Discovering Torso As Basis of Bow Stroke Through Motion Study

For many players, learning to use the bow seems to clearly involve training the arm. In fact, the movement of the arm is initiated by the torso. The image of torso involvement might be likened to the wings of a butterfly in relation to the thorax.Our bodies open out in similar fashion and the arms are then weighted by the body where the movement stems. Because we can access the torso and back muscles we can have greater technical freedom than by focusing on training the arm movement alone. We can ultimately have greater control because we are able to balance the bow in relation to the back muscles. The should blade/wing then acts like a fulcrum, responding to the raising and lowering of the arm.


The following Motion Study facilitates initiating the bow stroke through the torso and assists in incorporating the torso when bowing. Although it an impractical fete one could, if necessary draw the bow from frog to tip using the torso to move the bow entirely. The swivel mobility in the waist is an aspect of this movement. In addition, similar to how a baseball player might throw a ball, involves one shoulder swiveling forward as the other shoulder pivots in the opposite direction, the two sides of the torso balance each other as the bow is drawn from frog to tip and back. This further enables the chest to open out as the strokes are played. Discovering that one can actually draw the entire length of the bow from frog to tip without even moving the arm enables players make a concrete connection with the use of the back. Making this discovery on a Kinesthetic level will ultimately lead to greater ease and naturalness in playing. One's sound will become like spun silk, as the bow caresses the string.

1. Have student position the violin for playing, violin resting on the shoulder, with contact points at the collar bone, shoulder and side of neck.
2. Have student take the bow and place it on the A string at the frog.
3. Stand in front of student and place right hand on scroll then gently move the violin scroll towards the right then left, allowing students upper body and torso to freely follow along in the direction initiated by teacher. In fact it’s possible to observe how the back swivels from the waist and hips as these movements are being initiated.
4. Encourage student to allow torso to be relaxed so left side of body can follow direction initiated by the teacher.
5. Encourage student to also observe the movements, noting the sensations in the back and shoulders.

6. In this way, student learns to access the torso as part of movement involved in bow stroke.
7. Repeat this action of gently moving the violin scroll to the left side of the student and then towards the right side of the body, observing that it’s possible to make a bow stroke entirely with the torso alone.
8. Allow student to try this movement without teacher’s assistance.
9. Then play naturally without trying to isolate the torso, from the frog to the middle and back a few times.
10. Observe whether the playing feels more comfortable then before the motion study. Observations cement the learning process.