Violin Bow Technique
“This DVDROM is devised and played by Fintan Murphy, head of strings at Monash University School of Music in Australia. Murphy states that it can be used by players and teachers of violin and viola at all levels from beginner to professional – a bold claim, but it seems he’s right. The disc offers a comprehensive survey of bow technique, all the way through from finding a good, flexible bow hold through perfecting sautille and spiccato to improving tone production with advanced bowing techniques. Though there’s a daunting amount of information here to be worked on and absorbed – 130 video clips in 11 chapters, plus excerpts from scores – it’s set out clearly, with chapters broken down into short exercises or teaching points, and it’s all very easy to navigate through. The chapter headings themselves give some idea of the scope of the project: Bowhold, String Crossing, Chords, Planning and Practice, Bouncing Bowings, to name just five. And within Bouncing Bowings, to take one example, there are 19 separate exercises, such as ‘Lifting the Bow at the Heel’; ‘Introduction to Reflex Bowings’; ‘Introduction to Sautille’ and so on. The whole thing covers a lot of ground, and Murphy acknowledges his debt to four other pedagogues – Simon Fischer, Sheila Nelson, Kurt Sassmannshaus and Mimi Zweig – in some of the teaching exercises he uses. It does take some browsing to get your bearings, and the presentation style is sometimes quirky. I found the introductory screens to the chapters disconcerting, with lots of dense type in an offputtingly small font size. The video clips of Murphy demonstrating his teaching points are much more effective, and have handy settings for ‘slow motion’; so that you can get to grips with exactly what he’s doing, or ‘repeat’ if you want to keep practising the same exercise. The format of the clips, too, took some getting used to: for some, the spoken text is shown word-for-word on the right of the screen; for others, it’s vital to read the explanatory text before you play the video, though there’s no indication that you should do this. Once you’ve got over these idiosyncrasies, however, it’s invaluable stuff: Murphy’s filmed demonstrations and explanations are incisive, clear, beautifully recorded and well focused. The first couple of chapters, Bowhold and Bowing Fundamentals, offer a really good grounding in the different aspects of what the bowing arm should be doing. The more advanced exercises are equally worthwhile. Murphy has a knack of pinpointing the exact train of thought or muscle instruction that will unlock the secret of a particular bow stroke. After five minutes with his section on sautille bowings I felt a dramatic improvement in my control. The sheer man-hours of learning potential on the disc might seem overwhelming, but taken in small chunks, Fintan Murphy’s approach can’t fail to work magic.”
– Catherine Nelson. The Strad, Education Focus, p.120, September 2008