Comments

Buri, is that first exercise you mention the same that's in "Basics?" I like your alternate to it, I'll probably use it. The in the air part of it is a real challenge. I added your colle led whole bows awhile back, and with a change of bow hold--soon started not only pulling perfect when I'm focusing, but my sounding point steering improved--actually pretty dramatically.

I also, in patterns, mix directions. I also do random colle--in a very mixed pattern, on all parts of the bow--keeping the bow at a consistent level above the strings in a c-shape.

Greetings,
Tara. Yep,its in Basics although I don`t rrember it being called the thibaud exercise. Its is in the Flesch book.
Cheer,s
Buri How much is Basics running for these days? Albert, SheetMusicPlus.com has it for $53. Oh, Albert, I just saw your comment about sounding point steering, and god do I hear you on that. I occasionally video-record my practice and did today, and my work this next week is clear.

Buri, Fischer doesn't call it Thibaud, but which Flesch book are you talking about?

Greetings,
The Art of Violin Playing.
The classic book on the subject.
Cheers,
Buri Thank you for providing a good answer to this question. It was interesting to me that Ricci, after resisting the question, did mention ricochet. That was an exercise I had singled out for myself about a two years ago, to correct weakness in my own bow arm after having to do some nasty all-ricochet thing in orchestra. I'd incorporated it into doing Galamian scales, just doing two ricochet, then three, then four, on each note. But I felt it wasn't very general.

Your two exercises are more macro, and I think they address the idea of maintaining a level of righthand (right-arm) strength, flexibility and ergo...er...ergonomicalness?

I'm SO lefthanded. This is always where I lose it all first.

Buri,
Great blog!
Here is another bow teaser, which you probably know…
Float the bow just a few millimeters above the string and draw at a fraction of a snails — and then slower:-)
Have fun,
Drew I've done that, but why is it so good for you? Emily,
You feel every part and fraction of measurement of the movement and though the bow is continually in the air it still changes balance.

It requires steadiness and total stability of the bow hand and arm. The tilt angle should be varied allowing further observations to be made regarding the success of the bow path and keeping directly over the chosen point of contact and the flow of the drawing of the bow.

Every once in a while touch the string without sound and other times with the least amount of contact imaginable, but achieving a clarity and immediacy to the tone in up and down bows at various points.

Maintain a proportioned bow arm without the upper arm, wrist and hand, etc., getting awkward and off kilter.

Have fun—
Drew

Buri, great insights- I have used that colle exercise, and I will try it moving from the G to the E.

Drew, you gave me a new idea when I practice the son file. I know I will have fun doing in the air a few mm above the string.