A Beginner’s Guide to Tuning Your Cello
Tuning should be the first activity you complete with your cello every day, or every time you get the instrument out. Here's a beginner's guide to tuning your cello.
INSTRUMENTS, BOWS, & GEAR
REVIEWS
Book Review: ‘Jacksons, Monk & Rowe and the Brodsky Quartet: The Formative Years’ is an Uninhibited Romp
Jacqueline Thomas’ chronicle of her life, art, and work as member of the Brodsky Quartet takes her up through the quartet’s first commercial recording in 1984.
Sheet Music Review: Arrangements by Wolfgang Birtel Offer Charming Repertoire to Various Cello Ensembles
Here are three in a series of over 50 books arranged by Wolfgang Birtel for two, three, and four cellos, including pieces by Scott Joplin, Edward Elgar, and Angel G. Villoldo.
Sheet Music Review: ‘Solo Time for Violin, Books 1, 2 & 3’ Ranges from Baroque to Modern
With 16 carefully graded pieces in each book of Solo Time for Violin, repertoire ranges from the Baroque to modern and introduces various styles and techniques for the developing performer.
HOW TO
These stories offer advice, instruction, tips, and tricks to help you grow as a string player.
Conquering Coordination Through Broken-Rhythm Patterns
By Grigory Kalinovsky
One of the most common problems encountered by string players in virtuoso pieces is the coordination between the bow ... Read More...
ESSENTIAL HISTORICAL RECORDINGS
Essential Historical Recordings: Violinist Szymon Goldberg Escaped Nazi Germany to Forge a Long, Fruitful Career
He eschewed extravagance and obviousness in his playing. But for the attentive listener, his art was full of energy, drama and sheer brilliance of musical conception.
Essential Historical Recordings: Violinist Yehudi Menuhin’s Unparalleled Tonal Purity
Menuhin scaled the most exalted artistic heights, producing tones of unparalleled purity and nobility from his fiddle. Said Einstein upon hearing him, “Now I know there is a God in heaven."
LATEST STORIES
A Beginner’s Guide to Tuning Your Cello
Tuning should be the first activity you complete with your cello every day, or every time you get the instrument out. Here's a beginner's guide to tuning your cello.
7 Things to Teach Beginning String Students
Here are 7 areas string teachers should emphasize if their students are to become well-rounded people with a deeper appreciation of how music works and why it’s so important.
Cellist HAUSER Debuts New Video for “Phantom of the Opera”
Cellist HAUSER of 2Cellos has released a new single and video for "The Phantom of the Opera."
Sprig of That is Cultivating a Genre-Jumping String Sound with Violin, Guitar, and Tabla
Sprig of That combines original compositions and diverse musical influences with an unusual instrumentation of violin, guitar, and tabla.
Why Violinist Mia Asano’s First Piece, “Lunar,” is Back On Her Music Stand
Says violinist Mia Asano about her composition, "Lunar:" "A big goal of mine is to perform more original music at my shows and this piece was a milestone release for me."
A Four-Day Festival Supports Each Member’s Passions for the Momenta Quartet
The Momenta Quartet's annual Momenta Festival—four consecutive concerts, each one curated by a different member of the quartet—is their antidote to programming constraints from presenters.
‘The Martinů Cello Sonatas’ Takes Johannes Moser Through a Thorny Sonata Trilogy
“It’s really not everyday repertoire,” admits Cellist Johannes Moser of his recordings of Martinů's cello sonatas. “I discovered that these pieces have such variety and depth."
7 Tips on Developing Beautiful Vibrato
The key to developing good vibrato starts even before you play a single note. Here are 7 tips for developing a beautiful vibrato on cello that may also apply to viola and violin.
Playing it All: The Amateur Musical Life is Exactly What I Wanted
After I rediscovered my passion for cello, my kids' rock music teacher invited me to join his band. At first, I was unsure if I could do it, but here I am 3 years later, onstage playing cello with them and loving it.
Am I Too Old to Learn Violin?
Have you ever wondered if you're too old to play violin? The instrument is never off limits because of age. Here are some tips to get started on violin as an adult.
A Cellist’s Guide to Playing Arabic Music
In adapting the instrument for Arabic music, cellists have developed a complex set of techniques and approaches over the last century.
An Ode to London’s Barbican Centre, Celebrating 40 Years of Culture and Controversy
The Barbican Centre truly deserves its status as London’s leading destination for culture. As it celebrated its 40th year in 2022, the Centre has been having a bit of a moment.
Jazz Cellist Tomeka Reid on Developing Her Own Language of Improvisation
Forging a unique jazz sound that draws from a range of musical traditions, Tomeka Reid is a jazz cellist, composer, and improviser who was awarded one of 25 MacArthur Fellowships for 2022.
Coming Back to the Violin After Retirement Has Offered a Life Full of Rich Musical Experiences
Playing the fiddle and making music with my friends after retirement has added an element of passion and joy that I never expected at this stage of life.
Essential Historical Recordings: Pablo Casals Brought Bach’s Cello Suites to Light
Pablo Casals was a towering figure in the history of cello playing—at once artist, exponent, exemplar, and liberator.