How To Avoid Bowing Meltdowns

So what, you may ask, is a ‘bowing meltdown.’

Well, a more accurate phrase to describe what I’m going to talk about would be, ‘bowing discombobulation.’ But that was too long to fit in an email title. In any case, they boil down to the following.

Let’s say your playing a piece with a lot of fast, separate notes requiring tons of string crossings. Perhaps the Bach E Major ‘Preludio’ or Kreisler ‘Praeludium and Allegro’ comes to mind.

A ‘bowing discombobulation’ occurs when the upper arm and the forearm of your right side are working at odds to each other. Usually this happens when there is no understanding of Who is doing What, When, so to speak.

In ‘Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, Vol. 1’ I made it quite clear when you should change strings with the forearm, and when you should accomplish the feat with the upper arm.

Under NO circumstances can you be pivoting from the elbow and pivoting from the shoulder to effect a string crossing simultaneously.

The result is akin to two people trying to talk at once. Jibberish.

In other words, sometimes the forearm elevates the bow to a new string – via a pivot from the elbow – and sometimes the upper arm elevates the bow to a new string – via a pivot from the shoulder.

Now you just need to know when each is appropriate. And boy will you get that message loud and clear when ‘Bach and Kreisler for Violin Artistry’ arrives on your doorstep.

In the meantime, I hope you are having a wonderful and peaceful Holiday Season.