Posted by Theo on May 16, 1999 at 05:32:37:
Many people have told me that the bow should NOT be straight and parallel to the bridge, but a little bit angled.
Take the down bow for example. People have told me to point the tip slightly upwards towards the fingerboard. When I do that, I notice that the more angled the bow is, the more I have to straighten my arm as I get towards the tip, and thus the less "power" I have because my hand is farther away from my body. It is a lot easier to transfer the arm weight through the finger when the elbow is bent, rather than when it is straightened.
My question is, should the bow be straight and parallel to the bridge or not? and if not, how come it is a lot harder to get a loud sound out of the cello when the bow is angled?
Thanks,
Theo