Bow hold Advice please.

Trad Strings
1

Hi everybody,

I am a whistler but new to the string forum, having been fiddling on and off for about two years. I play chiefly English country dance/traditional tunes.
I cannot seem to settle on a perticular style of bow hold. Istarted with a ‘classical’ grip, ie. held at the bottom of the bow by the frog. I then found myself experimenting with my hand creeping further and further up the bow (seemingly very common in folk fiddling). Next I discovered the so called ‘French grip’ (thumb beneath the frog), and this seems fairly successful.
I have watched more accomplished fiddlers, and there does seem to be a variety of bow holds. My problem seems to be that I keep changing from one to the other, when perhaps I should just be settling with one. Most of the advice I have been given seems to be ‘do what feels right for you’

Any comments or observations please

Many thanks from East Tisted, Alton, Hants, UK

2

Clive, I have the same problem. When I took lessons many years ago the teacher instructed me in the classical approach at holding both the instrument and bow. I drifted away from the classical hold and got comfortable with holding the bow another way. When I do take out the fiddle, not very often these days, I find myself going back to the classical. So maybe that approach is the better one ?
Happy fiddling

3

I learned a classic hold as a young violist, but when I picked it up again…years and years later…and then began fiddling on my sister’s old violin (now my instrument of choice,) I’ve kind of moved up the bow, but just a bit. I’m aware that many fiddlers prefer to hold quite high above the frog, but I’m somewhat in-between, perhaps as a vestige of my original hold. I agree though, that the classic violin grip doesn’t suit fiddling somehow.