The bow hold

Holding the bow is a delicate and fragile activity. It is often described as the "Bow Grip" but in fact there is no "grip" at all - just balance, finely between the fingers and thumb.

For ease of recognition there is a heavy end of the bow where we find the FROG. The frog can slide up and down by tightening or loosening the screw operated from the end. This adjusts the tension of the HORSEHAIR. It should be slightly tensioned when playing, relaxed when not playing. Onto the horsehair we put some ROSIN which is a man made glacial substance which becomes powdery when rubbed against the horsehair and gives the bow enough grip to make a sound on the string.

The following procedures will help you to acquire a good bow hold but don't hold too tightly - it is not a bat! Think of the bow hold more like the way you hold a pencil - firmly but not tightly. For the following and until you get a feel for the way the bow is held, I recommend using a pencil. This doesn't give us the complications of holding a long stick with varying weight distribution!

1)Hold your right hand out, palm facing upwards.

2) Place the pencil along the middle line of finger joints.

3) Now bring the thumb towards the middle finger, allowing the fingers to curve slightly as needs be. Do not grip.

4) Now turn the hand over so that the upper wrist is facing up. Place the little finger lightly on top and the thumb towards the "short end". I will call the frog end (the end where the frog is found) of the bow the "short end" and the other end "the long end".

5) Lean on the index finger so that it contacts the pencil at the finger joint nearest to your hand. Your whole hand should incline slightly towards the first finger and your wrist will start to bend upwards and towards you. Always keep the wrist flexible. Allow the thumb to point towards the short end, not flat on the pencil (stick).