Breath of the Bow:

Solutions to an Efficient Cello Bow Arm

PRESENTER: DIANA WULI

H O S T O R G A N I S AT I O N : V I C T O R I A N M U S I C T E A C H E R S ’ A S S O C I AT I O N

H O S T & C O - H O S T: G E N E V I E V E N E W T O N ( C E O ) A N D LY N S P I T E R I ( V I C E P R E S I D E N T & B O A R D D I R E C T O R )
Pablo Casals
Masterclass
(1970)
UC Berkeley, CA USA
Nina de Veritch, cellist
Janet Goodman, pianist
 • Bow as the “breath” or the “voice”
• Bow holds the power to expression
• Isolate the bow arm (from the left arm/hand) to
Expression focus on intent

in the Bow ASK:

 What is your bow actually doing?
 What is the purpose?
 How does it relate to the voice?
Cello Bow Technique: Today’s Focus

Arm Weight & Bow Changes

Motion of the Cello Bow Hold
Bow String Changes

… Bow Strokes
(Spiccato etc)
 Poll Time!

Which of the following levels would you like todays cello bow presentation to primarily address?

Beginner (Preliminary - Grade 3) (AMEB or equivalent)

Intermediate (Grade 4 - 7) (AMEB or equivalent)
Advanced (Grade 8 +) (AMEB or equivalent)
Arm Weight & Motion
• Bow arm weight is one of the most common issues.
• Bow MOTION is different to bow SPEED
• Creating sound on the cello:
• Weight of arm (vertical) + Contact Point + Motion (Pull/Push) & Speed

Arm Weight:
• Weight refers to natural arm weight of right arm.
• “Pressure”  Triggers students to press.
• ”Let go & Hang”
 Arm Weight & Motion (Cont.)
Motion/Flow
• 2D Linear Approach: Pull & Push
• Natural swing motion in arm creates depth of sound – Shape of bow stick.
• Understand natural motions in the body and arm, and how it relates to the bow
strokes.
AIM: Achieve best sound using the most efficient energy output.
• “Wherever joints meet there is a tendency to disrupt the flow of tension by unequal
tensing of the next set of muscles, and forming what we may call angles.” – Starker
 Arm Weight & Motion: Common Issues
Quality of Sound
• Pressed, Choppy, Scratchy, OR fluffy. NO CORE SOUND.
• Right shoulder movement, locked forearm/wrist

Cause
• Weight is suspended, creating tension in upper body, shoulder,
wrist, fingers.
(Compensated with downward vertical pressure – choking the sound)
• Tight bow hold & wrist.
• ANGULAR approach to cello instead of CIRCULAR motion.
 Arm Weight & Motion: Solutions
Aim
• Understand the physical motions of the bow arm. DEPTH of the bow arm, not just 2D
left-right.
• No.1 Priority: Drop the Weight!
• Lead with the upper arm  Open the forearm (IMPORTANT FOR BEGINNERS)

Practical Applications
• Neutral balance of the bow – Ralph Kirshbaum.
• PLACE-DROP-PULL
• Exercise by Phyllis Young: Playing The String Game – “Two Handed Bowing”
• Stand-up and play – Focus on MOTION of body and arm.
 Bow Hold
• There is no One-Size-Fits-All bow hold.
• Issue of tension.
• Balance of the Bow:
o “The second and fourth fingers of the right hand obtain the basic balance; the
others transmit power” – Janos Starker
o The Rabbit
o The Golden Triangle
 Function of Fingers on
the Cello Bow
1st finger: weight (pronation) and push
2nd finger: Balance (‘Center of Gravity’)
3rd finger: Pull power
Pinky: Balance/pull initiation
Thumb: Counter-balance

We can go on about the bow hold variations and

functionalities until the cows come home…

Flexibility in the fingers & thumb

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
 Cello Bow Hold: Common Issues
• Straight fingers/Clawed fingers(collapsed hand)
• Pinky: Collapsed/pointing straight
• Thumb: tight, poking through, pressed inwards
• Spread fingers too wide
• Locked wrist

