| Author |
Subject |
Laura
Wichers
Registered
User
(8/29/00 7:59:49 pm)
Reply |
Solow -
what's he mean?
"One of the things that
[Piatigorsky's] approach led me to do was to have a flat hand on the
bow, which is something that I have since changed, but it got me
away from rotating my arm into the string." -from Solow's ICS
interview
I've always been taught to rotate my 1st/2nd
fingers into the stick to direct the weight of my arm/shoulder into
the string for a good sound. I get the impression from Mr. Solow's
comment that not all cellists play this way. So what way DO they
play? Or am I misunderstanding the comment (I tried to take it as
little out of context as
possible)?
-Laura
|
Corrina
Connor
Registered
User
(8/30/00 12:20:20 am)
Reply |
Re:
Solow - what's he mean?
I was just discussing this rotation
business with a cellist who does a lot of baroque playing, and has
also been reading about Piatigorsky. When using a baroque bow it
seems that one doesn't rotat. She and I did some experimentation,
and we tried using our elbows (or rather the weight of them. (NOT by
lifting our elbows). The concept seemed to work well, and removed
any tenseness. We only needed the first/second fingers once we were
nearly at the top third of the bow.
I now watch cellist's
bow fingers a lot more, and it seems that some do use the 1st/2nd
fingers much more than others.
Our tone improved a lot, and
was bigger, and we were deeper into the string. Also, there was no
pressure, just weight.
~Corrina~
|
BA
Registered User
(8/31/00 2:01:31 am)
Reply |
Re:
Solow - what's he mean?
I can't imagine that that is what
Solow meant, as Piatigorsky's bow hand is almost as pronated as a
violinists, and more so than most cellists. Check out the
"Heifetz/Piatigorsky" videotape. Some amazing playing as
well.
|
Tim
Janof
Registered
User
(9/5/00 11:26:39 am)
Reply |
Here is
Jeffrey Solow's reply to your question.
"There are two ways of getting force
into the string through the first finger: active pronation and
passive pronation. Active, as the name implies, uses muscles to
rotate (pronate) the arm/bow into the string and produces pressure
by means of torque. (One starts with the bow held vertically,
rotates the forearm until the hair touched the string, and keeps
rotating for more force.) Passive pronation comes from relaxing
muscles and allowing the forearm to BECOME PRONATED through
gravity--as if the forearm were a detached cylinder that starts to
roll downhill toward the string. (One holds the bow horizontally
above the string, lowers the arm/bow till the hair touches the
string, and continues lowering it for more force.) Both of these
transmit power to the bow primarily through the 1st finger. Laurence
Lesser talked to me about transmitting force to the bow through the
2nd finger --which produces a much flatter hand position."
Edited by Tim
Janof at: 9/5/00 11:26:39 am
|
Laura
Wichers
Registered
User
(9/5/00 8:43:00 pm)
Reply |
Ahh. I
get it. Thanks!
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