
How to Hold the Fiddle Bow
- Placing your fingers properly Placing your fingers correctly on the bow is the first step in getting a clean and beautiful bow stroke. Here’s how to establish the perfect bow hold: ...
- Keeping your fingers curved Follow these steps to make sure you know what your fingers should look like on the bow: ...
- Staying on top of the bow ...
- Holding versus gripping the bow ...
How to hold a violin bow?
Holding the bow. How To Hold The Bow – Place your thumb in the C of the bow frog and place the other fingers on the other side of the stick with the pointer finger towards the tip of the bow. Keep the all the fingers comfortably together and relaxed. With the pinky curved and the tip on top of the stick, turn your hand counter-clockwise...
How do you make a bow with your fingers?
Form a ring with your thumb and fingers. Hold the bow in a vertical position using your non-dominant hand. With your dominant hand, form a loose ring with your thumb and both the middle and ring fingers. Note that your index and pinky fingers should naturally curve down toward your thumb, as well.
How do you hold a frog bow?
Hold the middle of the bow with your non-dominant hand. Rest your dominant hand over the bow, just above the frog. Keep the fingers of your dominant hand relaxed and naturally spread apart. The bow should be in a horizontal position.
How do you hold a fiddle without tension?
What is important is to avoid any tension in the hand or arm when you are holding the bow in place on the fiddle. To achieve a relaxed hold, all the the fingers must be relaxed. You’ll find that muscles in the forearm will contract in order to tense any one of your fingers in your bowing hand.

Which hand do you hold a violin bow in?
Traditional Teaching. The violin is traditionally played by placing it on the left shoulder, balancing the neck using the left hand, and bowing with the right arm.
How do you hold an instrument bow?
Your index finger should rest around the stick at a finger's space away from the middle finger, and the pinky should curve and rest on top of the bow stick. You should gently hold the bow without gripping it. Your fingers should be curved in a natural, relaxed form, and your joints should not be stiff.
How is a bow held?
Balance the bow between your shoulder and the right thumb tip. Keep your thumb bent down to the hair or the bow might roll away from you. Without upsetting the balance, lightly lower your fingers to the stick as the fingers fall naturally—the first three over, the pinkie tip on top.
How do you use a violin bow?
2:233:45How to Place Bow for Bowing Open String | Violin Lessons - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd you're going to place the bow in Lane. Two. And make sure that it's a really straight line veryMoreAnd you're going to place the bow in Lane. Two. And make sure that it's a really straight line very parallel to the bridge you don't want the boat. This way that's diagonal to the bridge.
How do you hold a violin bow for a beginner?
1:522:23Violin Bow Hold for Beginners - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMy first finger wraps around the grip. My middle finger goes on the frog. My ring finger goes on theMoreMy first finger wraps around the grip. My middle finger goes on the frog. My ring finger goes on the spot. And my little finger just sits right on top. And there's your bow hold.
Are there different ways to hold a violin bow?
The two most common are the Russian grip and the Franco-Belgian grip.Russian Bow Grip: The hand is extremely pronated, with the fingers close together and the wrist up. ... Franco-Belgian Bow Grip: The middle finger is opposite the thumb.
How do you hold a bass bow?
1:353:19Beginning Double Bass: French Bow Hold - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's an overhand grip as opposed to an underhand grip so to find the french bow grip we place ourMoreIt's an overhand grip as opposed to an underhand grip so to find the french bow grip we place our thumb. Here where the frog meets the stick. And these two middle fingers go across from the frog.
How do you do a Russian bow hold?
0:0816:00Beginner Lesson 4 - Russian vs Franco-Belgian Bow Hold - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLike starting with a thumb. Telling you it has to be in a round. Position then placing the twoMoreLike starting with a thumb. Telling you it has to be in a round. Position then placing the two fingers around there approximately to the metal. Then placing your little finger on top of the stick.
How do I hold my violin bow?
The viola is a challenging instrument to play, and we must utilize our bodies in ways that may at first appear unpleasant. When this form of positioning is mishandled, it can cause a number of physical problems, some of which might be painful and potentially dangerous.
Holding versus gripping the bow
You have the natural reaction when you slide the bow too tightly and utilize the wrong muscles for direction. The sole thumb will assist push out of the arch and pull the bow up a bit. Because the thumb press against a bow that turns out almost like a banana, these banana thumbs are named after it. What is the best way to check bow tension?
Place your fingers properly
Keeping your left hand held upright at 45 degrees, bend your right thumb and slide it into the groove. Place the pinky on the screw with your finger bent. Make a straight line with your fingers and place them against its surface.
Keep your fingers curved
To make sure your fingers are properly aligned with the bow, perform the following procedures. Feel how your hand forms when you put out your fiddle and bow. Keep an eye on this bend in your finger. This is the natural position of your hand, which will allow you to curl that perfect bow.
Staying on top of the bow
Staying over the bow rather than sideways is critical in creating a loose and calm bow. As a consequence, as you employ your finger, it will become more curved, producing the clearest sound feasible. It’s not simple to do, but making everything seem clean is crucial.
