I just want to say that your videos are AMAZING. You are so encouraging and one of the main reasons I decided to take picking up the violin so seriously. With you I feel I can do it! - So many thanks from the United States
OMG!!! You’ve solved the problem of the century !!! My bow has been bouncing ever since I picked up the violin. Tried tightening the bow… loosening the bow… etc. etc. Nothing worked… the plane landing really works. Thanks a million. Such a big improvement. Such a mental boost… thank you agaaaaaain….
David is a brave man. I do hope he has continued with his efforts. I adore Baroque music myself, but find appreciation and playing it yourself are 2 different creatures.
You are right about appreciation and actually playing being 2 different creatures. I play electric bass as my primary instrument. I recently purchased a violin and it is as different as night and day when compared to my bass. Same number of strings, same string names, but tune way different and sound way different, and are played different. I have 2 monsters to "deal with" now. Lol.
I am an adult beginner trying to learn Violin for many years with long breaks in between. One thing I realized that one should never let long breaks occur because after a break of many months you feel like starting from the beginning. It takes a long time to come back to the point where you left. I took classes from 2 different teachers but I feel I have learned more from you tube videos like yours. In this part of the world the available teachers may be good players but are average teachers. The major setback being that you develop wrong bow grip and left hand position that take a long time to correct. I appreciate and thank you for giving learners excellent learning opportunity through your videos. It is a great help indeed.
I have just begun Violin as an adult student - thank you very much for these videos - they're a great addition to my weekly lessons. Your dedication to the craft & passing on all of your own knowledge is commendable :)
im not keen on carbon bows myself for this reason. I think for beginners they are not great because unless you can control them, they create a lot of bounce and are quite light. Its not you, its just your inexperience I would guess. I would go for a wood bow for beginners and for professionals too as wood it better for balance and playing a vast amount from the classical cannon etc.
Thank you for your in depth explanation on why my bow bounces. I blamed it on my cheap brazilwood lightweight bow. It seems to be all about control with balance. I use to jam with Bluegrass fiddlers, and they all had the pancake hand held flat up against the neck. I see now that was not the best position, but, they never played out of first and second position.
I can't thank you enough for these videos of yours. You really are putting your finger right on to the little faults and technical weaknesses I have in my playing. You are so encouraging! I come away every time eager to start practising and correcting what I'm doing.
You are such an angel! By sharing gift of music to the world for free. From where I came from, violin mentors teaches open string play for four months and it took me almost a year to play a song. The fees are so expensive and they didn't even share tips nor techniques for us to learn further. Everything you have discussed are very essential. Big thanks to you. Im still a solo beginner but I hope I can do better soon.
"It's bouncing because he's making it bounce!" I love that -- and it's true. And I love this gal's videos, full of great info on the greatest instrument ever made.
Just merely reiterating what ViolinLife said. Thank you sooooo much for your time, wonderful instructions and help. You're a wonderful person and excellent teacher! God Bless you Lass !!
I've been playing for 10 months. I recently developed a bouncing problem. It's always in the mid section of the bow. I've checked bow angle, I've adjusted pressure, I've experimented with various tension on the bow hairs. My instructor says I just need to relax. I almost snapped by bow last night in frustration. I've decided the problem is not me, it's the violin. It's clearly an instrumented forged in the bowels of the underworld and unleashed upon humanity as punishment.
You are amazing! Thank you so much for these videos...I've really learned a lot! I still screech, bounce and can't quite get my finger on the first note without feeling around, but it's coming along, and I can now do "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" fairly ok. Thanks again for taking the time and sharing your talents!
Thank you so much from Canada, Alison. I have the same problem as David. I`m a beginner adult with a CVN 600. The D,A, and E strings sound really sweet, however the G string sounds sour and the bow tends to bounce (on G string only) even though the tuner says it`s spot on. I might add, it even feels "sloppy". I can see from all the responses, you`ve achieved world wide recognition, congratulations, keep up the good work, and many thanks again.
I appreciate very much that you provides a platform even me as a working mom. I can learn violin after working outside and taking care of kid at home. Thx really !
The bouncing problem happens to me when I "switch" string, let's say from E string to D string.... Also it likely to happen when switching one or two strings apart....
This is honestly really useful! I was literally just struggling with the same problem a while ago and this really helped me out! I tried loosening my bow a little and not just letting it fall on the violin strings and my bounce got lesser and eventually more or less disappeared. I still need to work on it though but thank you so much! 💕
Ok long time guitar ans mandolin player and decided why not pick up the violin but the frustration of squeaking and scratching was awful so I watched your video and said ok oh old the neck correctly and do nothing but working on clean bow technique with absolutely no fretting ans just one evening of that has made a world of difference and like you said focus on the bow angle!!! Thank you!
it sounds like its the way you are placing the bow on the strings if its only happening on one string. Try not to lift the bow off at all because when you lift the bow and put it back down onto the strings again, thats when bouncing occurs.
Best Help for bouncing. His video on bouncing may seem deliberate plz neglect that coz the bouncing is a huge problem naturally occurring for many including me. And you gave perfect answer. We can relate on how we drive a bike on speedbreaker and if we speed up suddenly we dont get a bump. I will try tomorrow. I wish you start writing down the answers of all petty questions in one FAQ entry on blog, give the link on description. That will save all repeated question and will be greatly helpful.
