Most of us get preoccupied and bogged down with our left hand because it seems like our left hand has a heck of a lot more to do than our right doesn’t it? Our left fingers have to strike and lift with precision and that’s where all the music is coming from isn’t it??

Or is it?

The reality is that all our sound comes from the bow. You can do whatever you want with your left hand, but apart from some left hand pizz, you’re not producing much sound without a bow.

And not only that, but all our rhythm comes from the bow too! 

If you were at the last Masterclass, maybe you’ll remember how whenever I prompted someone to “mentally prioritize your bow,” suddenly their rhythm, clarity and often intonation seemed to suddenly materialize. 

Here’s your challenge this week:

Pick a piece or étude you’ve been working on (or pick an old piece you haven’t looked at for a while), andprioritize your bow with your mind. Let your bow the the “boss” and lead. Approach this exercise from a place of curiosity and non-judgment. Just a simple question of, “I wonder what will happen when I try this?” 

Let me know how it goes!