We would love to hear from you!

Harriette Einolf: Your bow hold buddy was a big help to me in changing my bow grip. Is there any way that you wold sell just the small "fish" part that places the little finger on the bow?

Note from Ruth: The Hold Fish tm pinky supports are now available in Concert Black, Frosty Clear, Bright Blue, Golden Yellow, and Sparkly Pink! Look for web update soon.

Jody Harmon: I have a student who could never get his bow hold right, no matter what I tried with him - we had been spending way too much lesson time on it, week after week. It didn't help that he is very left handed and extremely double jointed. By the middle of any piece, his bow hold would collapse, and he'd lose control. Anyway, we tried your Bow Hold Buddy - and voila! he now can hold his bow correctly - and use long bow strokes! Thank you!

Kurt Sussmanshaus: We recently tried the bow hold buddies from Strings 4 Things with a few beginners as well as intermediate players.
They worked great!
For those who could already play, the necessary bow hold corrections were done very quickly.
They practiced with the bow hold buddies at home, and the new habits formed effortlessly.
For beginners, they provided an easy and safe introduction to an excellent bowhold.
I have been known to be skeptical with regard to gadgets - but not here.
These bow hold buddies (and cellophants) work great, and we will keep using them!
_________________
Prof.S

Anita Gustafson: Can it be used by young violinists who put their thumbs on the bottom side of the frog?

Response from Ruth Brons:

Hi Anita,


For thirty years I had young beginners in my studio put their
thumbs on the bottom to help give them a little more power, but mostly so
it was easier for me to see what their thumb doing.
It took a lot of monitoring, and the kids hated how confusing it was when
I moved them to the "advanced" bow hold.

I no longer have my young beginners put their thumb on the bottom of the
frog, as the Bow Hold Buddies[tm] accessory makes it so easy for them to
get their thumb flexed and in the right spot.
I have students as young as 3 using the accessory, with great success.
I do have one student who had started with the thumb on the bottom last
year, before the accessories were available, who for a while liked to
sneak her thumb out of the accessory and back to it's old spot on the frog
bottom -- so it IS possible, to answer your question.

Randy Sandstrom: At first I let other people tell me " What a useless piece of Junk ! " But I figure I am 48 years old and know nothing about playing a violin and need all the help I can find. I am teaching myself how to play. I ordered the 2 color set and 3 days later I installed it to my most used bow of 3 and will test it out tonight at a old fashion jam teaching workshop. When a new color comes out I will order AGAIN and give my son the older set because he starts strings in high school in the 2011 year ( bet the teacher has never seen this idea before)!

Mike: 70 yrs old. Just bought a violin. I hope this product will help. Its difficult to learn if I am holding the bow correctly as there are no violin teachers in this rural area to teach me and correct my mistakes.

Janice Tucker Rhoda: I must tell you, one of my students came to my adult violin class at Cambridge Center for Adult Ed here in Massachusetts with your Bow Hold Buddie tonight!
Wow!!
What a difference in her bow hold!!!
So relaxed and excellent form.
We all tried it and loved it!!
Bravo on your invention! It works!!!!

Janice Tucker Rhoda
Author of the "ABC's of Strings"

Laurie Lafleur: I am a violinist myself, and recently started trying to teach my 4 year old son to play.

My biggest struggle with him was his bow hold... he would clutch the bow in what could only be referred to as a death grip. No amount of coaching, demonstrations, or even physical intervention seemed to be helping... until I ordered the bow hold buddy! The change was INSTANT!

I was amazed at how fast his white knuckled fist turned into a perfect, RELAXED bow hold! Within minutes he was picking up the bow himself, with all fingers placed perfectly.

My only regret is that there isn't a 'bow arm buddy' or a 'fingerboard buddy' ... lol.

Fantastic product! Thank you thank you!

Heather Rivera-Torres: I'm excited to receive this product to try with my students. I've long thought someone should invent something like this!
Thanks!

susan day: I purchased your bow hold buddies at the national ASTA convention in California and have been trying them out on my students in my 5th grade string class. They all want to use them and we take turns each day. I've noticed immediate results with some of the kids that had very strange bow holds before and are feeling the proper way to hold the bow now after just a few times. It's truly amazing and I think you are going to revolutionize string teaching! I wish each child would get one with their instrument when they rent their instrument for the first time. It would save so much time, which can be used to learn the other aspects of playing, not to have to constantly correct the hold. I play in an adult orchestra with many teachers. I brought the bow buddies last night (on the bows) and passed them around and everyone was so taken with them...! Word will spread quickly with such a valuable and fun invention! Thank you!