Posted on August 25, 2009 by Ruth Brons in - Bow Hold/Bow Arm
While there are varied bow holds amongst cellists, all seem to agree that flexibility is key.
The primary intended benefit of the CelloPhant[tm] bow accessory is to relieve the hand of beginning or remedial students of the tendency to clutch, with a relaxed hand as the goal.
Made of somewhat pliable molded silicone rubber, it is very comfortable to hold and curves the fingers to direct the finger pads to the lower part of the frog/elephant area.
Once a student\\\'s hand has learned, through muscle memory, to approach the bow in a relaxed manner, the accessory may be removed --
although there is no real harm in leaving it on longer than necessary.
www.things4strings.com, or
: , or try the following:
1. While seated at the cello, hold the bow with the CelloPhant™ accessory installed on the D string with the LEFT hand.
2. Open RIGHT hand like a parachute over the frog of the bow, and let the fingers fall gently to drape over the elephant.
3. The pad of the middle finger will rest near the elephant’s toes, with the ring finger next to it.
4. The index finger slides down the elephant’s forehead, to rest on the stick between the first two joints.
5. The pad of the pinky finger will find a place. I like just above the leg, but a larger hand’s pinky may find the stick.
6. The inside corner of the thumb, when inserted into the circle of the elephant’s trunk, will find the intersection of the frog and bow stick.
7. Now, all the fingers all positioned to be flexible!
Also, here is the short How to Install video, from
www.things4strings.com
:
I hope this helps!