Violin Basics: Setting the Bow Hand
Many people new to the violin assume the hardest part is playing in tune. But fixing an out-of-tune note is a little like straightening a picture on the wall: it tilts one way or the other, you nudge it, and you can see right away when it's level. Producing a beautiful tone is more like crossing a crowded room with a tray of drinks. Bow speed, weight, and placement all have to stay balanced at once, and if one slips, the sound spills. That balance starts with a relaxed, flexible bow hand.
How do you set a violin bow hand?
Our goal is to use the least effort that keeps the bow from sliding out of the hand, not a tight grip. To get there, start with an arm drop to make sure the arm is completely relaxed, hang the hand on the bow, curl the pinky onto the stick, turn the forearm like a doorknob as you raise the bow, and place a bent thumb under the stick.
For beginners, I have students set the bow hand at least ten times a day. After about a hundred repetitions, it becomes quick and natural.
Why a relaxed bow hand makes a better sound
Using only that minimum muscle is the whole idea, and it's why I call it the "bow hand," not the "bow hold" or "bow grip." Those words put a picture of tightness in a student's mind, and tension in the hand travels up the arm and into the sound.
A good bow hand is mostly a relaxed hand. If you let your hand hang loose and look at it, the natural spacing and curve of the fingers is already close to correct. Setting the bow hand is just a few small adjustments to that relaxed shape.
The style I teach is the Franco-Belgian bow hand. The Russian style is another common approach, and there are good resources on it if you're curious.
How to set the bow hand in five steps
Before starting, have the student stand in playing position: feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out, and knees soft.
Start with the arm drop. Every bow hand in my lessons starts here, before the bow is even in the picture. Hold the right arm up by the forearm, then let go, and if it is relaxed it will drop right away. If it stays floating in midair, there's hidden tension. Parents can do this for their child, and adult students can do it themselves by holding up the right arm with the left hand and letting go. Repeat it several times. If the arm still isn't dropping freely, it's fine to go on and set the bow hand, but keep doing the arm drop every day until it does. Everything else builds on this relaxed arm.
Hang the hand on the bow. Hold the bow horizontally, with the top of the stick pointing at the ceiling (a parent, the teacher, or the student's own left hand supports it), and let the hand drape over it with the full weight of the arm hanging. The middle joint of the middle finger rests on the stick between the frog and the leather grip, and that joint should face the ceiling, not tip forward. (The parent tips below show a simple way to mark this spot.) The hang does more than set the hand. It's an early preview of how a good tone works: later, instead of lifting the arm and pressing the bow down onto the string, students let the arm's weight sink through the bow into the string, much the way the weight of a clothes iron does the work instead of the person pushing down on it.
Curl the pinky. Bring the pinky back and rest its tip on top of the stick, on the facet just inside the top one. Some teachers put it right on top, but I prefer the one facet closer to the body, because later on it lets the pinky help steer the bow.
Turn the doorknob. Rotate the forearm like you're turning a doorknob, at the same time you raise the bow. This keeps the fingers roughly perpendicular to the stick. Skip the turn, and the fingers tip over, which tends to lead to a variety of awkward bracing patterns later.
Place a bent thumb. For young beginners, I place the thumb half on the metal ferrule and half on the bow hair. Older or more advanced students put it inside the frog, half on the stick and half on the frog. Starting half on the hair and half on the ferrule makes that later move easy. Either way, the thumb stays bent, never locked straight.
When it's right, every finger is round and relaxed, and looking through the hand shape you'll see an open, circular shape inside.
Common bow hand mistakes and how to fix them
A straight, stuck-out pinky. This is one of the most common things I see, and it usually starts when the bow is held at an angle in the air. When the bow points straight up, its weight pulls straight down, and the fingers only need a light touch to keep it balanced. Tilt it, and that weight becomes a lever, more than a beginner's pinky can handle, so the pinky locks straight and leans on the bones instead. The fix is to keep the bow either vertical or resting on the string, never hovering at an angle. To move from one to the other, adults can drop the bow quickly onto the string, or a parent will move it there. Pinky strength builds over time, especially with a few targeted strengthening exercises. Until then, let the pinky drape over the stick wherever it falls, then curl it from there without changing the spacing between the pinky and ring finger.