I haven't played in 43 years. I was terrible back then and I'm determined to be better now. I love the videos! They've helped me so much. I am better then I was but have a long long way to go. I practice about 2 hours a day. I have some arthritis in my right thumb which is making it a bit difficult to bow smoothly.
send them here: alison@amsmusictuition.co.uk i need the raw file so i can edit it in myself - not an already edited and rendered file really (i cant use a video already uploaded to youtube for example).
I've noticed while i was playing some songs that I had learned in my high school orchestra that when I do vibrato seems to be when my bow bounces the most, do you think there is a "remedy" to this? I believe it's because I end up moving the violin as I vibrato.
nice...you solved a problem....left hand position...playing the index finger was easy but other fingers became harder and harder...plus ...in one of your other videos....you made it clear..the higher up the neck....the harder a player must work...good advice....wonderful training series
+Adrianna Loomis hi, I had the same problem (you've probably solved it already) but with me it was because my stroke was at an angle with the strings. so exactly that problem the lady in the video explained at the beginning.
The bow is designed in a way that makes it bounce (specifically in the middle part), so it's normal. There are videos that show in which you can alleviate (not completely eliminate) the bouncing at the middle
Yeah me too, this has just recently happened. Whenever I’m in the middle of the bow and playing it starts bouncing a bit and sounds as if I’m doing vibrato on an open string. This gets annoying though as I’m first seat and it makes me feel like people are thinking I’m nervous even though it’s just the bow. Is there really nothing I can do? I can’t stand when the bow is bouncing in the middle of a stroke
This video is super old now - I have a much better video demonstrating bow bounce now. It’s part of my Subscriber Sunday videos. It was released recently.
Replacing the crappy wood bow that came with my beginner viola outfit with a decent carbon fiber bow made a huge difference in bouncing. Decent carbon fiber bows are available for under $100; I urge all beginners to get a decent bow. Your advice about starting the bow movement before touching the string was a revelation. I had been getting bounce only on he first note of a piece. Counterintuitively, the bow bounces more when the bow hold is tighter..
Thank you for sharing that with us. I was having the same problem no mater what I tried. When I bought a new violin from Kennedy Violins they sent a new bow with it. Problem solved! It was my cheap bow. The Giuliani Brazilwood Bow was just amazing. It felt totally different and easier to use esp. for string crossing.
Yes. you can. As long as it can help everyone else. I can help you with your basic technique etc etc. Send me a video and i will say whether or not i can help you. :)
I AM SO THANKFUL FOR YOUR VIDEOS. I'm having an issue with bow bouncing on bow changes on my down bows. and for the life of me cannot figure out why and how to stop it. I started letting the wrist just flow, but Im still bouncing. I've tried less pressure and more pressure and nothing is helping.
Hi Alison, I like to say your videos are grate as I am just started to play the violin, I like to know is when I have the bridge up do I have to take it down when I put it back in the case?.
Hi Alison, I have just started lessons,I have only been learning now for two months,and up til now you have been my main support/online teacher. I have learned a great amount from your lessons, now would like to say a big thank you. THANKYOU, I have played all styles of guitar for over 30yrs,have taught also,but now have fallen in love with violin. Thanks to you,I have had a great start. Will be watching to learn more in the future, you have the best lesson. Bye.
Wow! Thank you so much for making this video. 🙏 I learned so much techniques from this particular video. I’ll been watching so many of yours too. You are Amazing!
would the bounce also be a confidence thing?, I noticed I had some bounce in my first week of practicing on the open string exercises...but have finally reached the end of the 6 and i`m working on exercise 6 which seems to have eliminated the bounce, going slower bit more firmness and just as u say thinking about your angles etc :) really enjoying these exercises .. next on with the first finger exercises.. :)
Hi, i don't speak inglish but i understan some words. Like You channel, ando Your way to teach. Ando so pretty too. Thanks you so mucho. I'm from Venezuela and I'm stard to play violín. I've got some trouble. The diuring note and the bow. Ford example. Sometimes we makes black note, using full bow. But I notice that makes they same black note using a shorts parte to the bow. Sorry My terrible inglish. Si many thanks.
Hola, ¿Puedes explicarme de nuevo? Sé que el inglés no es su primer idioma, pero me gustaría ayudarlo. Si lo escribes en español, puedo traducirlo. Eso podría ayudarnos :)
@@TheOnlineViolinTutor sí, claro, porsupuesto. Muy amable de su parte. Le decía, que me cuesta un poco, con la duración de las notas y las arcadas. Por ejemplo, he visto algunos vídeos donde se utiliza un arco completo, de talón a punta para representar una negra, un tiempo. Y también noto, que con menos arco se se hace la misma nota, con la misma duración. No sé si me di a enter y que me recomendaría.. Mil grácias. Dios la bendiga por su trabajo de enseñar.
Ok, solo usa la cantidad de arco necesaria para la duración de la nota. Ejemplo: si la nota tiene 4 tiempos de duración, utilizará todo el arco, pero si la nota tiene 1/2 tiempo de duración, utilizará un arco corto. Si eres un principiante que empieza, no pienses demasiado en esta parte todavía. Además, cuando seas más avanzado, puedes manipular un poco el arco... puedes tocar notas más cortas con mucho arco. Esto le dará al sonido mucha más energía, por ejemplo, especialmente si está tocando algo bastante grande y audaz, por ejemplo.
