I didn't know about the tightening of the hair with thumb pressure in Baroque bows. Thank you for that!

Thank you for that feedback! I'm glad you resolved the issues preventing your best vibrato.

@@violinlab Thank you for all you do! I discovered you and your channel through Lora Lynn Staples, and I am VERY glad she recommended you!

That's what I love to hear! That was my hope!

I love that! Enjoy is the perfect word!

Aww, thank you Jessica. And thank you for being a Violin Labber.♥️

I totally agree, Hannah. Teaching adults makes me have to reflect so much on precision of words.

Wow, thank you!

You're so welcome! Do consider giving Violinlab.com a visit. I have an abundance of resources and cohesive lessons to help you recover your skills.

I really do!

You're very welcome!

Thanks! I'm not familiar with her work, but will look it up.

You are welcome!

Thank you so much ♥️

You're very welcome!

That's great! It's a part of bow technique that is under appreciated.

Thank you so much!

You are very welcome

Glad it was helpful!

I play on a 7/8ths too! I could never go back!

@@violinlab When I was thinking to change my violin there was attitude from people that adult must play full size. The good thing my hesitation was that my local luthier found me a beautiful JTL made in 1900 for 2500€ to me it´s good for the rest of my life. It make me think how many people stop playing for not hawin support or information for the 7/8 size.

@@kirsitahtinen9968yes I’ve never heard of that before! My mind is blown! Good to know. I don’t think I need it, but I wonder about my teacher who is a pretty small person.

Oh, Sue, thank you for the kind endorsement. It makes me so happy to hear your daughter is improving!

Kevin, I'm glad you had that epiphany. Observing what "real" playing looks like is very powerful. I hope your bow technique has improved since then.

@@MishaSkripach if that was true, all right handers would be playing left handed. If we reverse the point, if all right handers were told 'sorry, but you have to learn left handed', I am sure it would not take long before someone asked 'why?' If your child came home from school complaining that they have to learn violin left handed, you would rightly think it was wrong or at least inconvenient and slightly unfair. I believe music should be inclusive and not exclusive. Yes, it can be an issue in orchestra, but there have been some lefties who have played in orchestra, but for all other genres and even ensembles, left handedness is not an issue. And how many players actually end up in orchestra? Probably a tiny percentage. Left handed violin is extremely sparse for instruments and even worse for shoulder rests and chin rests. I do not believe it should be that way. If the violin community opened up a little, more left handers would start playing and it would eventually become commercially viable. It happened with guitars, there is no reason for it not to happen with violin and strings. And yes, it is a bee in my bonnet! ;))

@@MishaSkripach Richard Barth 1863-1867; Paavo Berglund 1929-2012 and Rudolph Kolisch (re-learned left handed after an accident) 1896-1978; Terje Mo Hansen... the list goes on, all left handers... You are probably right about the vast majority of adult learners not ever making it to virtuoso level, but I don't think that is the point. The point is to have joy in your life, regardless of ability. If making music brings you joy, what is the problem? There is EVERY point in buying a left handed violin, I have been playing left handed guitars for 50 years! Why would I burden myself with a right handed violin? It is nonsense. It is beyond my comprehension why some people are so violently against it. My father was also left handed and was forced at school to write with his right hand. Society has evolved from those times and we don't force people to do that any more because it is senseless. My playing left handed does no harm and makes no difference to anyone. Ever. Let us celebrate the joy of difference and be inclusive. Today I am 65 years old, I will NEVER be a virtuoso or even professionally capable on the violin. I really don't care. I LOVE playing and I LOVE music and making music. Being told I am being pointless in buying a left handed violin is frankly laughable. Light and love to you. xxx

@@MishaSkripach beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When I see someone play who is learning or not sounding good but are full of passion and love and trying their best, it is beautiful to me. Standards are relative. This is not an excuse, it is a plain fact. A left handed car is not a creative pastime, it has nothing to do with expression or life long learning. Consider this... why are there so few left handed violinists? The answer is very simple. It is because historically they have never been allowed. A mix of snobbery and perhaps manufacturing practicality along with a cup of prejudice eliminated them from the right handed tribe majority. 'Be like us or leave' mentality. You also cite arm articulation, dexterity and muscle development being the same for a left hander playing right handed. A right hander uses the dominant arm for the bow. Therefore a left hander using the dominant arm for the bow has exactly the same learning curve as a right hander. It is a null argument. Your need for pure excellence and nothing else leaves me cold and I will continue to torture my friends, family and neighbours for as long as I am able to pick up an instrument. Fortunately, you will never suffer my playing. I hope you have joy somewhere in your life, it is certainly not in the spirit of creativity of expression.

@@MishaSkripach one more thing.... I applaud you for learning to write right handed. Well done! But you had a choice, didn't you? ;))

I think the meaning here is strength internal to the finger itself, as opposed to bringing in opposing muscles which could be very counterproductive.

I hope so. I have another video on my KZfaq channel "Getting rid of unwanted bounces" that might help as well. Good luck!

I'm happy this helped!

Thank you for your affirming comment!

Very true, and this is a particular issue for adults, who are have developed brilliant minds. An adult understands the concepts so easily and then wonders why they can't just "do them". Our muscles and the nerves that control them are not as quick as our intellect, unfortunately.

It's great you are observant and pick up on these details!

Good for you! I am astounded sometimes how how wonderful players have totally unique left hand set ups. As long as it's relaxed and gets the job done, who cares! Having said that, there are certainly best practices that applies to most hands.

@@violinlab Absolutely. I start from what is considered or taught as the correct way. I didn't want to have to unlearn bad habits. The ways that are taught usually have a specific reason for doing things. Avoiding injury, greater ease, speed or accuracy being just a few. When you begin 5 decades after most players, one (me) is no longer nimble. There are days or a couple weeks that I don't pick up my fiddle because I know the outcome will be really bad sounds and/or pain. But I look at my music several times a day. I sing & air bow just to work out the rhythm, sometimes even with the metronome. I use the time to mark, I have my own color/symbol system for things like for STOP PICKING UP FINGER 2 or 🤔 4th or open? Which is efficient. Some times I'll just pick the notes like a mandolin just to become familiar then when my knuckles are better, I can put more attention to intonation and bowing because I know the notes. I absolutely love it that now, listening to a recording of professional fiddle players I can hear things like a roll, a hammerdown or a double up bow. I would never have this if it weren't for people like you who take the time to put this up. I hope you truly understand what a gift it is and how much joy and a sense of accomplishment your efforts afford people like me. Thank you.

Beth, I’m a 72 year old beginner, have watched several of your KZfaq videos, and I think so far, this might be the best one. Thank you for these tips!

You're correct in that one needs a nice heavy arm to produce good sounds on the lower strings of a viola, but you would still tilt the bow. Watch the hair as you add weight. Even with a tilt, more pressure will flatten the hair so that all the hair can contact the string, but the tilt somehow miraculously "cleans up" the sound. Concentrate more on dropping the shoulder deep into the socket.

Thanks! I'm using a Wave from wavechinrest.com

Marie, I would advise trying all sorts of sponges that might offer more stability yet give you the freedom you enjoy of not having the shoulder pad. The acoustagrip is not bad.

@@violinlab I’ll look into it. Thank you! 😊