Play through the example again, but this time, after placing your bow on the string, stop for a second to relax the pinky. Then transfer weight to the front side of the hand, becoming conscious of the natural cling (the weight of the bow and hand against the string). Take a deep breath, and then start the stroke. What was the difference in your bow sound?

“The motions of the bow strokes actually parallel the natural actions of body muscles,” she says. “Body muscles alternate between contracting and relaxing in order to perform all the tasks demanded of them. Similarly, each different type of bow stroke is made up of a different set of tension and relaxation steps.”

Try Example 2, this time using a staccato bowing. Play through the line, keeping tension in your pinky. Notice the strained, unmusical sound of the stopped bow stroke.

Now play through the staccato line again, this time releasing any pinky tension in your hand first. Suggests Vaning-Rosen, “Press your first finger (using tension) on the bow before playing the staccato note, and release it immediately when the bow stroke starts, to get a good ‘bell-tone,’ ‘ka’ sound. Continue to press and relax for each staccato note.

“It’s essential to identify and remove any negative tension from your hand to master the different bowing skills. Excess tension in the hand can even cause a bow to bounce when you start a legato stroke. Try as much as possible to not lift the bow off the string. Make sure after any small lift of the bow that you do not tense up your hand when your bow returns to the string.

“Once the initial awareness of removing unwanted tensions from the hand is accomplished,” Vaning-Rosen continues, “the next level of training involves achieving springlike bow-hand motions. Ivan Galamian, in his book The Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching, describes the action and the function of bow-arm technique as ‘based on a system of springs.’ (Springlike motion is essentially gathering energy into an object and then releasing it.) In order for the body’s natural springs to work, the muscles and joints must be flexible.”

Vaning-Rosen advocates this basic exercise to demonstrate the springlike motions of the bow hand: Place your bow hand in the air in front of you and make a fist, bending back your fingers and your wrist (see Figure 1a, below).

Then relax your hand, straightening out your fingers (see Figure 1b, below).

That’s not what most people mean by the term “handspring,” but it does show you the natural springing motions of your hand—and, by the way, in its relaxed state, your hand is in a prime position for grasping the bow.

Understanding this concept of tension, relaxation, and flexibility is the hard part. Once you’ve got it, you can start a progression of drills like those in Vaning-Rosen’s book with which, in her words, “any student can master smooth bow changes and a plethora of more advanced strokes.

“Great artists appear to play effortlessly, with their music just pouring forth,” she adds. “Achieving this effortlessness starts with the bow arm’s ability to control tension and use relaxation, thus allowing the natural energy of the body’s motions to carry one’s music forth."