Paula Verdicchio Ailshie

Videos showing bow hold and left hand for beginners

Useful Internet sites for Beginners from The String Pedagogy Notebook

Click on the links below to view descriptions and sample videos of the technique described. You will need a high speed internet connection to load the videos in a reasonable amount of time. If you don’t have quicktime, download it for free.

RIGHT HAND
Bow Hold with a pencil (Quicktime video)
-Stay relaxed, natural and curved!
Pencil Bow Hold

Forming the Bow hold at the frog (Silent Quicktime video)
-Also try this technique with a vertical bow, sliding the thumb down to the frog gently.
Forming the Bow Hold

Longer, Narrated Video of forming the bowhold. (Takes a few minutes to load)
-Pay special attention to the first half, then try it yourself near a mirror.
Narrated Video of forming the Bow Hold

LEFT HAND
Strumming and Tapping Exercises
-make sure you remain “relaxed in the shape”
Strum and Tap

Three Points of Contact
-CONTACT, not 3 Points of Squeezing! Tap the thumb, and make sure it is relaxed. Tap the fingers in a vertical motion from the base joint. Gently slide the whole hand up and down the neck to ensure the index finger is not pressing against the neck.
3 Points of Contact