BOW BLOG
Everything related to the violin,
from the technical to the musical to the psychological and more
or… WHY speed, weight, and contact point matter. Have you ever wondered how exactly your violin bow makes the strings vibrate? Why does the bow sometimes get a beautiful sound, and sometimes a horrifying sound? And why are speed, weight, and contact point so crucial to getting a good sound? The answer is actually pretty straightforward.
The large-scale requiems seem to get all the attention, but what about other, smaller-scale works that help us through times of loss, grief, and death? Here’s a Top 10 List (plus several honorable mentions) of elegies and other music of mourning for solo strings and chamber ensembles.
Vibrato is something a lot of developing violinists struggle with. It seems so effortless when done well, but it can sure feel like a lot of work to develop. Some violinists claim it can’t be taught – each violinist just has to figure it out. Some teach it by going into great detail about every aspect of arm vibrato, wrist vibrato, finger vibrato, width, and speed ... not to mention finger pressure, finger angle, thumb placement, and more. The truth is probably somewhere in between.
Search all posts:
Browse by topic:
I’m a violinist and private teacher in the Chicago area, and in a previous musical life I was in a professional string quartet. Teaching violin and chamber music are dear to my heart. Send me a note or leave a comment on a post — I’d love to hear from you.
Recent Posts:
Scales don’t have to be boring! I spent a whole month doing a different approach to scales every day, and posting the details. Not only did it keep things interesting -- it also brought more life to all of my practicing and playing.
Bored with scales? Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales | Day 31: Vibrato Speed. Use scales to develop finer control of your vibrato speed, so you can convey the emotional heart of your music more purely and effectively.
Bored with scales? Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales | Day 30: Vibrato Width. Use scales to develop finer control of your vibrato, so you can convey the emotional heart of your music more purely and effectively.
Bored with scales? Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales | Day 29: Colors. Unleash your musical-creative side on your scales, and build trust in the expressive power of your technique.
Bored with scales? Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales | Day 28: Shades. Use scales as a vehicle for practicing to achieve subtle differences in color.
Bored with scales? Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales | Day 27: Shapes. Use scales as a bridge from well-controlled technique to heart-felt music making.
Bored with scales? Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales | Day 26: Sounding Point. Use your scales to gain greater control of the fundamental aspect of your artistic sound.
Bored with scales? Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales | A Month of Scales - Day 25: Weight. Use your scales as a vehicle to open the door to a greater variety of sounds and to more precise control of the sounds you do get.
Bored with scales? Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales | Day 24: (Bow) Speed! For better control over a whole range of accents, phrasing, and a host of bow strokes.
Bored with scales? Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales | Day 23: The Whole Enchilada (Whole Bows). Practice spending bow like crazy — there’s always more!
Make scales interesting! Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales | Day 22: The Farthest Reaches (The Tip). What else do we make use of constantly ... yet give so little attention to?
Make scales interesting! Join me for a whole month’s worth of 31 different ways to approach scales | Day 21: The Forearm (Middle of the Bow). A very simple and effective way to check in on how your bow arm is working.
Scales don’t have to be boring! I spent a whole month doing a different approach to scales every day, and posting the details. Not only did it keep things interesting -- it also brought more life to all of my practicing and playing.