[Kvmceff]

Wow aren’t you having fun!!!

[Kvmceff]

Kelly, Gosh it sounds really great to me. What I do notice is your left hand seems tense and your wrist looks like it is a tad kinked. Now that could be the angle of the camera, but I am thinking your elbow is the issue. Try this with your elbow a tad more under the violin and not as close to your body. Let your arm hang loosely with your fingers on the fingerboard. You may find it better to stand while you play. Also playing with both feet on the ground as you sit, will help you get a more balanced posture which will increase fluidity. Again, I think you sound very good.

[Kvmceff]

Holy cats this is amazing!!!

[Kvmceff]

Weird. It’s there when I look no matter which of my devices I use. Any ideas on how to fix?

[Kvmceff]

Here’s my first video. Haven’t figured out all the particulars yet. Hope it’s ok to jump on what you started as mine is 14 day challenge too.

Karen

[Kvmceff]

Look at you. Very organized and documenting your goals. Bowing looks pretty good to me. Do some very slow long strokes from frog to tip and see what happens. As you get all the way to the frog it will force your wrist to bend in order for the bow to stay perpendicular to the strings. Doing it slowly will train the wrist to make this bend. Your elbow and shoulder will also make some movement to accommodate. Then notice that even the greats are not always, all the time, exactly perpendicular to the string. We are human and it is normal. If the tone suffers — you know you are too far off the perpendicular.

[Kvmceff]

Beautiful tone!

[Kvmceff]

Way to go! Thanks for motivating me to get this done. . . but it probably won’t be until tomorrow.

[Kvmceff]

Cute and fun. Great start . . .

[Kvmceff]

Welcome. Can’t wait to see a video from you!

[Kvmceff]

Cool!

[Kvmceff]

Awesome video. You play in tune very well. You have excellent form. You are holding the bow correctly. You are well on your way. I see a little vibrato in there too. You have the foundation to be a very good fiddler.

[Kvmceff]

It will come when the hand memorizes where it is supposed to be in relation to the fiddle. My palm touches the body of the fiddle and that feeling is how I know where I am.

Also doing one finger scales helps teach the hand and ear. You can just do open, first finger, move first to where 2nd would fall, move 1st to where 3rd would fall (if were still in first position) and check with open string. Then go back down (instead of completing the entire scale).

[Kvmceff]

That’s been happening to me too. So I’m learning to check in with my box elbow and see if it is too high for the string I am on. I also heard one teacher say to aim for the back of the left foot. I think that was meaning that perfectly straight bow might mean the arm is different ( has a different aim/angle) on the lower strings vs. the higher strings.

And finally I have checked to make sure I have proper rosin on the bow and that my strings are wiped fairly clean. You can use wipes for eye glasses every once and awhile, but cover the fiddle so nothing drips on the finish. Otherwise a dry cloth after every session on the fiddle is a good way to keep strings and fiddle clean.

[Kvmceff]

Sounds good and the finger motion is spot on. Working to keep the wrist in the ‘normal’ playing space/plane is the next step. Right now you have an extra motion to tense the wrist and bend it. It’s all part of the learning process. Keep the wrist relaxed and you are there!!

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