arcureo Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,] Hi ya' all… just a technique question. I play almost exclusively pizzicato but recently I've been asked to pull out some simple bowed lines so I got back to my long-neglected german bow… I'm doing some exercises, now, but there's one thing that bugs me. Sometimes, especially when I'm doing a "downstroke" (frog to tip movement) the bow kinda "bounces" on the string. Not so much as to jump away, fortunately, but it's still definitely causing the note to warble and to be uneven. Am I applying too much pressure? Or applying it in the wrong way? Any suggestion will be helpful, thanks a lot! Cheers! [/font][/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_says Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I find when this happens with me, particularly on quiet passages, I can help it by making sure the hair on the bow isn't too tight. On my French bow, loosening the hair so that using normal bow pressure pressing down the hair in the middle of the bow so the hair doesn't quite touch the top of the bow works for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcureo Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 Oh, I see… I guess I'll have to find the right amount of loosening, as to not overdo it. I'll make some attempts and see what happens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Try moving your whole arm from your shoulder , elbow and wrist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatgoogle Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Also watch how much pressure your applying onto the bow and the string. If it's more then the weight of your arm and then its an uneven amount as you get to the tip that could cause it. Just be aware of how much pressure there is and let the weight of the bow and the weight of your arm holding it do the work. Don't apply more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandShef Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Make sure you're not pressing the bow down with your hand - it sounds like you could be pressing down too heavily. Relax your hand and let your arm weight do the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcureo Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Thanks, probably the tightening of my grip (I gotta watch that!) plays a role, too. I have to remember to stay loose! As Michael Klinghoffer shows, in his videos for "Mr. Karr, would you teach me how to drive a double bass?", the key is relaxation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatgoogle Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 A good thing to help relax and relieve tension is to be aware of how much tension your applying and then increase while playing, try and double it and then release and see if you can relax to a point lower then before and repeat it and just gradually release all the tension slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Huge +1 to the other posts, but heres a random thing that may be causing it. One thing this might be is too much rosin. I know it's more likely to be technique, but if you have way too much rosin the bow kind of jumps and chokes the note as you draw it across the string. Just a random idea to throw out there incase you are using a lot of rosin as I've seen this a few times over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcureo Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 No, I don't think it' too much rosin… I played violin as a kid, so I'm kinda used to apply the "right" amount, as my teacher taught me to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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