Fiddle Bowing Tip

I decided that this time I would post a tip for all those fiddle players out there! This tip is about bow speed and pressure. I think there is a misconception that the weight of the bow is all that is needed to make a good sound on the strings of the fiddle. It is important that the player use some pressure on the bow in order to get a good, full tone quality. Slight bow pressure also helps reduce bow bounce and skidding.

Bow speed and bow pressure are directly related, though. When you increase either one, the other needs to be increased. If you use a lot of bow speed with no pressure, then you will dramatically decrease tone quality and increase bow bounce and skidding. When you increase bow pressure but not bow speed, you will get that terrible "squawking" sound.

To increase bow pressure, use the index finger of your bow hand. The pressure is added to the index finger by tilting your hand towards the fiddle. Don't apply any pressure with the pinky! Think of your thumb as the pivot point. Your index finger is in front, and your pinky is in back. You want to pivot towards your index finger.

Remember: Good bowing comes with lots of practice and RELAXED wrist and grip! It's very hard to relax the grip while increasing the pressure. Keep thinking "pivot" and not "grip harder."