Re: violin bows

[Monika Feil <mfeil...>]

Hi Seth,

my name is Monika Feil, I am a klezmer fiddler based in Erlangen/Germany and
I am a lover of the old eastern European klezmer violin style. I want to
tell you my personal thoughts on violin bows in klezmer music:  I grew up
with a very light bow, but when I got more familiar with klezmer I bought a
very heavy one. The tone of my light bow is too soft for klezmer I think. I
intend to play a rough tone, non legato, and that´s better to do with a
heavy bow. Of course the light bow is easier to hold and play and a heavier
one needs more effort in playing. A heavier one sounds also better when you
play kontra (accompanyment), but this is strenuos when you play this a
longer time in the classical position - the bow has to move nearly
horizontally on the lower strings. I think the reason why the old (and some
contemporary) klezmer kontra fiddlers - and Balkan kontra players until
today - hold the instrument at the chest is that the bow then can move
vertically with the force of gravity - that´s much easier for the bow hand
and the tone gets a lot of power by less effort. I recently have started to
play the accompanyment that way. It needs a little exercise but is very
worthwhile.
So in my eyes one should find a compromise between playing a relatively
heavy bow but light enough according to the own personal skills.
So - that are my personal thoughts. Maybe there are other opinions out
there?

Monika


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: "Seth Austen" <klezmusic (at) earthlink(dot)net>
An: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Gesendet: Dienstag, 9. April 2002 00:57
Betreff: Re: violin bows


> I am seeking advice/comments/opinions from other fiddlers/violinists on
the
> list. What type of violin bow do you prefer for playing klezmer? Heavier
or
> lighter? Any particular style of bow, such as Sartory, etc? Reasons why
you
> prefer what you use and how it might lend itself to playing klezmer?
>
> Inquiring minds want to know. I presently have a number of very nice
violin
> bows on trial, one of which is going to move in and live here with me.
I've
> pretty well narrowed it down to a couple, one on the heavier side, the
other
> lighter, they both play well and sound good (subjectively, according to my
> playing level at any given moment) for different reasons.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Seth
>
> --
> Seth Austen
>
> http://www.sethausten.com
> emails: seth (at) sethausten(dot)com
> klezmusic (at) earthlink(dot)net
>
>
>

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