@@TheOnlineViolinTutor Muchísimas gracias, de verdad. Un ejemplo a seguir, en lo profesional así como en lo personal, al dar respuestas y dedicar parte de su tiempo para esto. Dios la bendice grandemente. 👌
I have this same problem. Not as exaggerated as in his second clip, but even just doing the open notes I'm having problems with bow bouncing. Only had a violin for 2 days now. Maybe I just need to keep trying until my muscle memory gets better control of the bow? I dunno how I could be making it bounce intentionally, feels like I'm trying to do the opposite actually.
very good! i have been trying to learn a little fiddle, and watched quite a few violin lessons here, can seem very complicated. in short........ I love you!!
you are the best teacher alison.i am learning alot here in india just by watching your videos it really helped me in playing violin.thank you so much alison.
By looking at the video, you can tell he was probably provoking the bouncing; however I sometimes get the bounce without ever loosing contact with the strings. It usually happens on my downward bowing. I'm currently making a video in response to Alison's initiative with 4 cameras/viewing angles. Hopefully that helps! Good work by the way Alison!
I have just started watching your videos and they are quite useful. But I would like to point out that, as im sure you are aware, there are many ways the bow can bounce. Though this video seemed to be tailored for davids specific problem, it seemed he was making it bounce on purpose to demonstrate his point. The bow can bounce by dropping it of course as you pointed out. The bow can also bounce if you are changing directions at the center of gravity (or balance point), and it can also bounce if you are not directly perpendicular to the string while changing directions, or if your pinky finger is too straight and "stealing" the weight that should be spread evenly through your hand. The bow can also be bouncing if it is tightened too much, or not enough. Or it can simply be because your movements are not fluid enough and centered between the bridge and the fret board. I got all of these answers from Red Desert Violin on youtube. She goes into a lot of detail specifically about bow bouncing. Just thought I would throw these possibilities out there for people who are just starting out and their bow is bouncing for possibly a different reason that David.
I'm glad you mentioned that David's strings were out of tune, particularly the G string. It's critical that they be in tune. I have a piano that's pretty much in tune, but I've never had a good ear for it. So, I got an app for the iPhone that will help you. I found that if the string is properly tightened, it will be pretty close. Then you can use the finetuners to get it perfect. I use a free app called "Tuner Light." All you have to do is pluck the string and it will tell you where you are. I was also having the trouble with the bouncing bow. Thanks.
As to bow bounce, I figured out that part of it was having too much resin. I was getting a powdery fallout all over the place, and watched your video on how to resin the bow, and learned why. Cleaning that up a bit helped a lot with bow bounce.
you may have your bow too tight, or more likely you are letting it bounce by not keeping your bowing consistent. Im convinced it should go away soon - it usually does when students complain of bow bouncing.
The "plane landing" analogy is a good one, but there is still the possibility to bounce, even if you are moving the bow before the contact. There must be an overall movement component *towards* the string (as well as the down/up bow movement before contact to make the sound) which has to stop as you actually touch the string. It's the instant that the plane wheels touch the ground. So, there *must* be some very subtle cushioning going on at the instant you hit the string - like the shock absorbers and tyres of the plane, right? This subtle cushioning must be in the fingers somehow? I'm getting better at it, but it still happens a little sometimes.
I've just been trying it some more, and thinking some more... I think it's the path of the bow. If you're coming out of the air onto the string, the movement of the bow as you hit the string has to be pretty much exactly in the direction you want the movement to be, i.e. at the moment of contact you're absolutely minimising the movement component 'towards the string' that I mention before, so you're only left with the movement in the direction of the bow hair across the string.
A little bit harder when it comes to trying circle upping bows without bouncing (12:26) :P Also another reason for bouncy bow is tension in the left hand as well when pressing down the strings, it causes the violin sometimes to shake a very little bit and then while the string is vibrating from getting bowed, it just adds up and it starts to bounce mid-bow. (personal experience) Thanks for the videos you are a really nice teacher.
Thank you Alison! : A few days after I sent the videos I checked my strings and they all fell out at least one note! Haha. Thank you again, I think a new bow is int order. :-)
Hi ms alison... well... i used to have the same issue... and i say used because i guess... i've improved my bowing...(ty)... but i still wondering... maybe this problem is because excesive rosin... i used to rosing my bow EVERYDAY... after i saw your tutorial "how to rosing the bow"... (once every two weeks????)... i do that... and the bouncing issue have reduced pretty much! (sorry for my english)
Thank you miss! This video really helps solve the mystery! I am also wondering that if upbow landing is the same as downbow as I am having more problem with the former. Thank you!
Well funny you should say that = i have literally done a video on this, so now i have read this, I will release it at the weekend. If you can wait till then, there you may find some things useful....
your videos are really helpful .my bow bounces when I'm doing an up bow, mostly when my 3rd finger and 1st finger are in two consecutive strings like g on d string and b on a string and notes are slurred.
