Posted on June 1, 2008 by Rebecca Valentine in Set-up/Form (Bow Arm) - Bow Hold/Bow Arm
When my students are first learning to hold the bow, or if they are losing their good bow holds later on, I often give them a photograph of my bow hold to use as a model at home in their practice. Non-musician parents find this especially helpful, as it gives them a visual aid to refer to, and does not require that they remember how a bow hold should look.
After they have more or less established their own bow holds, I bring my camera into the lesson and make a big fuss about how now they have a supermodel bow hold and are ready for their first photo shoot. Then I ask them to make their very best bow hold and I take pictures of it from every angle, while gushing about how beautiful it looks and how impressed I am with their hard work. The next week I bring them copies of their pictures and we look over them together. If any of the pictures are not quite perfect, we talk about why and discard them. I usually suggest to the parents that they proudly display the pictures at home and ooh and ahh over them often.
This works especially well for young girls, but is also good for boys, though I might choose to call it something other than a supermodel bow hold. It can also be used for any other aspect of a student’s set-up (tall backs, raised elbows, flat feet, etc.).