Bowing Tip: Use the classical grip.

At any gathering of fiddlers, you will see a variety of methods for holding the bow. Some players have only a couple of fingers over the top of the stick; others hold the bow closer to the mid-point than the end. Not all of these methods are good. I have noticed that if a player is getting really good tone, especially on slower pieces with longer notes, he is almost certainly using the classical grip. This means that the bow is held near the end (at the frog), the tip of the thumb touches the stick at the pad and is used as a pivot point, and all four fingers rest on the top of the stick in a relaxed way. This is necessary because you need both the first and little fingers to control the bow properly. The first finger's job is to apply downward pressure when the contact point is near the tip of the bow. The tip of the little finger must be near the very end of the bow (for the adult hand maybe 1.5 to 2 inches from the end) to counter balance the weight of the stick when the contact point is near the bow hand. These things are essential for good tone, and they can't happen if the bow is held with some kind of "shortened" grip, or if only a couple of fingers are on the stick. I have heard people say that the best way to hold the bow is the way that feels most comfortable. Not true. Consider this: The bow was designed to be held with the classical grip. If you want to get the most out of it, use it as it was designed to be used.

BTW: I am well aware that some fiddlers don't want to do anything the way classical players do it. If you feel this way, you need to chill. Just steal the classical grip from the symphony players and tell people you learned it from your uncle in Appalachia.