Posted by Mathais wexler on May 18, 1999 at 01:12:00:
In Reply to: This might help. posted by Joe S. on May 16, 1999 at 21:09:15:
I teach cello at the Crane School of Music, where I have been on the faculty for four years. Before that I was an Artist-inResidence at the University of Virginia for ten. Trying to learn how to hold a bow over the internet is really really hard because you can't see someone demonstrating so you can imitate them. Without getting to detailed, there are certain characteristics that all goo cellist share when holding the bow. 1)They bend their fingers. Any rigid or bent "backwards" fingers where the joints lock is unnatural and therefore not good. 2) the basic bow mechanism is a pivot. Without the bow, hold you upper arm paralel to the floor and swing your fore arm back and forth. You will notice that it swings in a pendular motion and as the hand swings back and forth it changes angles. At the furthest extension it is slanted towards you and as it nears your body it slants away. THe natural pivot point is your thumb and second finger. I think there are quite a few ways that COULD work if they incorporated these two basic principles. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me at my Crane School address: wexlermk@potsdam.edu. Good Luck!!.