https://shl.fi/2019/02/05/lontoon-tai-wienin-filharmoninen-orkesteri-olisi-hyva-kulttuuristipendin-saanut-niilo-halminen-haaveilee-ammattiviulistin-urasta/
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No idea what the name of the hold is though......
I dont like the traditional russian armhold when it is done the elbow high but this kid played the elbow low. And are teachers usually strict with teaching the bow hold they have got? Even if the hand seems to develop to the other bowhold quite naturally?
The bow hold influences your physical technical approach to different strokes. One of the reasons that teachers normally insist pupils use an identical hold is that it's very difficult to instruct technique when your hold and the corresponding arm geometry is too different from the student's.
How many violinists do I know personally who use the Russian hold? Not many. One that comes to mind is a former CM of one of my symphony orchestras, a retired pro who once performed the Bruch with us. Another is a pro folk fiddler whom I've worked with in gigs on occasion.
I must also thank Tony Leatham for providing the original photograph. A subscription to get behind the paywall of a Finnish publication for a one-off view of one photo just wasn't on!
My own wrist starts hurting in the russian bowhold position but I have a very different hand shape than my daughter. But with kids starting very young Im sure the muscles and ligaturas develop differently as they are used differently from early on. The same goes with playing without or with the shoulder rest, the arm muscles surely develop a bit differently according to the style of playing.
Now it would be very interesting to read a study about the arm and wrist problems of professional violinists, would there really be a difference according to the bowhold type and violinhold type? Anyone ever seen any papers on this?
The Russian wrist is relaxed and fluid.
Any bow hold can be done incorrectly. A heavily pronated Russian-style hand can be a flaw in a player whose fingers are locked inflexibly on the bow.
Funny how that works.
Shoulder joint is not ment to be used continuoustly in a position where the elbow is high. So it is not about whether the hand is tense or not it is whether the persons bone and tendon structure can handle the playing position, and one knows only after one gets into trouble, sadly. And then it may be too late, one cannot go back.
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