Pro Tip: Strengthen your bowing hand with these exercises
Your hand and fingers might become aching or fatigued when you first learn how to hold a violin bow. To develop your bow hand and improve your overall performance, complete the following exercises during your practice session. Strengthen your hand and back with these activities.
How to hold a violin bow: Step by Step Instructions for Beginners
This guide will show you how to play the violin and bow at home or abroad, with video instructions on how to use both instruments. To avoid injuries and ensure that you are using the proper methods, read all of the procedures carefully. Get the proper bow grip by watching a video instruction and a step-by-step video tutorial.
How to hold a fiddle bow?
If you’re holding your bow off the fiddle, it’s necessary to have a certain amount of grip in the hand so the bow doesn’t drop to the floor. As soon as you place the weight of the bow onto the strings though, the fiddle is doing the work of holding the bow up. So your bowing hand becomes nothing more than a ‘guide’, and the thumb and fingers can be completely relaxed.
How to use a bow with a pinkie?
Drape the 1st, 2nd and 3rd fingers over the front of the bow, and spread the fingers fairly widely, so the index finger is quite a bit forward of the position of the thumb, and the pinkie is on the very end of the bow. If you have the bow sitting in the joint of the index finger that’s closer to the palm (the second joint down from the finger tip) you’ll be able to have much more control of the bow without needing to tense the hand at all. The tip of the 2nd finger should be placed opposite the thumb.
Is a bow hold static?
The bow hold is not a static thing! Once you have a comfortable and relaxed bow hold, you can move on to investigating how the hand and fingers interact with the bow to help create good control over the bow, with precision playing, and the tone you want.
How to hold a bow frog?
How To Hold The Bow – Place your thumb in the C of the bow frog and place the other fingers on the other side of the stick with the pointer finger towards the tip of the bow. Keep the all the fingers comfortably together and relaxed.
Why do you hold the bow?
Holding the bow. Holding the bow correctly will insure the greatest possible ease in playing a smooth and even sound. It will aid in achieving smooth bow changes, dynamics, legato, staccato and much more in the violin learning process.
How to make a smooth bow change?
A proper hold will enable you to make flexible smooth bow changes. Place thumb in or close to the C in the frog. Middle finger adjacent to thumb. Fingers comfortably together straingt then turn hand counter clockwise (towards the strings).
Where should the bow hand sit on the violin?
Additionally, your entire bow hand should sit on the violin bow at a downward sloping angle, towards the tip of the bow.
What tip to use for violin bow?
Using the tip of your thumb will provide you with better control of your violin bow.
Why does my violin bow move outwards?
If your wrist or arm is too stiff, your violin bow will not move perpendicular to the strings of your violin and may move outwards, away from you, as you play.
How to balance a bow?
If your bow hand is strong enough, when you remove your index, middle, and ring fingers, only leaving your thumb and pinky on the bow, the bow should remain balanced in your hand.
Where is the pad on the violin bow?
The pad of your ring finger will sit on the dot that is on the side of the violin bow that won’t be facing you as you play.
Which finger should be placed on the side of the violin bow?
Your index finger should be placed on its side when it is on the violin bow.
Can playing violin cause injuries?
Keeping your arm tense as you play your violin can also cause avoidable injuries.
How to hold a bow in a bow arrow?
The bow should be in a horizontal position. Hold it straight across with your non-dominant hand placed at the middle or the far end as you position your dominant hand correctly. Release the bow from your non-dominant hand once you set your bow hold.
Which hand to hold bow with?
If you are left-handed and holding the bow with a dominant left hand, turn the wrist slightly to the right.
How to make a bow with your thumb?
1. Form a ring with your thumb and fingers. Hold the bow in a vertical position using your non-dominant hand. With your dominant hand, form a loose ring with your thumb and both the middle and ring fingers. Note that your index and pinky fingers should naturally curve down toward your thumb, as well.
How to rest your pinky finger on a violin?
Allow your fingers to relax into place. The remaining fingers should curve gently over the top of the bow stick. The pinky finger should not be allowed to rest on top of the bow stick, as it might with a bow stick for a viola or violin. Instead, the pinky should also extend downward with the other three fingers.
How to draw a frog with a bow?
Gradually turn the bow sideways, drawing the frog further into the palm of your hand and pointing the bow inward toward your body. The tip of your bent thumb should just barely touch the tip of your index finger, and both should rest lightly on top of the bow.
How to play cello with a bow?
Keep your wrist relaxed. Do not press the bow to the strings of the cello. Lightly lay the bow on the strings as you hold it and as you play. Ultimately, as you play, you need to have a loose, relaxed grip that is just firm enough to control the direction of the bow.
Where is the thumb on a bow?
The thumb of your dominant hand needs to rest on the point of contact between the bow and the frog, which is the device at the end of the bow hairs where they can be tightened. Your thumb will end up being wedged between the bow hairs and the bow stick, somewhere between the frog itself and the leather pad next to it.
