The formula for legato playing

The formula for legato playing (continuous sound):

1)  Leave room for up bows & down bows

2) Keep your bow on the string

2) Keep your bow moving

3) Apply consistent arm weight

Let’s talk about each one:

1) Leave room for up-bows and down-bows: Too often I see student’s perform with their bow at the extreme end of the frog, which does not leave room for up-bows.  If you play more in the middle of the bow, you have room to complete both up and down bows evenly.  You don’t have to play dead center in the middle, just think about leaving room for the bow to move around both sides of you starting point (the balance point works great).

2) Keep the bow on the string: Once the bow leaves the string, the sound stops.  And the definition of legato is continuous sound! Often students habitually lift the bow at the ends of notes, especially on up-bows.  Once you can keep it on the string, you’re on your way.

3) Keeping the bow moving: As soon as we stop the bow, the sound stops.  So the bow must be perpetually moving either up or down, never stopped!

4) Apply consistent arm weight: Another bad habit is releasing our arm weight at the ends of notes.  This is akin to lifting the bow off the string–it degrades the quality of the sound.  At this point we have to regrip the note, and why grip the note every time when you can just do it once?  Applying consistent, relaxed arm weight allows the bow to effectively grip the string and vibrate, creating a big, rich, clear fundamental tone.  So think about “bearing down” your relaxed arm weight into the string, never letting up for a second, especially when you are changing the direction of the bow.  If you have trouble with this, you can even practice giving a little more weight during the bow change until it becomes natural.

***Notice how using more bow or a faster bow is not part of the formula!  It does not matter how much bow you use or how fast you move the move, as long as the bow is perpetually moving and you’re using enough weight.  It is possible (and even preferred) to play extremely legato using only a few inches of bow.  Practice using less bow and slowing your bow down while working on your legato.  Once you do this you’ll have a great grasp on legato playing on top of a great sound.