Hi I have only had my violin for a couple of days and I just wanted to thank you for this video as I was doing some of the same things as I was trying to bow with just the open strings. I now have some things to work on to improve my bowing technique before I progress any further
Good morning Alison. I picked up the violin again after 17 years. I quit in middle school and always regretted it. My elementary school teacher was teaching me again, but I also watched all of your videos for help when I ran into trouble. Since then I have purchased a Stratton electric violin and would love to show you my progress. How do I send you my video?
hey miss.. my violen is also having chain problem in strings like David in violen .. it does not produce fine or clean sound .. So Hiw to fix or set violen string chain ?? xD
Thank you! I was also wondering if you have anything about transitioning strings and not accidentally playing double strings at once. Also could humidity be some kind of factor to your violin. It's summer and sadly do not have air conditioning, but do not wish to harm my violin. Thank you.
i am getting random squeaks and it is hard to get the sound right when crossing strings. i sound pretty ok when i play my friend's violin. also my a and e strings soung really bad (they sound different from the other strings and almost sound out of tune when i play but they are not.they sound kind of loud too) i am looking into a new violin but am still broke. is there any way to make a student violin sound "good?"
Great videos, thanks. I have noticed that most professional violins only have a fine tuner on the E string but not on the others. My practice violin came with tuners on all four strings. So why doesn't the professional violins have fine tuners on all of the strings?
I was suffering from an extreme amount of bow bouncing. I finally figured out that my problem was 3 things. #1 cheap bow that came with chinese violin, just awful. That being said #2 was the bow being too tight. Even though I loosened the bow I was still getting some bounce. And that leads to #3 that ultimately solved my problem. My thumb was not bent while holding the bow. Yes that tiny bit of technique in just my thumb solved it. I hope that helps others out there.
I don't usually bow bounce when I start or end but rather during my playing of a particular exercise or song. Do I just need to gain more strength in the arm and hand to help it be more smooth, and watch the pressure throughout? Thanks! If I can, I'll try to post a video.
To me playing the violin means caressing her. It's a very sensitive instrument and if you just bounce a little bit she will complain with not nice sounds. He needs to become a good lover and she will sing for him beautifully. Otherwise she will cry. Tho I have to admit, I dumped my cheap bow and made my own baroque bow. It's so extremely lightweight, that tenderness is easy. I had to find out the best way to hold it and I changed my mind several times.
The way I learned to make music is like this: Coax the sound out of your instrument, not hammer it out. If you don't, your music will sound strained and will hurt your playing in the long run. I am a bassist and have made that mistake and it took years to untrain myself and learn to play properly. I see my instrument as a lady and play her accordingly.
Im self teaching right now with a book and your pages and videos. Im just 3 weeks in. Im wondering how do you know when to put all fingers down to play a note or just one. For instance to play g on the A string Ive seen some ppl put all 3 fingers down and some just the ring finger. Your videos are very good and helpful thanks.
Doesnt really matter as only the 3rd question (in this scenaroi) will be heard. Depends on what im playing next as to whether I put down all 3 or not. To be honest, I wouldnt worry about it - this is something you will just do naturally without thinking.
Video is 8 years old but here I am in the year 2021 still finding it very very very accurate and helpful for my violin journey. Mabuhay!
Same
You're studying a centuries old instrument. I would hope that advice holds for eight years. Anything valid off the net should still apply.
I just want to say that your videos are AMAZING. You are so encouraging and one of the main reasons I decided to take picking up the violin so seriously. With you I feel I can do it! - So many thanks from the United States
You are very welcome :)
I agree whole heartedly! These videos have helped me so much and I can't thank Alison enough!
@@TheOnlineViolinTutor hi, I'm Brett Barbeau. I have recently aquired a collection of violins and I would like to find out more about them
OMG!!! You’ve solved the problem of the century !!! My bow has been bouncing ever since I picked up the violin. Tried tightening the bow… loosening the bow… etc. etc. Nothing worked… the plane landing really works. Thanks a million. Such a big improvement. Such a mental boost… thank you agaaaaaain….
David is a brave man. I do hope he has continued with his efforts.
I adore Baroque music myself, but find appreciation and playing it yourself are 2 different creatures.
Nah, he's now a club DJ in Mississippi.
You are right about appreciation and actually playing being 2 different creatures.
I play electric bass as my primary instrument. I recently purchased a violin and it is as different as night and day when compared to my bass. Same number of strings, same string names, but tune way different and sound way different, and are played different. I have 2 monsters to "deal with" now. Lol.
Playing the violin makes the piano seem easy.
As a pianist of 15yrs picking up the violin. Yes
Thank you, David, from Shropshire, I have 'bow bounce' problems too.
I have it when I have to downbows next to each other
Mine is bowing up
I am an adult beginner trying to learn Violin for many years with long breaks in between. One thing I realized that one should never let long breaks occur because after a break of many months you feel like starting from the beginning. It takes a long time to come back to the point where you left. I took classes from 2 different teachers but I feel I have learned more from you tube videos like yours. In this part of the world the available teachers may be good players but are average teachers. The major setback being that you develop wrong bow grip and left hand position that take a long time to correct. I appreciate and thank you for giving learners excellent learning opportunity through your videos. It is a great help indeed.
I have just begun Violin as an adult student - thank you very much for these videos - they're a great addition to my weekly lessons. Your dedication to the craft & passing on all of your own knowledge is commendable :)
Paris Mignone so how is your playing now ?