Cause
• Lack of flexibility in the fingers: let go!
• Not enough pronation in the forearm.
• Pinky is too tight, or too lazy.
• Thumb squeezing the bow to “hold the bow”
• Lifting and holding the bow, not relying on weight of the arm.
 Cello Bow Hold: Solutions
• Develop flexibility in fingers
• Understand natural curvature of hand and placement of hand on bow
• Find balance of the bow on the string
Practical Applications
• Beginners: Pinecone is better than pencil.
• Finger placement is crucial at the beginning (Beginner Set up for Cello)
• Placement of hands onto bow.
• Phyllis Young bow hold mini games for beginners.
• Christopher Bunting Daily Bowing Practise: draw circles, monkey up a tree.
• Elastic band for the pinky
• Bow circles with fingers
• Intermediate/advanced: retake bow circles just with fingers.
 • 3D Arm Motion

Bow • Arm motion – circular motion:

• Down bow (Anti-clock wise)
Changes • Up bow (Clock wise)
• Connect the circles –> INFINITY CIRCLE.
• Large strokes – Shoulder as fulcrum
• Smaller strokes – elbow as fulcrum (STRING CHANGES)
 Bow Changes: Common Issues
• Rigid bow changes “Robotic”
• Increase in speed “F1 cars”
• Lifting bow “gasping breath”

Cause
• Lock & Stop
• Linear Left-Right motion. No connector.
• Lifting and releasing the bow, not transferring the weight.
 Bow Changes: Solutions

• Understand the role of Ball & Socket.

• Relieve the tension of the shoulder/Ball & socket.
• All issues relate to lifting or tightening of the shoulder and upper torso.
• Internalize circular motion to change direction

Practical Application
• Neutral Pause – Change direction (ball & socket, pronate/supinate the arm)
• Focus on motion in the upper arm, forearm, and wrist. If anything is tight, the bow
change will become rigid.
• Long short short long rhythmic patterns.
 String Crossings
• Mid-point between 2 strings.
• Elbow as fulcrum: anti-clock wise, clock-wise
• Imagine double strings, separating just enough to play separate strings.

Upper arm: Where is the next point of action?

String Crossings: Common Issues
• Rigid string crossings
• Hectic movement in the upper arm

Cause
• Concept of angles between strings are wider.
• Not connecting arm motion across strings.
• Whole bow arm movement when only the elbow is required to circle to the string.
String Crossings: Solutions

• Find mid-point between 2 strings

• Work out which part of the arm moves for the string crossing.
• Continue the natural motion of arm regardless of string changes.

Practical Applications
• Feuillard No. 34
• See-saw open strings
Thank You!
Victorian Music Teachers’ Association (VMTA)
Genevieve Newton and Lyn Spiteri
Co-presenters: Lachlan Dent & Caron Chan

Contact
Website: www.dianawuli.com
Email: d.wulixr@gmail.com
References
Resources
Blum, David. Casals and the Art of Interpretation. California: University of California Press, 1980.
Bunting, Christopher. Essay on the Craft of ‘Cello Playing: Volume 1,
Prelude, Bowing, Coordination. London: Cambridge University Press,
1983.
Geminiani, Francesco. The Arts of Playing on the Violin. Facs Ed. D.
Boyden, Oxford University Press, London 1952.
Feuillard, Louis R.. 60 etudes du jeune violoncelliste. Paris: Edition
Delrieu, 1958.
Feuillard, Louis R.. Daily Exercises for Violoncello. Mainz: Schott Music,
1919.
Grodner, Murray. Concepts in String Playing: Reflections by Artist-
Teachers at the Indiana University School of Music. Bloomington: Indiana
University Press, 1979.
References (Cont.)
Jesselson, Robert. “Sequential Approach for the Intermediate Cellist”
https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/music/faculty-
staff/jesselson/a_sequential_approach_article_may2013_ast_journal_parts1and2.pdf
Mantel, Gerhard. Cello Technique: Principles and Forms of Movement.
Trans. B.H. Thiem, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995.
Yampolsky, Mark. Violoncello Technique, ed. G. Epperson. USA: Hal
Leonard, 1985.
Young, Phyllis. Playing the String Game. USA: Shar Products Company,
1978.