VIDEO: 4 Principles for Smooth String Crossings

A core feature of my String Gym program is the weekly workout. During these workouts we spend a focussed hour on one technical or musical topic, often deconstructing the most basic techniques and building them back up from the ground floor.

A recent workout went in depth on string crossings. Now, I design these workouts for maximum benefit for my students, but every so often I realize that it’s also the workout I need in my own playing! I was surprised by how much better my own bow arm felt afterwards!

The workout got me thinking more about the basic principles of smooth string crossing: what are the essential ideas and exercises to craft a smooth bow arm? I distilled that hour-long workout until I had just twenty minutes of what I consider to be the fundamental ideas and etudes for building legato string crossing.

My hunch is that if you try the exercises in the video, you’ll find your bow moving quite a bit smoother than it did beforehand!

Click here to download a free PDF of the exercises in the video.