Cello Intermediate 18: Bow Change Exercises

In this video, we are talking about how to get a very smooth, controlled change of bow direction.

In our beginner series, we learned the basics of changing the bow. Now, we are going to look much deeper into the mechanics of the right hand. Because the bow is heavy at the frog (heel) and very light at the tip, simply dragging it back and forth without adjusting your hand will result in a bumpy sound that loses clarity.

Pronation and supination

To maintain an even, beautiful sound across the entire bow, we have to manipulate the weight.

Pronation at the tip: as you reach the tip of the bow, it naturally wants to get quieter. You must pronate—turn the weight of your hand over onto your 1st finger and slightly lift your elbow. This keeps the contact firm.

Supination at the heel: as you return to the heel, it naturally wants to get heavy and crunchy. You must supinate—turn the weight of your hand over onto your pinky finger to lighten the load.

The "brush" motion

When you first learn to change the bow, you are often taught to use a curved, "banana" or "smile" motion to avoid a harsh stop. As you advance, we want less of that curved banana shape and a much more direct, firm contact point.

To absorb the shock of the bow change, think of your fingers like the bristles of a broom or a paintbrush. As you bow from the heel to the tip (down-bow), the tips of your fingers lean to the left.

As you turn the bow around to go from the tip to the heel (up-bow), your fingers act like bristles, flexibly switching over to point to the right.

Finger isolation exercises

As you move into advanced playing, a smooth bow change relies on a subtle transfer of weight between all four fingers. To teach your hand the specific job of each finger, practice doing short bow changes while actively lifting different fingers off the stick:

1. Lift fingers 2 and 3: keep your 1st finger, pinky, and thumb on the bow. Practice pronating onto the 1st finger, and then supinating onto the pinky. This shows you how crucial these two outer fingers are for turning the bow.
2. Lift fingers 1 and 4: keep your 2nd finger, 3rd finger, and thumb on the bow. This is incredibly difficult to hold! It instantly proves how heavily we rely on the 1st finger for control and weight. Ensure the string is holding up the weight of the bow before you try this.
3. Lift fingers 3 and 4: keep your 1st finger, 2nd finger, and thumb on the bow.

By practicing these variations, you will train your hand to feel exactly what each finger needs to do, resulting in seamless, professional bow changes.