A locked, straight thumb. A braced thumb stiffens the whole hand, and I can usually spot it from across the room. A gently bent thumb keeps everything round and relaxed.
Fingers leaning forward over the stick. When the bow goes up without the doorknob turn, the fingers lean far forward, and students easily fall into letting the stick slide down to the base knuckle of the index finger and bracing with the pinky. The doorknob turn prevents this before it starts. You may notice that advanced players' fingers lean forward a bit as they play. That works once a student has flexible fingers and has long outgrown pinky bracing, but for beginners, a stable, upright hand is the better starting point.
Gripping too hard. The goal is the minimum effort that keeps the bow from sliding out of your hand. When I see a student tighten up, we go right back to step one and do the arm drop again, and do exercises to increase the students' awareness around holding on and letting go.
A double-jointed thumb that collapses inward. Some kids have a thumb joint that bends backward under pressure. I give them simple thumb push-ups against the stick, using only as much pressure as that joint can handle without collapsing. Over time, it gets stronger.
Practicing at home: a guide for parents
In the Suzuki method, parents are the home teacher, and the bow hand is one of the best places to start helping. You don't need to play the violin yourself to do this well.
Do the arm drop every day. It's step one for a reason. A few drops at the start of every practice keep the relaxed habit going, even after the bow hand feels easy. Make it a game. When I let go of a student's arm and it just stays hanging in the air, we usually both end up laughing. It seems like the simplest thing in the world, and yet the arm won't drop! Keep it light and laugh about it together. Getting tense about tension only makes more of it. Some students' arms drop freely on the first day, and for others it takes a few weeks. Either way do the arm drop every day for as long as you are setting the bow for your child.
Give the hand a landing spot. Two small marks make the bow hand easy to place the same way every time. I put a small marker dot on the middle joint of the middle finger and a piece of colored washi tape on the stick, between the frog and the leather grip. When the bow hand is set, the dot sits right on the tape, and that middle joint faces the ceiling. It works a bit like the home keys on a keyboard: the finger always knows where to come back to. If your child's bow doesn't have these yet, both are easy to add at home.
Keep the bow upright or on the string. Once the bow hand is set, the bow should point straight up or rest on the string, never hover at an angle in between. A tilted bow is too heavy for a beginner's pinky, and that's when it locks straight. When your child moves from one to the other, help them drop the bow quickly onto the string, or move it there for them.
Set it ten times a day. I ask my beginners to set the bow hand at least ten times a day: set it, look at the tip of the bow, count slowly to ten, let go, and repeat. Short, frequent repetitions build the habit much faster than one long session.
Watch for the warning signs. A straight pinky, a locked thumb, or a stiff arm all mean the same thing: time to shake it out and start over. That's not a setback. It's another opportunity to practice the bow set, exactly how the habit gets built.
Once the bow hand is easy to set, usually after about a hundred repetitions, students are ready for bow games that build control and dexterity.
Frequently asked questions
How tightly should you hold a violin bow? As loosely as possible. Use only the effort needed to keep the bow from sliding out of your hand. A tight grip creates tension that makes the sound harsher and bowing harder.
Where does the thumb go on a violin bow? Young beginners place the thumb half on the metal ferrule and half on the hair. Older or more advanced students place it inside the frog, half on the stick and half on the frog. In both cases, the thumb stays bent.
Where does the pinky go on a violin bow? Curled, with the tip resting on top of the stick, just on the inside facet. It should not stick out straight.
About the author
Scott Belleri has taught violin in Portland since 2009. He trained in the Suzuki method as an apprentice under Martha Shackford, founder of the Portland Suzuki Project, and later served on its board. He has since received further Suzuki teacher training from Dr. Rebekah Hanson and renowned Suzuki pedagogue Edmund Sprunger. He runs Triad Music Studio in SE Portland, offering private and group lessons for children and adults, with daytime options for homeschool families.
Questions about your child's bow hand, or curious about lessons? Contact me and I'll be glad to help.