Paris Mignone please update us! :)
im not keen on carbon bows myself for this reason. I think for beginners they are not great because unless you can control them, they create a lot of bounce and are quite light. Its not you, its just your inexperience I would guess. I would go for a wood bow for beginners and for professionals too as wood it better for balance and playing a vast amount from the classical cannon etc.
Thank you for your in depth explanation on why my bow bounces. I blamed it on my cheap brazilwood lightweight bow. It seems to be all about control with balance. I use to jam with Bluegrass fiddlers, and they all had the pancake hand held flat up against the neck. I see now that was not the best position, but, they never played out of first and second position.
just the thing i was looking for! bouncing bow problem! keep searching and answers will be found! thank you so much for all that material!!!
I can't thank you enough for these videos of yours. You really are putting your finger right on to the little faults and technical weaknesses I have in my playing. You are so encouraging! I come away every time eager to start practising and correcting what I'm doing.
You are such an angel! By sharing gift of music to the world for free. From where I came from, violin mentors teaches open string play for four months and it took me almost a year to play a song. The fees are so expensive and they didn't even share tips nor techniques for us to learn further. Everything you have discussed are very essential. Big thanks to you. Im still a solo beginner but I hope I can do better soon.
It's been 7 years. I wonder how David is doing!
Came to the comment section to see if anyone else was wondering that.
Ikrrr
This very helpful! Thank you so much even that this video is really old it’s useful 😊❤
Started with violin this year, your channel is going to be incredibly useful. This video helped a lot with my bouncing problem.
"It's bouncing because he's making it bounce!" I love that -- and it's true. And I love this gal's videos, full of great info on the greatest instrument ever made.
Just merely reiterating what ViolinLife said. Thank you sooooo much for your time, wonderful instructions and help. You're a wonderful person and excellent teacher! God Bless you Lass !!
I've been playing for 10 months. I recently developed a bouncing problem. It's always in the mid section of the bow. I've checked bow angle, I've adjusted pressure, I've experimented with various tension on the bow hairs. My instructor says I just need to relax. I almost snapped by bow last night in frustration. I've decided the problem is not me, it's the violin. It's clearly an instrumented forged in the bowels of the underworld and unleashed upon humanity as punishment.
Did you ever fix your bow bouncing problem?
@@sallyfox3939 I’m wondering too
You are amazing! Thank you so much for these videos...I've really learned a lot! I still screech, bounce and can't quite get my finger on the first note without feeling around, but it's coming along, and I can now do "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" fairly ok. Thanks again for taking the time and sharing your talents!
Thank you so much from Canada, Alison. I have the same problem as David. I`m a beginner adult with a CVN 600. The D,A, and E strings sound really sweet, however the G string sounds sour and the bow tends to bounce (on G string only) even though the tuner says it`s spot on. I might add, it even feels "sloppy". I can see from all the responses, you`ve achieved world wide recognition, congratulations, keep up the good work, and many thanks again.
This is so nice to have my own tutor at my finger tips, I'm starting on the open string exercise, and this video solved some of my problems.
I appreciate very much that you provides a platform even me as a working mom. I can learn violin after working outside and taking care of kid at home. Thx really !
The bouncing problem happens to me when I "switch" string, let's say from E string to D string.... Also it likely to happen when switching one or two strings apart....
You covered almost every problem i experience so far in learning violin. Thank youu
This is honestly really useful! I was literally just struggling with the same problem a while ago and this really helped me out! I tried loosening my bow a little and not just letting it fall on the violin strings and my bounce got lesser and eventually more or less disappeared. I still need to work on it though but thank you so much! 💕
Mam , How could i ever thank you Enough ??? I'm indebted . You are our GURU .
Ok long time guitar ans mandolin player and decided why not pick up the violin but the frustration of squeaking and scratching was awful so I watched your video and said ok oh old the neck correctly and do nothing but working on clean bow technique with absolutely no fretting ans just one evening of that has made a world of difference and like you said focus on the bow angle!!! Thank you!
it sounds like its the way you are placing the bow on the strings if its only happening on one string. Try not to lift the bow off at all because when you lift the bow and put it back down onto the strings again, thats when bouncing occurs.
Best Help for bouncing. His video on bouncing may seem deliberate plz neglect that coz the bouncing is a huge problem naturally occurring for many including me. And you gave perfect answer. We can relate on how we drive a bike on speedbreaker and if we speed up suddenly we dont get a bump. I will try tomorrow. I wish you start writing down the answers of all petty questions in one FAQ entry on blog, give the link on description. That will save all repeated question and will be greatly helpful.
I haven't played in 43 years. I was terrible back then and I'm determined to be better now. I love the videos! They've helped me so much. I am better then I was but have a long long way to go. I practice about 2 hours a day. I have some arthritis in my right thumb which is making it a bit difficult to bow smoothly.
send them here: alison@amsmusictuition.co.uk i need the raw file so i can edit it in myself - not an already edited and rendered file really (i cant use a video already uploaded to youtube for example).
I love the way you describe how too play the violin thank you for your training
I'm an adult beginner too and I've been following all of Allison's videos ever since! 😊 💜
This new video is very helpful!
