Excellent video, Lauren! I would like to add that experimenting with frequency of bow rehairing can yield good dividends in comfort and efficiency. The older and smoother the hair, the sweeter the sound, but the more effortful the shorter strokes become. Also being sensitive to string height is important to the right hand; since the hands act interoceptively, greater effort than necessary from the left hand promotes greater than necessary effort from the right.
Dear Mrs. Pierce, great video! I am wondering where you are placing your thumbs exactly. Is it inside the frog or on the tips of where the frog meet the stick?
Hi, Thank you for your video I have a problem with my bow hand cause i feel pain in my first finger on the bow and i really pay attention to not have pressure or tension on my bow hand but sometimes specially on scales or open string on A or E string there is pain on my first finger I wanted to ask you is there any solution or way to practice to solve this prolem? And if it 's possible talk about it in a video Thank you
It's hard to say without seeing you play, but it must be an issue with tension to cause pain when you play (or it would also happen when you don't play). It may be that you need to turn your bass so it's slightly more forward facing when playing on the lower strings. . . but we can't say without seeing you play. An in-person lesson is the best way to diagnose issues like this if that's possible. Best of luck with your practice and we will be sure to publish more videos on this topic in future.
Hi lauren. I love your videos, they're so useful and your explanations are very clear. Can you please make one about the spicatto technique? I'm having some problems with it, I'd be very grateful if you explain the movement slowly and how to study it.
I have been playing German for 40+ years and I am learning now how to use French. I think I figured out how not to make my thumb strained thanks to this video. I would like to know, will more wrist flexibility happen over time as I continue to practice or should I be doing something specific to make that happen?
Thanks for the lesson, Lauren! I have a question for you. I recently started playing my double bass again (after a 20 year hiatus) and I've got a nasty callous on the tip of my bowing thumb (I play a french bow). It's causing me to grip the bow weird & it's also causing me pain (in the tip of my thumb) after only playing for 20 to 30 minutes. Any suggestions? Thanks!
hi,t's off topic,I want to ask a question about the instrument.I note it has some dints on your fingerboard is it means that the fingerboard is finished? and how do you think about the finished fingerboard?
someone should do a video explaining which part of your hand (eg thumb, first finger, palm etc) takes on the weight of the arm. When I bow im not sure how the weight of my arm is supposed to get to the string. particularly when bowing with the tip
I have a question regarding the angle of the bass while playing. If you’re holding the bass more perpendicular to the ground than it should be, would this cause more need to add pressure to the strings causing unnecessary tension? Before I played with this adjustment my sound was very scratchy, I had little control of the bow and gripped it tight because I thought I might drop it. Thanks for informative video!
I too struggle with thinking I’m going to drop the bow, cause I play standing. I’m also curious on how to fix it, but I’ll apply this lesson and if it doesn’t work I’ll try something else!
Hi, Lauren. I've always had bow grip problems, but since stepping away from bowing and upright in general to focus on electric, coming back my bow hand feels very tense and strained. I have a slightly longer thumb on my right hand than on my left which might be the cause of some of my problems, but all of the solutions I've been shown have resulted in me being unable to grip the bow; it just falls out of my hand. This has frustrated me for years and is one of the reasons I gave up pursuing a classical music degree. Anyway, what advice do you have for students having a hard time holding on to their bow? I'd love to sort this out once and for all.
If you've got a longer thumb, you'll need to curve the thumb more than you're doing now and move the placement of your index through pinkie fingers higher up on the stick to accommodate and line up properly. You might also do better with placing the thumb in the "U" of the frog instead of the foot. You'll curve the thumb in the exact same way - it just might be easier for you to line up the fingers and not get too far out on the stick.
We are planning on doing more lessons about German bow, but the cause of the issues will be the same so pay particular attention to relaxing the hand/arm to allow the weight to be used and avoiding squeezing.
Discover Double Bass, I would be extremely interested to learn from any German bow videos you choose to do! Especially on releasing tension in the forearm, shoulder and thumb.
Thank you! I thought my thumb was going to fall off, and I just needed to practice more, lol.. This was really helpful.
Glad to hear it! Also happy your thumb didn't fall off.
I've just discovered Lauren Pierce and intend watching many more of these lessons.
Thanks for that very clear advice on use of the bow.
Excellent video, Lauren! I would like to add that experimenting with frequency of bow rehairing can yield good dividends in comfort and efficiency. The older and smoother the hair,
the sweeter the sound, but the more effortful the shorter strokes become. Also being sensitive to string height is important to the right hand; since the
hands act interoceptively, greater effort than necessary from the left hand promotes greater than necessary effort from the right.
She is so helpful she needs her own channel❤
She does. It's ua-cam.com/users/LaurenPierceBass
Thank you very much for this beautiful lesson and I hope that there will be other lessons for basic principles
Wow, just as I was thinking "man my wrist hurts so much" this video comes up!
The pinky and tension there, that was a problem I have been dealing with. Thanks for the video!
