| Author |
Subject |
Bobbie
Registered User
(3/14/01 3:29:07 pm)
Reply |
How to
start a child's bow hold
I have several cello students now
but one I got a few months after my own teacher started her out and
the other was an adult with a lot of musical experience. I'm going
to be teaching a 7 1/2 year old boy, starting soon. Since it seems
pretty natural for a child to pick up the bow "wrong", how do you
teach him to hold it correctly? Also, what would you expect from a
child this age in terms of practice?
|
Bob
Blais
Registered
User
(3/14/01 10:33:38 pm)
Reply |
bow
hold
I start people with the thumb and
2nd finger at the balance point of the bow, with the other fingers
holding the bow with the tips of their fingers. As they get used to
it I move the bow toward the frog week by week.
I don't think
it matters that they practice a lot, just daily. Perhaps even twice
a day for five minutes or so. This will increase gradually,
especially as you give them more to do.
Bob Blais
|
Lucy
Clifford
Registered User
(3/15/01 1:37:07 am)
Reply |
Re: How
to start a child's bow hold
Here is one area in which I feel
mildly qualified to post - my main teaching practice involves 4 - 8
year old children 
A few things that I've worked out, and that you must feel
free to take and modify and customise (the most importace facet of
teaching young children is, IMHO, to adapt to their strengths and
non-strengths.
1)
Yes, they DO pick up the bow wrong. I
spend a lot of time on the bow, and often a lesson is spent ensuring
that it is impossible for them to pick it up *incorrectly*! 
I don't know about your feelings regarding parents at
lessons, but often it is advisable to have a parent at the first bow
holding lessons.
2) I start off by asking them to hold
the bow at the balance point - just like Bob Blais has said. It is
far easier to hold it here, and prevents hand collapse in either
direction.
3)At each stage of bow hold stability I work back
towards the frog of the bow, but not until they can demonstrate 100
perfect bow pick-ups in a lesson (not all at once, about 10 at a
time).
4) I put the little finger on top of the bow, a la
violin. This balances the bow, with the thumb supporting from
beneath, and the little finger acting as a lever, so that the hand
doesn't collapse towards the screw, which is caused by the weight of
the frog. It also means that the hand is slanted the correct way,
with all the fingers curved softly and relaxed.
I use a corn
plaster (do they have theses in the States?), to rest the little
finger in, so that it stays curved and put.
Only when the
bow hold is relaxed and lovely to look at do I move the (now cut in
half plaster, like a horseshoe, with the open end uppermost) on the
side of the bow, near the pearl eye.
For a seven year old I
would recomend, in the beginning stages, 10 minutes practice once a
day, so that habits don't go bad, and torpor doesn't set
it.
It is better to do this (with a timer to go off after 10
minutes!) than to drag on forever, getting no where at all.
Using
the timer the child stops while ON TOP, and is hopefully positively
looking forward to the next practice.
|
Bobbie
Registered User
(3/15/01 4:55:37 pm)
Reply |
Thanks
and another question
Thanks,
Bob and Lucy. When a child is between the right size for a half-size
and a quarter-size cello, which would you choose? Is it better to
start with a slightly too large cello or a slightly too small one?
(This is assuming the student will be renting and can trade up later
without any problem.)
|
Bob
Blais
Registered
User
(3/15/01 10:14:38 pm)
Reply |
cello
size
I think smaller. What's the hurry? :
)
Bob
|
Lucy
Clifford
Registered User
(3/17/01 9:29:41 pm)
Reply |
smaller...
...but within reason. My instruments
were ALWAYS too big - which was sometimes a struggle.
If the
child is really small then yes, get the smaller sized
cello.
To my mind if a child is only infinestimly (sp?) too
small for a half, it would make more sense to get the half, because
kids grow.
However there is a bit of a difference in size
between the 1/4 and the 1/2.
I try to arrange a time to meet
the family at the instrument shop, and try out cellos in varying
sizes. Also I have quite a few students around this size, and can
estimate it more easily.
|
playingfavorites
Registered User
(3/21/01 6:03:27 pm)
Reply |
what
works for me
I teach all ages . . . I love
teaching and still adapt for each personality. That being said, some
routine is best as a point of departure, then make changes as
needed. My bow-hold routine involves a list of "steps" which I
demonstrate for the student to copy and then "teach" me back.
1)
hold bow in free hand
2) support the bow on the string (let the
string hold the weight of the bow. At this point teacher can adjust
its angle and contact point.)
3) Flex the thumb. ( Practice
grasping, flexing motions in the air; at this point teacher can
explain its role as fulcrum, avoiding stiffness etc.)
4) "FLOP"
fingers down (as a unit)
5) This step is oitional - use only 4 is
possible: "Pronate the arm" sometimes I say "up&over." For
students whodon't align naturally.
Generally I model the same
bow grip for students as I use myself - I find holding at the
balance point too wiggly.
My young students seem to enjoy the
empowerment of being able to check "1-2-3-4" and my older beginners
appreciate a routine as well. Once explained, it takes little time
and can be repeated often during the lesson without seeming a
negative kind of reminder.
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