BUILDING A BEAUTIFUL BOW ARM

by Tracy Rowell

Start With Posture

Well balanced on both feet

Bass arm’s length away

Proper height: heel of left hand is straight across from the shoulder

Standing

Bass angles back to rest on bass player

Tall posture

Balanced feet, shoulder width apart

Standing Do’s and Dont’s

What’s wrong with this? What is better about this?

Start With Posture

Tall back

On “seat bones”

On edge of chair

Feet connected to floor

Foot chart for very young students

•“Touch the Ceiling” •Bass hug/ “I love my bass”/“Birds on a wire” •Ski Jumps w both hands

•“Musical Chairs” walk in circle around chair while recording or teacher plays Twinkle, get into rest position when music stops

Activites and Games

Touch the Ceiling

“I love my bass!” Song

“I Love My Bass!”

GamesBirds on a Wire

Ski Jumps

Bow Hold

Well Balanced

Form with vertical bow

Or cradle the bow

Can tap any finger and wiggle the thumb

German Bow

Step 1: Begin with Vertical hold

Thumb & Pinkie only

Step 2:Index finger, middle

finger, and ring finger lightly rest on the frog

German Bow

Another ViewBalanced, natural hand

shape

Descriptive Words and Images

“Soft”

“Like holding a baby bird--don’t squeeze it, but don’t let it fly away

“Elastic feeling, but fingers are attached”

Avoid words like “grip”, that promote tension

ActivitiesFinger taps, wiggle thumb

Bunny Bow Holds

“Up Like a Rocket”

“Rainbows”

“Blast Off”

“Silly Soup”

Bow Game (from Virginia)

“Lightsaber” (from Nicholas & John)

1000 Bow Holds before putting bow on string

Text

1000 Bowholds Before Putting Bow on the String

Bow Games“Beard”

Bow GamesArrow Through the Head

Bow GamesAntenna?

FocusBalance

FocusBalance

EXPERIENCING MOVEMENT & SOUND

Beginning MovementsCoosh Ball

Swimming

Bow stick

Rhythms in Air

Helicopters

Rock ‘n’ Roll

Experiencing movementBass Players’ Handshake

“Plop” on string

“Don’t be afraid of snakes” (George Vance)

“Aikido Bow” (Tanya Carey)

“Bow Airplanes” (Paul Ellison)

“Feel your feet” (rock to feel balance)

Bicycle Body (Tanya)

Bow for them

More AdvancedOpen string games (slurred and separate bows)

Plop, then move bass

Plop, then rotate bass (creates slurred string crossing)

Feeling “natural” and “reverse” curves

Bow airplanes (Jumbo jets vs bouncy piper planes)

Lesson Demonstration

The “Natural” Curve

The “Reverse” Curve

Curvature of the Bridge (String crossings)

“Bow Airplanes”, early Spiccato

Putting It All TogetherBach Suite #1 Prelude: combination of slurred natural and reverse curve

Thanatos (reverse curve)

Voyage

Beethoven 5 (heavy martele)

Spiccato (grows from the “Piper planes)(Mozart 40)

Up bow and down bow staccato (Scotland’s Burning)

CREDITS Sources mentioned in this lecture:

Tanya CareyVirginia Dixon

Paul EllisonJohn Hamil

George VanceMartha Vance

Nicholas Walker

Publications With Helpful Exercises

Vade Mecum, by George Vance (bridge curvature exercises)

“Strokin’ “, by Hal Robinson (Sevcik)

Rabbath Nouvelle Technique (esp Vol 3 Bowing exercises)

Fred Zimmerman bowings book

THANK YOUQuantum Bass Center

3414 La Branch St., Houston Texas USA, 77004

quantumbasscenter@gmail.com713-909-0994