Has anyone tried the Bowmaster grip or Bow-Right?

December 6, 2007 at 03:50 AM · Greetings,

there are thoughtful teachers on this site in favor of bow master type devices so keep in mind this is just oen perspective.

I am adamntly opposed to them. There are many complex vatriable involved with what seems such a complex issue a s `bowing straight,` not least of which is do we actually bow straight when we play?! However if we asusme thta the ability to do so is desirable (not quite the same thing) then a number of areas may nee dot be looked at.

1) Is the violin held in such away that the strings are paralel to the ground. This actually requires the scroll to be slightly higher than the button ened of the isntrument. What often occurs these days is the unneceesary use of a shoulder rest (as oppoed to necessary!) cause the arse end of the violin to be high and the scroll to drop. Gravity thus pulls the bow towards the fingerboard all the time.

2) If the bow is still toolong then the result will be bowing around the corner.

3) if the violin is not held at an appropriate angle for the studnets build and length of arm then bowing staigth is difficult.

4) If the studnet belives that the bow moves from keft to right rather than more forward sand backwards unnatural arm movement wil occur.

5) The studnets must undertsand that body movements are a comination of curves rather than straight lines. Thus the concept of bowing away form the body in a curve one the down bow and retracing that curve on the up must be isntileled using some kind of imagery such as the side of a plate.

6) Straightness of the bow can be taught by understanding what it actually means. One possible meaning is that the hair is the same same dusatncefrom three striungs at any given moment, making the shape of two rectangles. This also implies actually looking at what you are doing. Some children find this difficult.

7) There are numerous exercise sthat help develop straight bowing. One I use constanly is to invoke the paradox of doing the opposite. So if one intentionally bows at an angle with a regualr beat allowing the bow to slide to the bridge on the down bow and the fingerboard on the up or vice versa and then the opposite the stduent can begin to understand what angled bowing does, what it feels like , and its role in violin playing.

8) Using the bow is governed overall by imagining a sound, listening to a sound produced and being curious about what is occuring and why it doe snot seem so good or great or whatever. Even with young children we should be guiding them towards awarness of the sound they are producing, developing their criticla facultiea about it and sensitizing them to how the feel of the strings through thehair and intro the fingers is organizing the way they play.By using one of these guides, attention is being taken away from where it should be going.

9) A simple exercise practiced daily with you should help if the physical factors mentioned at the beignning are not getting in the way. Rest the bow on any string at the tip. Hold the screw tightly at the other end. The studnet then adopts a normal bow hold and slides it slowly up the stick paying attention to the sensations. It isas though one is making an actual straight bow stroke although the bow does nbot move.

Keep in mind the anecdote related by the late greta Delay. Her studnets such as Perlman , Midori etc came back form cocnert tours and she had to remind them about keeping the bow straight. Its like the way ballerinas walk. Actually not a very natural process for us.

The moral being be patinet. Be guided by sound and feel. Not artifical aids.

Cheers,

Buri

December 6, 2007 at 08:44 AM · Buri:

concerning point number 1)

the 'ARSE END' of the violin???????????????????

... I will refrain from further comment.... (does it have anything to do with prunes?)

December 6, 2007 at 10:29 AM · I fully second Buri and add two argument

1°)The adjustment of such device is not easy and might ruin your violin

2°) The produced sound is rotten because the device hampers the pressure adjustment of the fingers and prevents from changinf the sounding point

December 6, 2007 at 02:07 PM · The bowmaster grip is huge. And the thumb falls in the incorrect spot for some people. It seems to me that as soon as you take it off, they're going to have to learn how to hold the bow normally all over again anyway.

December 6, 2007 at 02:52 PM · There's another post not too long ago about "gizmos" like the Bow-Right. In short, I wrote that there were some at my public school, but I did not like them, and the kids objected because they looked "weird." I tried out Bowmasters when Harry Alshin first marketed them. (his invention.) Kids tended to hold the bow very high, with most of the fingers at the level of the stick or with more than pinky on top of the stick, and very lightly. Better than a tense death-grip,probably, but not correct. My own thinking is that your 7-yr.-old needs to go slower through materials, whatever her current rate, so that there is time to work on these issues, not just the fingerings/bowings. She doesn't need to PLAY slower. Playing moderately fast and using the middle of the bow does a lot for straightening the stroke. THEN start to extend towards tip, then towards frog. Sue

December 7, 2007 at 01:41 AM · They seem like great ways to make a little extra money but I can't see the need. Patience is a virtue.

December 7, 2007 at 02:25 AM · Two of my students have used Bow-Right. For one, it worked very well. After playing with it for a while, he stopped using it, and then he always kept the bow where it belonged. His muscles had been properly trained. The second student couldn't stand seeing it while he was playing, so he gave it up.