OK, i guess i'll start off by asking what the streicher grip looks like, how it differs in terms of mechanics from a more "traditional" grip, and if we could possibly see a picture of it? what do you think of in terms of arm weight and motion, finger pressure, etc. when using this grip? are there advantages over other grips? (i'm sure the answer to the last question is that it depends on the player...)

Hi Shwashwa...to answer all your questions....
What does the Streicher grip look like?
> The Streicher bow hold is typified by the appearance of the first knuckle of the first finger of the bow hand on top of the stick instead of the thumb. The thumb, for starters, does not play any role in direct contact with the bow. The second finger rests gently against the side of the frog while the third and fourth finger wrap on top and on the bottom of the ferrel respectively.

How does it differ in terms of mechanics from a more "traditional" grip?
>Traditional grips usually have the wrist locked with all the weight transferred directly from the elbow to the thumb on to the stick. NB: Before everyone jumps all over this sentence, please note that I am making a generalized statement about "traditional" bow grips. With the wrist unencumbered by being locked up with the thumb placed directly on the stick for weight distribution, the fingers, wrist upper and lower arm can all move freely for slow sustained passages and fast bow changes at any part of the bow. Ludwig Streicher designed the entire concept from the basics of the Gamba Bow hold. Please note that while the present day french bow, a great gift from Bottesini, went through changes, so did the German Bow only over a great many more years.

Could we possibly see a picture of it?
> Great Idea! I will work on this and will have that covered this next week.

What do you think of in terms of arm weight and motion, finger pressure, etc. when using this grip?
>The Streicher Bow method focuses on the free and relaxed team action of the fingers, wrist, elbow and full arm motion to achieve a flowing weight distribution from frog to tip and bow changes. What's more, the second and fourth fingers take the lead on more piano lyrical passages and the first and fourth fingers take the lead on louder passages.


Are there advantages over other grips?
>That depends on the player. The Streicher bow technique takes time to absorb and get used to but pays great rewards in control, sound quality, power and endurance for the perservering player. The idea of allowing more freedom for the major axis of the wrist is central to this method and time in the practice room is mandatory.

I promise to ellaborate on these concepts in the future and thanks you for your post. Please write abck with any ideas, thoughts or questions soon!

In the spirit of the brotherhood of the Bass,
David Ruby

thanks for the great post and the very detailed explanation. i'm very interested in trying this out, but i guess without seeing it in person it can get alittle confusing.(although i'm looking forward to seeing that picture) as usual, i'm sure the answer is to get a teacher who is familiar with the grip. but in the meantime i'd like to try it on my own alittle to see if it's something i'm interested in persuing. i think i've read that different frog heights can also make a difference with this grip or that the smaller frogs lend themselves better to this grip. am i remembering this correctly?

Hi Swashwa...You are absolutely correct - a smaller fog is most desirable with this technique. I will get the photo happening over the weekend along with more info on bow dimensions and measurements. Talk to you soon!
David R.

Hi Swashwa...You are absolutely correct - a smaller fog is most desirable with this technique. I will get the photo happening over the weekend along with more info on bow dimensions and measurements. Talk to you soon!
David R.

I'm mainly French bow player but I played on a Viennese style frog German bow last summer, I found it remarkably more comfortable. Just a tid bit. I really love using German bow on a 5 string bass, to me it works a lot easier than French bow.

Snakewood,

I agree with you on the preference of the small frog German Bow/Five String Double Bass combo. Of course, French Bow and German Bow techniques have their differences and similiarities and neither are the "silver bullet" and one size fits all panacea for technical challenges on the Double Bass. The smaller frog German Bow allows much more flexable finger motion combined with natural wrist movement on lower strings and as a result works great on three, not just two, lower strings.
Bassically,
David R.

good thread, looking forward to the pictures.

This bow hold sounds very interesting! I'd love to see some pictures of this from different angles. I can't seem to see it im my mind.

Mark

david, please forgive my interfering, but
why don´t look at the master himself,
this is the cover of his book (2nd pic is his hand :-)

more pics here:
http://www.ludwigstreicher-festival.org/

Thanks for the pics! They don't seem to coincide with David's description "The Streicher bow hold is typified by the appearance of the first knuckle of the first finger of the bow hand on top of the stick instead of the thumb."

Maybe my mis-interpretation.

Mark

Hi All,
I love that photo of Streicher sitting and holding the bow while describing the technique. That brought back so many memories. Too bad we can't all be in the same room with bows and instruments to discuss the issue in detail. I will write more shortly now that I have more time and hope to take the time to take some photos of the bow grip. I agree that photos of Ludwig Streicher are incredibly helpful and instructive.
In the spirit of the brotherhood of the bass,
David Ruby

David,

Could you suggest a someone in the LA area who teachers the Streicher method? I'm a strictly amateur, aging, bassist (who masquerades as a writer), with hand problems (arthritis and such) and bursitis. It sounds from this thread that perhaps working on the Streicher hold (or a modified version of it), might be worth looking into.

Thanks

Louis

Hi and thanks for writing - I don't know a lot of people in the LA area - I would heartily recomment that you contact John Clayton as he is and incredible player and teacher...try this link: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=90321098
David R

Thanks!

Louis

Peter Askim studied with Streicher, he lives in idyllwild, about 2 hours from down town L.A.

Thanks, again!

Louis