How It All Began: Inventing a bow accessory to speed learning

Ruth Brons had often improvised “pinky houses” for the wandering pinky fingers of her violin students. But in 2008, she went on a bow hold rampage with duct tape, improvising supports for three key fingers: the thumb, pinky and index. Students loved their “guaranteed perfect bow holds”, and Ruth was astonished at their relaxed hands. But within just a a week or two these temporary duct tape fixes started peeling off, and students complained the supports were stiff and ugly. Although many bow holds had already improved, Ruth promised her students she would look for a better solution.

Relaxed hands hold Violin,Viola & Cello bows better

Working with modeling compounds, Ruth came up with a two-part, universal-fit bow accessory. The first part positions and shapes the thumb, and separates the index and middle fingers. The second part shapes and supports the pinky and ring fingers. 

Ruth visited a rubber manufacturer, learned her devices could indeed be made, and got to work refining her idea and adding the finishing touch of the frog and fish designs!

Ruth and her mother, Martha Brons, master cello teacher, then worked together to come up with a support idea for cello, which underwent further refining back in Martha’s  studio. Both the Bow Hold Buddies® and CelloPhant® accessories, now Patented, are now manufactured of silicone rubber in the USA.   According to patent records, string teachers have been trying to make holding the bow easier for students for over 125 years. Neither Ruth or Martha cannot even imagine not having this valuable teaching tool available in their own studios now!