bouncing bow

[greitzer]

I've been playing bass for seven months now, with a rental bass and, until recently, a rental bow (I just bought a French style bow made by Erich Steiner).

I frequently have a "bouncing bow," where my bow doesn't stay steady on the strings. I don't think I'm pulling off the strings, I try pretty hard to stay on them, but every once in awhile I still have a bounce when I start a new bow stroke. My teacher isn't sure why this is happening. It happened with my rental bow and it happens with my new bow.

Would a heavier bow help reduce this, or is it just a matter of time and experience? Thanks in advance.

[EFischer1]

My best guess would be that there is a lot of tension in your right arm, wrist, and hand.

For me, learning a new grip on the bow was the best way to solve my tension problems. Its just something that you have to constantly remind yourself of while you're practicing.

Good luck

[lermgalieu]

If I keep my bow close to the strings between strokes and keep my hand/wrist/arm relaxed between strokes, I don't have this problem. Not to say that's easy. I am also new to the bow, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I have found that practice and technique is reducing problems like this for me...

[greitzer]

Thanks to both of you. I'll take your advice when practicing.

[bassmanbucko]

One problem might be that you're not giving enough pressure with your index finger. In other words, you may need to try pushing down with your index finger onto the bow while playing. At least, that's what my problem was. You can also try to balance out the bow with your pinky.I hope this helps.

[greitzer]

thanks, bassmanbucko. Since I originally posted the question, the bounce has mostly left my bow. It only happens once a while now, so practice obviously helps. But I will keep your suggestions in mind, and maybe they can help me eliminate the problem entirely.