Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Prowse
I've just been experimenting with the 'finger thing' as suggested by David. I feel that Ken is probably right in that you basically push the bow backwards and forwards (my simplified interpretation). But David's concept certainly made me think as I practised... which has to be good. I've bowed for a long time (longer than I've understood verbs or how women think) and probably do a lot of things naturally, as Jeff moots (is that a pun?). I think that my bowing pattern for the B section of Take 5 is okay. I'd still like to hear what others think though.
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The finger pull thing is something my teacher introduced to me for spicatto and it uses both the 1st and 2nd fingers and the thumb to push and pull the stick with almost no wrist movement. Once I had the back and forth movement down using only the hand, my teacher then encouraged me to combine some wrist movement with this, and finally the arm. This gives a very sudden direction reversal at the end of the stroke. If you can imagine it is like popping the clutch, hitting the gas and cresting a hill in rapid succession. I really have to concentrate to get it happening on all the strokes but I do think it gives a much quicker start to full response on the string. I'm not sure there is an equivalent for French bow. I've never been formally taught French bow;- both of my teachers recommended learning German first and I'm still far from proficient with the German technique but definitely have made major improvement in the last 2 years since I got a carved bass with a good set-up.
I'm with you on the "default" stroke Jeff, but in most of the exercises I have (George Vance, etc.) the notes just do not last that long and these call for down-up-down-up (ad infinitum) most of the time so most of my bowing is right around the balance point probably using only the center 10 or so inches of bow hair. Some times if the notes are short enough, my arm doesn't move, just my fingers/hand and wrist. If I draw out a long note, I use more of the bow of course, and the whole arm draws after the first inch of so of hair. I find I do these kinds of things more when improvising bowed solos. When I'm improvising I'm kind of in "anything goes mode" and I just don't think about it much. When I'm reading a chart, my effort is toward a more technical approach to the strokes and releases.
My spare bow still has the white hair and it seems to give about the same sound no matter where I bow the string and is far more forgiving as far as squeaks and scratches. The more focused sound I get with the black hair is worth the extra care in technique. But I'm sure there are several variables in all of this, possibly the primary one being French vs. German hold, etc.