How to Get the Crunch Out

When I was young I went through a ‘Captain Crunch’ phase at breakfast. It was all I ever wanted. I can still picture the TV ads touting its ability to stay crunchy in milk.

Today about the only use I can imagine for the stuff is to add it to cement as a rock aggregate substitute.

Now, I know a lot of folks don’t have a problem with getting the crunch out of their morning breakfast, but they’d sure like to get it out of their bow arm.

And that’s precisely what I’m going to help you do today.

Naturally we all want to infuse our music making with drama and supreme conviction when it’s called for. But we don’t want to create havoc like a bull in a china shop trying to do it.

He’s what I have to say.

It is possible to strike the string from a good distance above the string and achieve a very dramatic and compelling sound without crunch. But your timing must be spot on. And your bow arm mechanics solidly in place.

What happens is this. The bow is brought vertically to the string with some energy. That’s the easy part. But once it contacts the string that energy must be transferred into horizontal energy. And virtually instantaneously.

That’s where timing and bow mechanics come into play.

As I drop of propel the bow to the string I have a vision. The vision is of my right hand being thrown out from my body – I am assuming a down bow here, though I can make the same effect on an up bow.

My timing is set in motion by my breath and/or my internal count.

Now, we all walk before we swim, or is it run.

Anyway, one doesn’t just accomplish these things in one go, unless your name happens to be Nathan Milstein. Especially so if you’ve become tight by trying to use force to make up for poor timing and mechanics.

But one can unwind bad habits providing your willing to step back and draw a deep belly-breath.

Last month my Allegro Players began working on ‘Air Varie #1’ of Charles Dancla. In this fun little piece there is, in the theme, an excellent opportunity to begin acquiring the very skill I’m talking about. In the instructional DVD I explain and demonstrate how one should practice, slowly and consciously, make it happen.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. More advanced players will find the same basic concepts applied toward more difficult music in Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, Volume 3. Specifically, in Caprice #28.