Accidentals? Options

[Terra]

I really need some tips on how to play them. As soon as I try and release preasure my bow bounces or sounds aweful. I know that your meant to release the preasure but I'm not quite sure how it's meant to be done. There is a whole week before my next lesson and i didn't have any progress with it last week. Any tips?
Thanks,
Terra.x

[river]

i'm not sure quite what you mean by pressure--playing an accidental is the same as playing a normal note, you just put your finger in a different place. hm... do you mean harmonics? (where you rest your finger lightly on the string, and get a higher note with a more whispy kind of sound.)

[Terra]

>.> I meant accents.

[river]

i've always accented by just pressing down the index finger, and using a slightly faster bow stroke. but i'm just a fiddler, you should listen to someone with a clue about actual technique instead ;-)

i'm guessing your teacher wants you to press a bit lighter for the non-accented notes, so the accent has a chance to stand out?

[Terra]

i've always accented by just pressing down the index finger, and using a slightly faster bow stroke. but i'm just a fiddler, you should listen to someone with a clue about actual technique instead ;-)

i'm guessing your teacher wants you to press a bit lighter for the non-accented notes, so the accent has a chance to stand out?

Yes but every time I try my bow bounces.

[river]

is it possible your bow is too loose? that can make it prone to unwanted bouncing. try resting it on the strings in the middle, and press down with your index finger; you should be just able to make the hair touch the string. (avoid over-tightening it, though, as you can damage the bow.)

generally, you don't want it too light when you're playing normally; you need enough contact to make a good sound. the easiest way to accent is to arrive at the accented note on an upbow; these tend to be slightly more accented anyway, and it's easy to just press down the index finger a little. try playing two notes, say D-A (open strings), over and over, starting up a downbow for the D, and see if you can make the A stand out; if you exaggerate the the motion, you should be able to make the bow fly off the string around the middle. (but don't actually play it like that! -- also, be careful that the bow doesn't actually fly out of your hand; it happens.)

actually, one of my favourite fiddle ornaments is that sort of accent, followed by a double stop or drone near the frog... but now i'm rambling.

[piano*cello*sax*boy]

Would it not be easier to accent with a down bow, and then use the weight of the arm to accent note, and thus stop the bow from bouncing. Also add pressure to your index fingure, and keep it there until your on the next note, this should stop your bow from bouncing as well.

[iona]

From a 'cellist's perspective, I'm just wondering if you're currently giving more thought to the release than you are to the pressure. An accent can be achieved with only slight pressure of the bow hand. Maybe you're squeezing down into the string tightly and either stopping the momentum of the bow at the same time or thrusting the bow so fast it's bouncing out of control. It's hard to say without seeing you in action.

Try thinking of articulation in 3 stages: pressure, release, thrust.

The chief digit (the main articulator) here is the first finger. It's the first finger (in the main) that transfers power from the arm into the stick. All the other fingers play their part too, but you need to experiment with the balance of these fingers on the stick and the amount of pressure you need to exert to make the bow catch the string. Often, it isn't very much at all. It can be very subtle.

One tip might be to try using just your first finger on the bow.Play some detached strokes until you can grasp the feel of the first finger doing its job,. Then add the other fingers gently behind, and try to feel how they are balancing and counterbalancing the action. You might find that your control over the bow increases and the rebound isn't so great.

Gently does it.

( If I've unintentionally given advice here that doesn't work well with the violin - I assume you;re a violinist -I hope someone will correct me. Although 'cello bowing is different in some ways, it also has it similarities I'm sure.)