skill-wise) and what I noticed right away was that you did not seem distracted by "how does this note sound - how does that note sound"?  You were just playing some songs... dancingand I think that's how kids can learn so fast - they aren't as 'complicated' maybe - and seem to more easily "go with the flow".  I also somehow got the idea that you play the guitar?blink Maybe because of your keeping a good rhythm as you went along.

ADK-Mark

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