starting with a bow

[Bassguy87564]

can people give me tips on using a bow? I have been playing bass for 6 or 7 years and mostly play bassguitar instead of upright. A job has just come up for teaching upright bass. I know how to play the cello and double bass but I taught my self how to play. I am not worried about the left hand technique but my bowing hand. I hold the bow with my thumb index and middle finger. My index finger rest on the rubber and my middle finger and thumb pinch where there is an inlay dot. Is this the proper way of holding a bow? lastly is there a wrong way of angling the bow on the strings? I just hold the bow comfortably agains the string which gives it a slight angle with the horse hair pointing towards my feet. Can any one help me with these questions. Sorry about my sentence structure and grammer its really early in the morning and i am not at my best at this time. thanks for the help.

[bassist1962]

Check these out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oayAMjVyaFk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XwzA_r9hhE

This helped me tremendously.

[jallenbass]

Get some lessons with an orchestral bassist. Do not try to teach someone about bowing until you are VERY confident about your technique. You will do them more harm than good.

Once you know how to hold the bow keep these ideas in mind:
1. Use a sticky rosin such as Carlsson or Nymans
2. Play close to the frog
3. Play closer to the fingerboard especially on the E string
4. Play quietly
5. Use the weight of the bow only - No pressure
6. Hold the bow as if it were as fragile as an egg

Once you are comfortable with this then you can work on advancing your technique.

[Norwegianwood]

Thanks.
I see this guy keeps the 1. finger (the one next to the thumb) on his bowing hand separate from the others...I´m more used to keeping it next to the second finger. Then there´s a space, and I keep third and fourth pretty close together.
Is that usual as well?

Right now I´m working on the wrist staccato thing, where I "pull" the bow with my two first fingers and thumb. Have a hard time keeping the bow in place, though....

[jfv]

Originally Posted by Norwegianwood

Thanks.
I see this guy keeps the 1. finger (the one next to the thumb) on his bowing hand separate from the others...I´m more used to keeping it next to the second finger. Then there´s a space, and I keep third and fourth pretty close together.
Is that usual as well?

Right now I´m working on the wrist staccato thing, where I "pull" the bow with my two first fingers and thumb. Have a hard time keeping the bow in place, though....

Bow technique is an extremely fine art, its not something
to fumble around with, as John just said get lessons with
an accomplished teacher.

There is a reason for the position of the index finger,
what you are 'used to' is wrong, get proper instruction
before you develop more incorrect habits

[Norwegianwood]

Well, I should rather have said "what I have learned" than "what I´m used to"
Both of the accomplished teachers I have met tought me to play that way...so there´s probably different schools out there? Or is the position I described perhaps a norwegian phenomenon?

So I really do have a teacher, but it´s always cool to hear different inputs from different guys! Even though the nature of written communication certainly put som strains on us

[Bassguy87564]

Thanks for the tips and Im not jumping striaght into this the job will start in about 6 months. I failed to mention may may years ago my sister took violin lessons and I would sit in on most of them so I took what I learned from that into how I held the bow. The video helped me with the German grip I never saw any one play like that.... But I have heard of it. Thanks for the help. Now all I have to do is lock me self in the basement with nothing but my computer and bass and practice the bow over and over again.