Sheila Graves entered the violin business in 1983. She owned her own shop G&G Violins in Sioux City, Iowa. In addition, she has worked for Wall Violin Shop in Sioux City, Kenneth Stein Violins in Chicago, Sioux Falls Music Company, and Claire Givens Violins in Minneapolis. She has studied violin repair with Hans Nebel. Sheila has been a guest lecturer for the Suzuki Association of the Americas national conventions and was a consultant for the development of the Coda Custom Aspire and Custom NX violin bows. Currently, Sheila works at House of Note in Minneapolis specializing in selling and appraising instruments and bows in the violin family. She is a member of the Violin Society of America. Sheila holds a degree in viola performance from Northwestern University.
Q and A: Why does my bow bounce?
Question: Hi, I've played violin for about 15 years. When doing long bow strokes, especially on open E, I get a little bounce in the middle of the stroke/bow. Normally don't notice it in the middle of a passage, especially with vibrato "hiding" it. I try to keep my arm and wrist totally relaxed, but I still get a little bounce that breaks up a smooth phrase. Any advice? Thanks
Answer: This could be caused by your bow. Every bow does this to some extent, the problem is when you can actually hear it. When a bow is tightened too much it can become bouncy and hard to control. Check the stick of the bow to see if it is warping in one direction or another. If it is warped, have the stick straightened by a qualified luthier. A good luthier can also adjust the camber on your bow to minimize the bounciness. If you find that nothing works to control this problem it might be time to look for a different bow.
Answer: This could be caused by your bow. Every bow does this to some extent, the problem is when you can actually hear it. When a bow is tightened too much it can become bouncy and hard to control. Check the stick of the bow to see if it is warping in one direction or another. If it is warped, have the stick straightened by a qualified luthier. A good luthier can also adjust the camber on your bow to minimize the bounciness. If you find that nothing works to control this problem it might be time to look for a different bow.
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