Bow Exercises Suzuki Violin Book 1

Here is a partial list of the bow exercises I take students through to learn the bow skills in Suzuki Violin Book 1. I teach them one exercise at a time, then we play through them in lessons every week. When the list gets longer we choose a few of the exercises to master and take weeks off to do scales. The point is to make it enjoyable and beneficial, not to just get through it.

1. Rockets: make a nice bowhand; go up and down like a rocket slowly 4x.
2. Windshield Wipers: go back and forth turning your wrist and forearm like a wiper on a car 4x.
3. Cereal Bowls: make big circles like you are mixing a big bowl of your favorite cereal 4x.
4. Bow Taps: keep a relaxed bowhand, tap each finger 4x.
5. Regular (detache): play every string 4x keeping the bow straight.
6. Staccato (stop-bow): play every string 4x keeping the bow straight and stop between each bow stroke.
7. Bow Circles down bow: play every string 4x keeping the bow straight all down bow coming off the string and going back towards the frog.
8. Bow Circles up bow: Now, play every string 4x keeping the bow straight all up bow.
9. Crescendo: play each string 4x starting with small bow and then more and more each one.
10. Descrescendo: now play each string 4x starting with big bow and get smaller and smaller.

What are some exercises that you have been doing to learn the basics on the violin? Let me know if you have any questions about my list.