The Right Hand Thumb
and other bow-hold issues

( © 2001 a WPS article ) 

Firstly, by placing the your hand flat on a table, I would like to point out, exactly as Robert Gerle describes in his "Art of Bowing Practice" how the thumb, in its natural state lies on its side, and not with the nail pointing towards straight down towards the ground. Observe for yourself how this is so : place your hand on a desk at elbow height ( you may be better off sitting down - depending on the height of the table / desk ).

Yet some people hold the bow with their thumbs in the wrong position. Below : try for yourself and feel how awkward it can be to assume the following position !

Above : Because of the incorrect attitude of the thumb as it meets the bow, the fingers will appear very slanted on the bow, and in some cases the little finger may become stretched out and straight like a toothpick as it strived to touch the bow at its tip. Needless to say the bowing situation at the heel can become a disaster as the role of the little finger is robbed, due to it being thrust inertly against the stick. Below : the undesired consequences of a excessively slanted finger bow-hold with stiff 4th finger.

 

The thumb is placed on its side, it can participate freely in the direction of the bow strokes. Below : Position the thumb in between the frog and the leather grip but on the wood itself. Between the leather and frog there should be a half centimeter of clearance, just enough for the thumb to lie inside comfortably. The leather binding can be moved by a bow-maker if you find it is completely in the wrong place. The fingers opposite the thumb are likely to be well placed if the thumb is set well. The middle finger is traditionally placed opposite the thumb, though I place the thumb opposite a point in between the middle and first finger. This is in accordance with the German and Franco-Belgian bow-holds. The Older Russian school, according to Flesch, placed the thumb opposite the ring finger, which may lead to excessive pressure and tension in the hand. Most Modern Russian players I believe follow the Franco-Belgian bow-hold.

 

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Copyright © 2000 Westbury Park Strings
Last modified: February 01, 2001