Dear Mrs. Pierce, great video! I am wondering where you are placing your thumbs exactly. Is it inside the frog or on the tips of where the frog meet the stick?
Thank you so much! This is so helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
I've been watching your video for ages, and I'm from Australia. Welcome to our Island
Thank you! Life saver!!!
Thank you very much for the class
this is brilliant!! thank u
Thank you Lauren. What is your exact position of the thumb behind the bow?
Thank you and god bless you
Hi, Thank you for your video
I have a problem with my bow hand cause i feel pain in my first finger on the bow and i really pay attention to not have pressure or tension on my bow hand but sometimes specially on scales or open string on A or E string there is pain on my first finger
I wanted to ask you is there any solution or way to practice to solve this prolem? And if it 's possible talk about it in a video
Thank you
It's hard to say without seeing you play, but it must be an issue with tension to cause pain when you play (or it would also happen when you don't play). It may be that you need to turn your bass so it's slightly more forward facing when playing on the lower strings. . . but we can't say without seeing you play. An in-person lesson is the best way to diagnose issues like this if that's possible. Best of luck with your practice and we will be sure to publish more videos on this topic in future.
Hi lauren. I love your videos, they're so useful and your explanations are very clear. Can you please make one about the spicatto technique? I'm having some problems with it, I'd be very grateful if you explain the movement slowly and how to study it.
Thanks for your videos. I am enjoying watching them. Do you have your thumb bent inwards or outwards when you hold your bow?
How about a shot of the bow hand from the reverse side or palm up to show all angles of the grip
Great point, we are trying to improve our video quality and get better angles on new content.
I have been playing German for 40+ years and I am learning now how to use French. I think I figured out how not to make my thumb strained thanks to this video. I would like to know, will more wrist flexibility happen over time as I continue to practice or should I be doing something specific to make that happen?
Do u think German or French is better
Thanks for the lesson, Lauren! I have a question for you. I recently started playing my double bass again (after a 20 year hiatus) and I've got a nasty callous on the tip of my bowing thumb (I play a french bow). It's causing me to grip the bow weird & it's also causing me pain (in the tip of my thumb) after only playing for 20 to 30 minutes. Any suggestions? Thanks!
hi,t's off topic,I want to ask a question about the instrument.I note it has some dints on your fingerboard is it means that the fingerboard is finished? and how do you think about the finished fingerboard?
someone should do a video explaining which part of your hand (eg thumb, first finger, palm etc) takes on the weight of the arm. When I bow im not sure how the weight of my arm is supposed to get to the string. particularly when bowing with the tip
Is wonderful.Tank you all my loving.
merci Lauren pour toutes ces explications et bonnes fêtes de Noël à vous. Karl (Lyon)
I have a question regarding the angle of the bass while playing. If you’re holding the bass more perpendicular to the ground than it should be, would this cause more need to add pressure to the strings causing unnecessary tension? Before I played with this adjustment my sound was very scratchy, I had little control of the bow and gripped it tight because I thought I might drop it. Thanks for informative video!
I too struggle with thinking I’m going to drop the bow, cause I play standing. I’m also curious on how to fix it, but I’ll apply this lesson and if it doesn’t work I’ll try something else!
i get cramps alot on my thumb but the thing is i have to have pressure on it or else the bow will fall out of my hand, how can i fix this?
Thank you!!!
Great video if i......could see the bow in play mode
Hi, Lauren. I've always had bow grip problems, but since stepping away from bowing and upright in general to focus on electric, coming back my bow hand feels very tense and strained. I have a slightly longer thumb on my right hand than on my left which might be the cause of some of my problems, but all of the solutions I've been shown have resulted in me being unable to grip the bow; it just falls out of my hand. This has frustrated me for years and is one of the reasons I gave up pursuing a classical music degree. Anyway, what advice do you have for students having a hard time holding on to their bow? I'd love to sort this out once and for all.
If you've got a longer thumb, you'll need to curve the thumb more than you're doing now and move the placement of your index through pinkie fingers higher up on the stick to accommodate and line up properly.
You might also do better with placing the thumb in the "U" of the frog instead of the foot. You'll curve the thumb in the exact same way - it just might be easier for you to line up the fingers and not get too far out on the stick.
what about German bow ;^;
We are planning on doing more lessons about German bow, but the cause of the issues will be the same so pay particular attention to relaxing the hand/arm to allow the weight to be used and avoiding squeezing.
Discover Double Bass, I would be extremely interested to learn from any German bow videos you choose to do! Especially on releasing tension in the forearm, shoulder and thumb.
Why did you move to Australia? Did you find a job in an orchestra there? :)
YAS THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! GODDESS!!!!!!!
I love you.
You should have the camera a little lower so we can see your hand as you bow. We are only getting part of that picture now.
I felt that there was too much talking and too little demonstration. Most people learn visually.
You can move back to the USA now, the SCOURGE is gone! LOL!!
Where about in Australia
I'm in Melbourne :)
That's so cool I live in the western suburbs of melbourne
Awesome! Maybe we'll run into each other :)
So helpful! Thank you!