Thank you so much for ALL your good videos. Very helpful for me as a new beginner who is self taught.
I've noticed while i was playing some songs that I had learned in my high school orchestra that when I do vibrato seems to be when my bow bounces the most, do you think there is a "remedy" to this? I believe it's because I end up moving the violin as I vibrato.
nice...you solved a problem....left hand position...playing the index finger was easy but other fingers became harder and harder...plus ...in one of your other videos....you made it clear..the higher up the neck....the harder a player must work...good advice....wonderful training series
my bow bounces in the middle of the stroke. is this caused by the same thing?
+Adrianna Loomis hi, I had the same problem (you've probably solved it already) but with me it was because my stroke was at an angle with the strings. so exactly that problem the lady in the video explained at the beginning.
The bow is designed in a way that makes it bounce (specifically in the middle part), so it's normal. There are videos that show in which you can alleviate (not completely eliminate) the bouncing at the middle
Yeah me too, this has just recently happened. Whenever I’m in the middle of the bow and playing it starts bouncing a bit and sounds as if I’m doing vibrato on an open string. This gets annoying though as I’m first seat and it makes me feel like people are thinking I’m nervous even though it’s just the bow. Is there really nothing I can do? I can’t stand when the bow is bouncing in the middle of a stroke
Vibrato 💯
Loving your videos Allison. The bow bounce is getting me to!
This video is super old now - I have a much better video demonstrating bow bounce now.
It’s part of my Subscriber Sunday videos.
It was released recently.
@@TheOnlineViolinTutor They are all new to me! Wonderful, I'll look it up. Thank you Allison!
Can you do a video on relaxing hand while bow hold
Replacing the crappy wood bow that came with my beginner viola outfit with a decent carbon fiber bow made a huge difference in bouncing. Decent carbon fiber bows are available for under $100; I urge all beginners to get a decent bow.
Your advice about starting the bow movement before touching the string was a revelation. I had been getting bounce only on he first note of a piece.
Counterintuitively, the bow bounces more when the bow hold is tighter..
thats EXACTLY what these videos are for so it great it really helped you!
Thank you for sharing that with us. I was having the same problem no mater what I tried. When I bought a new violin from Kennedy Violins they sent a new bow with it. Problem solved! It was my cheap bow. The Giuliani Brazilwood Bow was just amazing. It felt totally different and easier to use esp. for string crossing.
Yes. you can. As long as it can help everyone else. I can help you with your basic technique etc etc. Send me a video and i will say whether or not i can help you. :)
how can I send my practice video please tell me , I'm from India and beginners last 25 days please help me 💐
I AM SO THANKFUL FOR YOUR VIDEOS. I'm having an issue with bow bouncing on bow changes on my down bows. and for the life of me cannot figure out why and how to stop it. I started letting the wrist just flow, but Im still bouncing. I've tried less pressure and more pressure and nothing is helping.
did you ever find a solution?
you improved in between using the old bouncing bow and the new one! Evidence of you getting better!
Hi Alison, I like to say your videos are grate as I am just started to play the violin, I like to know is when I have the bridge up do I have to take it down when I put it back in the case?.
You should never touch the bridge.
Me too! It's a good feeling to know that I'm not alone.
Have been having the same issues. Will try these techniques and hopefully solve my bouncing bow problem. Thank you!
fixed my bouncing almost instantly!
Thank you so much for your help. I've head problems with the bouncing and I took your advice and now I have no problem at all anymore! ^^
Hi Alison, I have just started lessons,I have only been learning now for two months,and up til now you have been my main support/online teacher. I have learned a great amount from your lessons, now would like to say a big thank you. THANKYOU, I have played all styles of guitar for over 30yrs,have taught also,but now have fallen in love with violin. Thanks to you,I have had a great start. Will be watching to learn more in the future, you have the best lesson. Bye.
you are welcome :)
Wow! Thank you so much for making this video. 🙏 I learned so much techniques from this particular video. I’ll been watching so many of yours too. You are Amazing!
I would think any - I will soon tell you if my editing program wont take it. As long as its something common i guess
Thank you for this
alison alot of people really love your vids you can change someones life doing this thank u :)
would the bounce also be a confidence thing?,
I noticed I had some bounce in my first week of practicing on the open string exercises...but have finally reached the end of the 6 and i`m working on exercise 6 which seems to have eliminated the bounce, going slower bit more firmness and just as u say thinking about your angles etc :) really enjoying these exercises .. next on with the first finger exercises.. :)
mine does
Hi, i don't speak inglish but i understan some words. Like You channel, ando Your way to teach. Ando so pretty too. Thanks you so mucho. I'm from Venezuela and I'm stard to play violín. I've got some trouble. The diuring note and the bow. Ford example. Sometimes we makes black note, using full bow. But I notice that makes they same black note using a shorts parte to the bow. Sorry My terrible inglish. Si many thanks.
Hola,
¿Puedes explicarme de nuevo? Sé que el inglés no es su primer idioma, pero me gustaría ayudarlo.
