Bowing & Contact

Bow changes

Connecting or separating direction changes without unwanted bumps.

Common phrases: direction changes · smooth bow changes

19 reviewed clips

Filtered results: 19

0:00–0:50 · ai proposed

Bow Changes: Connecting the Direction Change

Ben Chan- Bow Changes (smooth)

Use when
the player hears bumps, accents, or tension at direction changes
Teaching summary
Prepare the change before the bow reverses so the sound can continue through the turn. Keep the hand and arm coordinated rather than making a separate abrupt motion at the change.
Open full video

0:16–0:49 · ai proposed

Bow Changes: Smoothing the Bow Change

Irish Blood of Cu Chulainn from Boondock Saints

Use when
the player hears bumps, accents, or tension at direction changes
Teaching summary
Prepare the change before the bow reverses so the sound can continue through the turn. Keep the hand and arm coordinated rather than making a separate abrupt motion at the change.
Open full video

1:07–1:55 · ai proposed

Bow Changes: Smoothing the Bow Change

Ben Chan- Bow Changes (smooth)

Use when
the player hears bumps, accents, or tension at direction changes
Teaching summary
Prepare the change before the bow reverses so the sound can continue through the turn. Keep the hand and arm coordinated rather than making a separate abrupt motion at the change.
Open full video

2:21–2:59 · ai proposed

Bow Changes: Smoothing the Bow Change

Ben Chan- false harmonics

Use when
the player hears bumps, accents, or tension at direction changes
Teaching summary
Prepare the change before the bow reverses so the sound can continue through the turn. Keep the hand and arm coordinated rather than making a separate abrupt motion at the change.
Open full video

3:13–4:05 · ai proposed

Fast Notes: Slurred Triplet and Sixteenths

Get Lucky Violin Tutorial

Use when
the player is organizing fast notes as a slurred triplet plus sixteenths before choosing position
Teaching summary
The clue splits fast notes into a triplet and four sixteenths, probably slurred, then considers first position. Frame the task as rhythmic grouping and bowing choice.
Open full video

4:09–4:34 · ai proposed

Bow Change and Slide: Start Moving Before the Change

TUTORIAL: How to play "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen on the Violin

Use when
the player wants a small slur or slide to speak smoothly through a bow change
Teaching summary
The clue says to begin sliding the finger before the bow stops moving and before the bow change. Coordinate left-hand travel with the bow change so the gesture feels easy.
Open full video

4:34–5:17 · ai proposed

Bow Changes: Smoothing the Bow Change

TUTORIAL: How to play "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen on the Violin

Use when
the player hears bumps, accents, or tension at direction changes
Teaching summary
Prepare the change before the bow reverses so the sound can continue through the turn. Keep the hand and arm coordinated rather than making a separate abrupt motion at the change.
Open full video

5:11–6:00 · ai proposed

Entrance Cue: Stop the Bow Between Eighth Notes

Bach Double TUTORIAL: Sheet Music, Fingerings, and Tips for 2nd Violin Part

Use when
the player is using bow stops and the first violin entrance as a cue
Teaching summary
The clue says to stop the bow between eighth notes and listen for the first violin entrance. The useful task is timing and ensemble cueing, not isolated fourth-finger work.
Open full video

6:41–7:40 · ai proposed

Bow Changes: Smoothing the Bow Change

Ben Chan- Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Opening

Use when
the player hears bumps, accents, or tension at direction changes
Teaching summary
Prepare the change before the bow reverses so the sound can continue through the turn. Keep the hand and arm coordinated rather than making a separate abrupt motion at the change.
Open full video

0:57–1:46 · ai proposed

Arm-Led Crossing to the D String

Ben Chan- Suzuki Book #1 Minuet in G

Use when
the player is practicing a string crossing by stopping the bow and moving to D with the arm
Teaching summary
The clue says to play the first note, stop the bow, and move to the D string using the arm. Keep shoulders down and let the arm level create the crossing.
Open full video

2:23–2:58 · ai proposed

String Crossing With Spaces

Irish Blood of Cu Chulainn from Boondock Saints

Use when
the player is adding spaces to make string crossings manageable
Teaching summary
The clue says to practice string crossings first with spaces, stealing time from the previous eighth note. Use the space as training for the bow move.
Open full video

3:05–3:57 · ai proposed

Masked Shift: A-String Cover and Bow Accents

Tutorial: Senna from Bleach

Use when
the player is using bow accents and the A string to mask a shift into third position
Teaching summary
The clue says to make non-crossings sound like string crossings with tiny bow accents, then use the A string to mask the shift to third position. Coordinate sound disguise and position change.
Open full video

3:30–3:53 · ai proposed

Stop-Move String Crossing

Irish Blood of Cu Chulainn from Boondock Saints

Use when
the player is stopping the bow before moving strings to remove in-between sound
Teaching summary
The clue gives the pattern stop, move, stop, move and says it prevents the sound between string changes. Train the bow to stop before changing levels.
Open full video

3:54–4:47 · ai proposed

String Crossing: Stop the Bow to Mask the Middle String

Bach Double TUTORIAL: Sheet Music, Fingerings, and Tips for 2nd Violin Part

Use when
the player hears unwanted remnants of the middle string during a crossing
Teaching summary
The clue says to stop the bow between eighth notes so the sound of the string crossing is masked. The goal is a cleaner crossing without leftover middle-string noise.
Open full video

4:39–5:20 · ai proposed

Stop Bow Before Changing Strings

Irish Blood of Cu Chulainn from Boondock Saints

Use when
the player is making string changes clean by stopping the bow first
Teaching summary
The clue repeats that the bow should stop before changing strings. Use the stopped bow as the core variable before restoring tempo.
Open full video

5:29–5:58 · ai proposed

Bow Reset and Tight Pitch Targets

Ben Chan- Wieniawsi 2nd Violin Concerto 3rd Mvmt Opening

Use when
the player is resetting bowing while keeping C-sharps high and B-flats/Fs low
Teaching summary
The clue says the bowing may be wrong, then returns to hugging C-sharps high and B-flats and Fs low. Separate bowing cleanup from the fixed pitch map.
Open full video

6:00–6:58 · ai proposed

Scales and Bowing: Half Notes Per Bow

Ben Chan- 3 octave Scales

Use when
the player is connecting scale work to bow distribution and note grouping
Teaching summary
The clue says the scale is being played as half notes per bow. Use the scale to clarify bow grouping and the relationship between note length, bow use, and sound consistency.
Open full video

7:00–7:51 · ai proposed

Right-Hand Space for the Shift

Ben Chan- Scherzo Tarantelle Opening

Use when
the player is creating a small right-hand space so the left-hand shift can land cleanly
Teaching summary
The clue says a little space appears in the right hand and that the player needs it. Use that space deliberately so the shifting finger has time to arrive in tune.
Open full video

12:25–13:06 · ai proposed

Slurred Fast Notes and Higher-Note Pop

TUTORIAL: How to play "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen on the Violin

Use when
the player is slurring fast notes while using the higher D for a little more pop
Teaching summary
The clue says the fast notes are slurred and that the D can be played like the C but with more pop because it is higher. Frame this as articulation and color choice.
Open full video
Bow changes - Ben Chan Violin