Thread the Needle

One thing you have to get used to when you're bowing your cello is this whole "3 dimensions" thing.  I've mentioned in a previous post that you need to bow at such an angle that you don't accidentally brush against the next string over - harmony is not what I'm looking for.

Another concept that Dr. Charlotte mentioned (with good reason) is that you don't want to let your bow slide up or down on the string as it's moving from side to side.

Eventually, this is a skill that I'd need to have.  For example, moving the bow closer to the bridge makes the sound louder, and closer to the fingerboard quieter.  However, right now I need to be working on fine motor control not volume.

Thus, when I downbow, my wrist needs to travel out at just such an angle that it keeps the bow solely on the intended string, and also as close to a perpendicular angle from the string so it doesn't pull the bow off course.  It's a bit like threading a needle.

Of course, I also continue to work on getting my left hand fingering to work, which is even harder.  At the risk of mixing my metaphors - if bowing is like finding a needle in a haystack, fingering is finding a needle in a stack of needles.

I need to practice.