Si lo escribes en español, puedo traducirlo. Eso podría ayudarnos :)
@@TheOnlineViolinTutor sí, claro, porsupuesto. Muy amable de su parte. Le decía, que me cuesta un poco, con la duración de las notas y las arcadas. Por ejemplo, he visto algunos vídeos donde se utiliza un arco completo, de talón a punta para representar una negra, un tiempo. Y también noto, que con menos arco se se hace la misma nota, con la misma duración. No sé si me di a enter y que me recomendaría.. Mil grácias. Dios la bendiga por su trabajo de enseñar.
Ok, solo usa la cantidad de arco necesaria para la duración de la nota.
Ejemplo: si la nota tiene 4 tiempos de duración, utilizará todo el arco, pero si la nota tiene 1/2 tiempo de duración, utilizará un arco corto.
Si eres un principiante que empieza, no pienses demasiado en esta parte todavía.
Además, cuando seas más avanzado, puedes manipular un poco el arco... puedes tocar notas más cortas con mucho arco. Esto le dará al sonido mucha más energía, por ejemplo, especialmente si está tocando algo bastante grande y audaz, por ejemplo.
@@TheOnlineViolinTutor
Muchísimas gracias, de verdad. Un ejemplo a seguir, en lo profesional así como en lo personal, al dar respuestas y dedicar parte de su tiempo para esto. Dios la bendice grandemente. 👌
This is perfect! Super helpful. Thank you for uploading!
yes, you have to try to keep the bow straight - try looking a in the mirror as you try to play?
I have this same problem. Not as exaggerated as in his second clip, but even just doing the open notes I'm having problems with bow bouncing. Only had a violin for 2 days now. Maybe I just need to keep trying until my muscle memory gets better control of the bow? I dunno how I could be making it bounce intentionally, feels like I'm trying to do the opposite actually.
very good! i have been trying to learn a little fiddle, and watched quite a few violin lessons here, can seem very complicated. in short........ I love you!!
you are the best teacher alison.i am learning alot here in india just by watching your videos it really helped me in playing violin.thank you so much alison.
By looking at the video, you can tell he was probably provoking the bouncing; however I sometimes get the bounce without ever loosing contact with the strings. It usually happens on my downward bowing. I'm currently making a video in response to Alison's initiative with 4 cameras/viewing angles. Hopefully that helps! Good work by the way Alison!
it should go away with practice.
Thanks! I'll put into practice the circular motion of the bow arm and landing the bow on the strings like how an airplane lands.
I have just started watching your videos and they are quite useful. But I would like to point out that, as im sure you are aware, there are many ways the bow can bounce. Though this video seemed to be tailored for davids specific problem, it seemed he was making it bounce on purpose to demonstrate his point. The bow can bounce by dropping it of course as you pointed out. The bow can also bounce if you are changing directions at the center of gravity (or balance point), and it can also bounce if you are not directly perpendicular to the string while changing directions, or if your pinky finger is too straight and "stealing" the weight that should be spread evenly through your hand. The bow can also be bouncing if it is tightened too much, or not enough. Or it can simply be because your movements are not fluid enough and centered between the bridge and the fret board. I got all of these answers from Red Desert Violin on youtube. She goes into a lot of detail specifically about bow bouncing. Just thought I would throw these possibilities out there for people who are just starting out and their bow is bouncing for possibly a different reason that David.
I'm glad you mentioned that David's strings were out of tune, particularly the G string.
It's critical that they be in tune. I have a piano that's pretty much in tune, but I've never had a good ear for it. So, I got an app for the iPhone that will help you. I found that if the string is properly tightened, it will be pretty close. Then you can use the finetuners to get it perfect. I use a free app called "Tuner Light." All you have to do is pluck the string and it will tell you where you are.
I was also having the trouble with the bouncing bow. Thanks.
As to bow bounce, I figured out that part of it was having too much resin. I was getting a powdery fallout all over the place, and watched your video on how to resin the bow, and learned why. Cleaning that up a bit helped a lot with bow bounce.
you may have your bow too tight, or more likely you are letting it bounce by not keeping your bowing consistent. Im convinced it should go away soon - it usually does when students complain of bow bouncing.
The "plane landing" analogy is a good one, but there is still the possibility to bounce, even if you are moving the bow before the contact. There must be an overall movement component *towards* the string (as well as the down/up bow movement before contact to make the sound) which has to stop as you actually touch the string. It's the instant that the plane wheels touch the ground. So, there *must* be some very subtle cushioning going on at the instant you hit the string - like the shock absorbers and tyres of the plane, right?
This subtle cushioning must be in the fingers somehow? I'm getting better at it, but it still happens a little sometimes.
I've just been trying it some more, and thinking some more...
I think it's the path of the bow. If you're coming out of the air onto the string, the movement of the bow as you hit the string has to be pretty much exactly in the direction you want the movement to be, i.e. at the moment of contact you're absolutely minimising the movement component 'towards the string' that I mention before, so you're only left with the movement in the direction of the bow hair across the string.
A little bit harder when it comes to trying circle upping bows without bouncing (12:26) :P
Also another reason for bouncy bow is tension in the left hand as well when pressing down the strings, it causes the violin sometimes to shake a very little bit and then while the string is vibrating from getting bowed, it just adds up and it starts to bounce mid-bow. (personal experience)
Thanks for the videos you are a really nice teacher.
