aaron is very wise. just keep playing the fiddle and you'll be amazed how the bow will work itself out. there is no short cut with the fiddle. eventually, that whacky bow will integrate with everything else.
keep on keeping on.....

roger w

I went to a jam Saturday and was told that 'twang' comes from not holding the bow at enough of a 90 degree angle to the strings, so, I'm going to work on keeping the bow from wandering all over the place and see it that helps.
Aaron, you need to add your e-mail address to the post.

Thanks,

JB

These are the things I work on and continue to work on:

1. A wandering bow will always produce unwanted effects. Watch in a mirror to detect what's going wrong and when. 90 degree and keep the same contact point.

2. It could be a coordination of the timing between your left hand and the bow changing to the new string.
A good exercise is to stop the bow, then rock to the new string and then start the bow again. Eventually, you leave out the pause.

3. The other culprit could be your left hand fingers lightly touching the "new string" right around the time of the string crossing. This can create a whistling effect. Correct timing of the string crossing can help this also. Your "new note" finger should already be on the desired pitch on the "new string" before you cross with the bow. It doesn't have to be on there very long before...but it does need to be stopping the string at the correct pitch before you cross to the new string. Otherwise you will get an unwanted, intermediate note.

4. Also check bow speed. Try not to speed up the bow at the time of the bow change, but let the upper arm move to the new level and the bow speed to remain constant.

I find fiddle can be very much like walking a tightrope...takes a lot of balance and it can be nerve wracking. But when it comes out right, it is very rewarding. Hope that helps.

--c

I agree with Chris completely.

If there's one thing I got out of all those years of classical training (and getting slapped on the wrist) its that the FINGER COMES FIRST! When practicing simple scales, stop between bow movements and make sure each individual finger is ready to go. As your fingers strengthen and it becomes second nature, slowly...very slowly increase your speed.

One thing I find a lot amongst most older cajun fiddle players is that they bow with one part of the arm either in a "sawing" motion or something similar to that of a carpenter with a hammer. I'm not putting this down because some of them still manage to get a great sound out of their instrument. However, with this type of bowing style there is a greater tendency to have whistling or scratchy sounds.

It's almost impossible to describe online but the bow movement mostly commonly taught by classical teachers should almost be segmented into three parts (in a sense the different parts of the bow arm utilized). On a down bow this would be first "pulling" from the shoulder to the balance point of the bow then, while still moving the bow, extending the elbow outward and then finally finishing the movement using both the elbow and the shoulder. This process would be reversed when completing an upbow stroke.

Another thing I find amongst most beginners is that they have a tendency to suffocate their instrument with their chin, shoulder, and left hand. You should never feel tense when you're playing and if you feel any pain at all, stop and figure out what is causing the discomfort. The old adage "no pain, no gain" should never be used when learning the violin.

John

Thanks to all of you for the time you took to relay the tips.
Yep, I'm guilty of sloppy bowing.
I have the mirror in the the practice room, just need to start looking in it more.
JB

I was a bit surprised and pleased as well when you brought a fiddle to our Austin jam. You seem to be coming along fine, I think. Do you have a teacher? Peter Schwarz has probably given you help and his workshops have helped everyone. Did you go to the last one?

I took up the accordion May 2007, then the mandolin May 2008. Is the fiddle next? Same tuning and fingering as the mando...then there is that darn bow.

John,
Unfortunately I have not made a single one of Peter's sessions.
Had to work one time and had a flat tire the next time.
I think he plans on doing a remedial,though, with the 'Dile, Krock-a-dile' thinggy.
Lillian G. has really improved a ton, though, don't you think? Having a couple of other fiddlers like John and Ken also gave her confidence.
We really need you to buy that guitar your were looking at and help me with the chording. My fingers are getting sore.
Don't forget the jam here in SA this Saturday before the Briggs Brown dance.
If that kid keeps practicing, he might get as good as Chris Miller.
JB

Well you are doing pretty good teaching yourself, and yes Lil has improved greatly. I didn't realize until recently that she is actually pretty new at playing herself.
I'd love to get down for the jam this Sat, but the wife has some control over that. Will try.