Thanks for the advice, big help. I've been testing out some bows during an at home trial. A cheaper bow I really liked had a frog that was tilted and noticeable gaps on the back end towards the frog. I played around with it and finally unscrewed the button, tightened the eyelet one revolution, screwed the button back in, and voila, it was fine. No more tilt and gaps. I love it. Thanks again!
ohh how I wish that I had watched this video about a year ago. You could have saved me so much money ,,,, light bows ,, heavy bows ,,, short bows ,,, carbon fiber bows ,,, fiberglass bows ,,, I've bought them all looking for the one or two that played good ,,,,
Thanks Joy. I always find your violin videos to be technically useful. You added a few new concepts here for me to consider. I appreciate it immensely!
You probably dont care but does anyone know of a way to log back into an Instagram account? I somehow lost my account password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me.
@Kingsley Reginald Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and Im in the hacking process now. Seems to take quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
thanks for this video, it's very timely because i have been planning to upgrade my bow in the next few weeks. from a cheapo bow to something $500-700 and its been making me nervous that i'll choose poorly!
I did not know that each bow had it's own sensitive 'ricochet' point. That is good to know. I love spicatto. When I'm practicing my scales in diatonic sequences I usually go for the spicatto style of playing. I have at least ten different bows and I will do things like 1) tighten one a bit more 2) bounce it on the string in one place 3) choose a heavy bow one day 4) choose a lighter bow the next. I haven't figured out what I like best. I even have a Black Mongolian Haired bow. Everybody say's they hate them, but I love mine because it's "grabby" without having to Rosin much. When you're practicing for hours on end, especially using a spicatto style, Rosin will be coming off at a much higher rate of speed.... so.. the Black Hair is nice because I can keep playing a bit longer without stopping to Rosin-up. Sometimes I feel like I'm just imagining things. As time goes on into the second and third hours, everything starts feeling different, including the agility of my fingers. The next day it often feels like I'm starting over again... looking to get to that point where everything is dialed-in properly. Dunno....I think that in Violin playing, there is still a LOT of speculation going on in every aspect. After all, it is the most difficult and unforgiving instrument to play.... and I don't believe ANYONE really ever 'masters' the violin. There is always something new you are going to find or learn or become more adept at... as long as you practice with the right enthusiasm and motivation
Thanks for the tips. It tells me I am not ready to choose a new bow yet as i have not learnt those techniques haha. So it wont make much of a difference for me now.
Hi, could I have the brand and model of the Carbon bow you are using? I am frastrating finding a good carbon bow in the pandemic situation where I mainly search online
@@philipq6906 It is a J. Remy bow, cost about $150. I am very happy, it is well balanced and playable. I have two, one to use when the other is getting rehaired....good luck!
Very interesting information ❤I would add one more thing to test. Is it possible to play very softly with the bow with a good control. Loved your list and tips.
Hello, Joy! I’ve been playing for only a year, self-taught, and I have two questions. Firstly, I seem to have a problem with down bowing and I always bounce the bow, but never on the up bow. I’ve had friends who play who have looked at my finger positions in my grip and said that it looked alright, so I feel like the problem might be elsewhere. Does the wrist play a part in down bow bouncing? Elbow position? Secondly, how did you make the sound that you made at 8:06 in this video? That’s a sound I’m constantly accidentally making and I figured that knowing how to make that sound on purpose would help me to understand how to not make that sound accidentally anymore. Lol Thank you so much for your wonderful videos! You’ve been a tremendous help in my learning journey!
Hi Kraest, I'm so glad to hear that my videos have been helpful. Thank you for sharing :) Yes , the height of the right wrist and elbow play an important role in sound production. There could be several causes of the bouncing down bow. The common cause from many players is when we press the bow with much weight with low wrist. The sound at 8:06 was made by making the bow extremely light by raising the elbow and wrist higher than ideal. I hope this answers your questions. Happy violin playing!
Thank you Joy for this nice and very instructive video. I was told that when you chose a bow, it has to fit to your violin. Sometimes a more expensive bow does not mean that it is better for your violin. Could you give your opinion on this and how to select a bow which is best suited to your violin, in addition to the criteria you mentioned in your video? Also, I am told that the make of the frog is important, some bows have frogs which are nicely crafted and therefore much more expensive. Also, I have four average quality bows, but one is my preferred because it is lighter than the others. The other bows help me produce a more « aggressive » tone so I select them according to the type of music I would like to play. Could you comment on that? Thank you for your input.
Hi MNK, good for you that you have so many nice bows! When the bows feels heavy or light, it doesn't always mean it weighs heavier or lighter. Bow feels a certain way depending on the balance and flexibility. Each player needs different kind of bow which could help the playing easier and better. For example, if a violinist has a gentle tone, she/he would benefit from having a bow which can easily make loud sound. If a violinist is a orchestral musician, she/he would need a bow which can withstand the long hours of playing while being flexible etc. I hope this helps. happy violin playing!
What happens to the sound if the bow is not straight? Like, bend to the left or right when you look to it with one eye closed, like shown in the video?
It is harder to control the sound with a bent bow stick as it has to be constantly re-adjusted depending on the shape. I hope this answers your question. Happy music making Aurelie!
Is there a difference between violin, viola, or cello bows? Can you tell? I got a bow but it was a bit heavier and the wood was a bit thicker too (i play violin btw)
Hi Mark, the viola bow is a bit heavier than the violin bow and also the frog of the viola bow has a round shape, whereas the frog of the violin bow is shaped angular. And the cello bow is the shortest of these three bows and heaviest also. Happy music making!!
Good for you Debbie. I wish you all the best with the new bow! Here is a video about Bow Grip. I hope it would be helpful. Happy practising! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GOG3i61aNa4.html
@@JoyLeeViolin I settled on an old German bow . Moroccan goat leather grip with whale bone lapping. My hand is becoming more relaxed . I am guiding more with my middle finger and when I remember to do that it feels very strong and comfortable.
I guess violinists like to call what I call "sequences" ...'tetrachords' instead... because the pattern basically stays the same.. if you want it to. It's not necessarily "melodic" when you do this...it could be all whole notes....which is really 'off' or it could be a tetrachord where the first two notes are always half steps, string to string... a little bit different than a diatonic scale sequence. And as far as bows, I just purchased a $400 pernambuco bow. If you don't think your bow makes a difference... trust me, think again. I also upgraded my violin but I know what that bow does. Add in the right set of strings (for your violin) and you are looking at a sound you could only imagine. Definitely NOT the same in the guitar world of strings and wood, that's for damn sure.
@@fannybuster No I am not looking at side to side. I am looking at the bow the way she suggested and it IS curved, because a bow is supposed to have curve in the middle. Am I missing something?
@@fannybuster Am doing that and I am seeing a curve in the middle and NOT a straight stick, since a bow does actually have a curve. In case you are wondering; I have a very high quality bow
@@fannybuster - yeah, so am I. I'm just stating my opinion. I'm not a stalker lol.... She's cute, but I come here for the Violin firstly. It is nice to gaze upon a beautiful woman whilst learning. 🤣. I'm happily married at the end of the day, but I still have eyes..!