Thank you Alison! : A few days after I sent the videos I checked my strings and they all fell out at least one note! Haha. Thank you again, I think a new bow is int order. :-)
thank you so much. i will definitely go watch it when it comes up
Hi ms alison... well... i used to have the same issue... and i say used because i guess... i've improved my bowing...(ty)... but i still wondering... maybe this problem is because excesive rosin... i used to rosing my bow EVERYDAY... after i saw your tutorial "how to rosing the bow"... (once every two weeks????)... i do that... and the bouncing issue have reduced pretty much! (sorry for my english)
Thank you miss! This video really helps solve the mystery! I am also wondering that if upbow landing is the same as downbow as I am having more problem with the former. Thank you!
Your videos r amazing.i could learn many tips and techniques.Thank u so much
If you are playing the Wieniawski Violin concerto, then surely I should be asking you for help??? Its a very very advanced piece.
Well funny you should say that = i have literally done a video on this, so now i have read this, I will release it at the weekend. If you can wait till then, there you may find some things useful....
This helped me so much i was having the same problem thank so much
your videos are really helpful .my bow bounces when I'm doing an up bow, mostly when my 3rd finger and 1st finger are in two consecutive strings like g on d string and b on a string and notes are slurred.
very helpful video for beginners like me , I'm from India , Thank u soo much 💐💐💐
Hi I have only had my violin for a couple of days and I just wanted to thank you for this video as I was doing some of the same things as I was trying to bow with just the open strings. I now have some things to work on to improve my bowing technique before I progress any further
Good morning Alison. I picked up the violin again after 17 years. I quit in middle school and always regretted it. My elementary school teacher was teaching me again, but I also watched all of your videos for help when I ran into trouble. Since then I have purchased a Stratton electric violin and would love to show you my progress. How do I send you my video?
Thank you Alison, you solved my problem with bow bouncing
I've been having such an issue with bow bouncing. Thanks for the advice!
yes it should its not uncommon.
yes send me the youtube link
Hi,
I Will like buy a violon for my study. Which do you think is best for a beginner ? I hesitate thank you.
Cvn-200
Mendini-300
Solène ange not much in it, but if its between those two, then i would personally go for the CVN200.
Exceptional analog. Plane landing.
Love it and thanks.
Great video..I had a bit of trouble that my bow bounced but I made it looser and the problem was almost resolved.
hey miss.. my violen is also having chain problem in strings like David in violen .. it does not produce fine or clean sound .. So Hiw to fix or set violen string chain ?? xD
Thank you!
I was also wondering if you have anything about transitioning strings and not accidentally playing double strings at once. Also could humidity be some kind of factor to your violin. It's summer and sadly do not have air conditioning, but do not wish to harm my violin. Thank you.
this might help:ua-cam.com/video/gdg8n9k8V0o/v-deo.html
i am getting random squeaks and it is hard to get the sound right when crossing strings. i sound pretty ok when i play my friend's violin. also my a and e strings soung really bad (they sound different from the other strings and almost sound out of tune when i play but they are not.they sound kind of loud too) i am looking into a new violin but am still broke. is there any way to make a student violin sound "good?"
it could be a number of things - what is it specifically you are not so good at?
Great videos, thanks. I have noticed that most professional violins only have a fine tuner on the E string but not on the others. My practice violin came with tuners on all four strings. So why doesn't the professional violins have fine tuners on all of the strings?
Those violins are set up so well that you use the pegs to tune. Also, you get a closer and more accurate tune by using the pegs than the tuners.
I was suffering from an extreme amount of bow bouncing. I finally figured out that my problem was 3 things. #1 cheap bow that came with chinese violin, just awful. That being said #2 was the bow being too tight. Even though I loosened the bow I was still getting some bounce. And that leads to #3 that ultimately solved my problem. My thumb was not bent while holding the bow. Yes that tiny bit of technique in just my thumb solved it. I hope that helps others out there.
I don't usually bow bounce when I start or end but rather during my playing of a particular exercise or song. Do I just need to gain more strength in the arm and hand to help it be more smooth, and watch the pressure throughout? Thanks! If I can, I'll try to post a video.
To me playing the violin means caressing her. It's a very sensitive instrument and if you just bounce a little bit she will complain with not nice sounds. He needs to become a good lover and she will sing for him beautifully. Otherwise she will cry. Tho I have to admit, I dumped my cheap bow and made my own baroque bow. It's so extremely lightweight, that tenderness is easy. I had to find out the best way to hold it and I changed my mind several times.
The way I learned to make music is like this:
Coax the sound out of your instrument, not hammer it out. If you don't, your music will sound strained and will hurt your playing in the long run.
I am a bassist and have made that mistake and it took years to untrain myself and learn to play properly. I see my instrument as a lady and play her accordingly.
hey! i have a problem with my bow sliding back and forth across the strings as i play. going from the neck toward the bridge and back.
Im self teaching right now with a book and your pages and videos. Im just 3 weeks in. Im wondering how do you know when to put all fingers down to play a note or just one. For instance to play g on the A string Ive seen some ppl put all 3 fingers down and some just the ring finger. Your videos are very good and helpful thanks.
Doesnt really matter as only the 3rd question (in this scenaroi) will be heard. Depends on what im playing next as to whether I put down all 3 or not.
To be honest, I wouldnt worry about it - this is something you will just do naturally without thinking.