Range of Motion Exercises
Range of Motion is the term for the total distance that something can move.
While playing your instrument, independent segments of your arms and hands move through various ranges of motion, enabling you to create your sound. Please remember that describing the physical sensations of playing motions is quite challenging, in the sense that you are the only one who can develop your own “feel of playing.”
Your foot has a very limited range of motion, but your leg has a much larger one – right?
On your quest to find your best playing mechanics, focusing your attention on the individual, specific, motions of your fingers and on the specific locations that each finger segment chooses while in contact with the bow, is an important process of discovery.
Professional string players consistently focus their attention on improving the flexibility and control of their bowing arms. The successful development of a highly skilled bowing arm is an element that is essential to what turns good string players into great string players.
The bow is held with the right hand, and called the Bow-Hand. The right arm is called the Bow-Arm.
The next several chapters guide you through bow-hand and bow-arm physical-location details and flexibility training exercises. In sports, players must learn how to operate equipment with fluidity and precision. Baseball players focus on improving their swing and golfers work endlessly on the mastery of different strokes. String players are “musical athletes” who also must achieve mastery of an assortment of strokes, in this case bow strokes.
Proper bowing skills begin with learning how to hold the bow. Range of motion exercises help to give you increased flexibility and the control you need. The exercises prepare you for a proper and comfortable bow hold.
Relax your bow-hand, and get ready for some Stick Training!
Introducing the Bow Parts of the Bow The Stick Horse-Hair The Tip The Frog The Winding How the Bow Works
Rosin Preparing to Hold the Bow Stick Training Exercises Bowing Terminology Down-Bow Up-Bow
Bow-Hand Set-Up Finger Tasks and Functions The Thumb Meet ARC Finger Segments The Index-Finger
Bow-Hand Pronation The Center-Finger and Ring-Finger Bow-Hand Fulcrum Ring-Finger Propulsion Bass Bows
Pinky Bow-Tasks ‘Casting’ the Bow-Hand Bow-Wrist Tasks Rotational Inertia Arco Clay Smile Exercise Meet ANGLE
The Bow-Arm Box The Shoulder Arc Bow Contact-Point String Lanes Bow-Segment Mastery Bowing Exercises
Finding the Bow Contact-Point “Painting With Sound” Bowing Exercises Menu Bow Taps Bowing Traditions
Perform Down-Bows Perform Up-Bows The Art of the Bow-Change Articulations Staccato Legato
Mastery Checkpoint One Building Bow Control Bow Speed and Bow-Arm Motion Bow Planning and Distribution
Slow Moving Bow Strokes Individual Bow Segments Traveling the Bow Bowing Dynamics Mastery Checkpoint Two
Advanced Techniques Slurs and Articulations Slur Training Locating the Bow’s Balance Point Ricochet and Spiccato
Exploring Ricochet Ricochet Control Spiccato Training Spiccato Control Spiccato Brush Strokes
Multiple String Crossings Virtuosic Bow Strokes Arpeggio Bowing “Flying” Staccato Mastery Checkpoint Three
SCROLL’s List of Bow Strokes
Rosin Preparing to Hold the Bow Stick Training Exercises Bowing Terminology Down-Bow Up-Bow
Bow-Hand Set-Up Finger Tasks and Functions The Thumb Meet ARC Finger Segments The Index-Finger
Bow-Hand Pronation The Center-Finger and Ring-Finger Bow-Hand Fulcrum Ring-Finger Propulsion Bass Bows
Pinky Bow-Tasks ‘Casting’ the Bow-Hand Bow-Wrist Tasks Rotational Inertia Arco Clay Smile Exercise Meet ANGLE
The Bow-Arm Box The Shoulder Arc Bow Contact-Point String Lanes Bow-Segment Mastery Bowing Exercises
Finding the Bow Contact-Point “Painting With Sound” Bowing Exercises Menu Bow Taps Bowing Traditions
Perform Down-Bows Perform Up-Bows The Art of the Bow-Change Articulations Staccato Legato
Mastery Checkpoint One Building Bow Control Bow Speed and Bow-Arm Motion Bow Planning and Distribution
Slow Moving Bow Strokes Individual Bow Segments Traveling the Bow Bowing Dynamics Mastery Checkpoint Two
Advanced Techniques Slurs and Articulations Slur Training Locating the Bow’s Balance Point Ricochet and Spiccato
Exploring Ricochet Ricochet Control Spiccato Training Spiccato Control Spiccato Brush Strokes
Multiple String Crossings Virtuosic Bow Strokes Arpeggio Bowing “Flying” Staccato Mastery Checkpoint Three
SCROLL’s List of Bow Strokes