Strings Magazine | For players of violin, viola, cello, bass & fiddle

Violinist Johnny Gandelsman’s ‘This Is America: An Anthology 2020–2021’ Reflects the Nation’s Experience

LA Phil conductor Gustavo Dudamel, composer John Williams, and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter take a bow onstage

Concert Review: LA Phil’s Opening Night Celebrates the Music of John Williams with Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter

Violinist Francesca Dego and Conductor Sir Roger Norrington’s Mozart Concertos Are a Fresh Take Based on Historical Resources

INSTRUMENTS, BOWS, & GEAR

Fancy Rib Inlays Are a Satisfying Bit of Extra Work in the Violin-Making Process

Carving fancy rib inlays on a violin isn’t a sound requirement. It is extra work. It has little bearing on the functionality of the violin. But it is artistically satisfying.

stringed instrument bows and pernambuco tree

State of the Heart(wood): With Pernambuco Conservation Efforts Underway, Makers Search for Other Bow-Wood Options

CodaBow’s Escent Offers Advanced Players a Versatile Tool

Remembering Legendary Louisiana Fiddler Edius Naquin’s Unique Instrument

instrument re-graduation label inside violin

The Tricky Topic of Instrument Re-graduation

close-up-of-Major-Bling-Fine-Tuner-Swarovski-Crystal-by-blingtuners

How to Add a Little Sparkle to Your Stringed Instrument

REVIEWS

Violinist Johnny Gandelsman’s ‘This Is America: An Anthology 2020–2021’ Reflects the Nation’s Experience

Violinist Johnny Gandelsman of the Brooklyn Rider quartet creates a musical time capsule on This Is America: An Anthology 2020–2021, with 22 commissioned works from across the nation.

Concert Review: LA Phil’s Opening Night Celebrates the Music of John Williams with Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter

The LA Phil's 2022 opening gala featured violin soloist Anne-Sophie Mutter and John Williams taking the baton celebrating the composer turning 90 this year.

Concert Review: Cellist Inbal Segev’s Athleticism and Artistry on Full Display with California Symphony

Inbal Segev’s athleticism is on display with the California Symphony as well as her artistry as she navigates the cello’s tightrope upper registers down to its throaty, resonant depths.

HOW TO

These stories offer advice, instruction, tips, and tricks to help you grow as a string player.

Beyond the Music: Tips on Physical Motion and Pain Avoidance for Adult Amateur String Players

You can have the best instrument, the best bow, and great technique, but it doesn't mean a thing if you can't physically play. That's why i... Read More...

Approaching Rhythm in Édouard Lalo’s Sonata for Cello & Piano in A minor

Violin Sound Production: Tips on Tone

Learn Traditional Scottish Ornamentation

An Insider’s Guide to Violin Labels

4 Ways to Achieve Masterful Bowing Dynamics

ESSENTIAL HISTORICAL RECORDINGS

Essential Historical Recordings: The Tragically Short Lives of Gifted Violin Stars Hassid, Renardy, & Sitkovetsky

By Sasha Margolis When the thirty-year-old violinist Ginette Neveu perished in a plane crash in 1949, the music world experienced a deep... Read More...

Essential Historical Recordings: Joseph and Lillian Fuchs Elevated the Violin-Viola Duo Repertoire

Together, Joseph and Lillian fostered the culture of chamber music in America, in particular elevating the violin-viola duo repertoire.

LATEST STORIES

classroom accessibility photo of wheelchair and photo of violin

Inclusive and Accessible String Programs: How to Create a Classroom Where All Feel Welcome

It’s more important than ever for string classrooms to be places where disabled students are welcomed, included, and supported just the same as their peers.

All Motions Great & Small: How to Practice String-Crossing Technique for Bariolage

“Bariolage” is a French word for a bowing technique that involves rapid changing of strings, often between open strings and “stopped” strings—that is, strings with the fingers down.

State of the Heart(wood): With Pernambuco Conservation Efforts Underway, Makers Search for Other Bow-Wood Options

Pernambuco is renowned as the perfect wood for making bows. What many string players don’t realize is that pernambuco is becoming increasingly rare.

Wadada Leo Smith’s String Quartets Offer Players the Chance to Find Their Own Way

Presenting a roiling assortment of people, events, and landmarks in American history, composer Wadada Leo Smith’s string quartets have been gaining wider notice.

tamarack arts online music lesson screenshot

Tamarack Arts Is a Program For Adult Learners That Insists On Taking Them Seriously

Tamarack Arts is year-round, nonprofit music education program aimed at providing “conservatory-level” instruction and programming for adult musicians at all levels.

how to develop structure and flexibility in your bow hold

Developing Structure and Flexibility in Your Bow Hold

Awareness of the bow arm is key to improving tone and technique—and it all begins with the bow hold. Here's how to develop structure and flexibility in your bow hold.

A ‘Song’ in His Heart: Sheku Kanneh-Mason Releases an Eclectic, Personal Album

The cello and its vocal qualities explain the title of Sheku Kanneh-Mason's album, Song, but this very individual collection of pieces reflects Kanneh-Mason’s personal interests.

violinist practicing Martele bowing technique on violin

A Refresher on Bold Martelé Bowing Technique

Martelé bowing is remarkably useful as a teaching tool, specifically for bow-hand strength & balance, & for development of accurate direction in the bow arm.

San Francisco Conservatory of Music president David H Stull

SFCM President David H. Stull on the Pentatone Acquisition and His Vision For the Unique Alliance

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s acquisition in May of the Dutch label Pentatone creates a unique platform for the conservatory’s already formidable array of professional music education resources and opportunities.

young violinist playing for music school audition

8 Tips to Ace Your College Music School Audition From a College Professor

The journey to music school actually begins long before the audition. Here are 8 tips to ace your college music school audition, from preparation to performance.

Before collapsing locking fourth finger on cello

Fixing the Pinky Problem: How String Players Can Retrain a Collapsing-Locking Left 4th Finger

The “pinky problem” is one of the top complaints among string players. But fret not, here's how to retrain a collapsing-locking feft 4th finger.

3 Keys to Conquering Upper-Position Anxieties on Stringed Instruments

Many advancing violinists, violists, cellists, and bassists have a fear of playing in the registers beyond the neck position. Here are 3 keys to conquering those upper-position anxieties.

Gabriel Martins performs with Sphinx Symphony and Maestro Roderick Cox

The Sphinx Organization Marks 25 Years of Pushing to Increase Ethnic Diversity In the Classical Music Industry

For 25 years, the Sphinx Organization has advanced the careers of young Black and Latinx classical string players through programs that include a prestigious national competition.

How American and European Classical Music Tastes Develop on Local and Global Levels

Among the younger composers globally, there is a yearning for the freedom of being decompartmentalized—and many look to the U.S. for new models in composition and programming.

CodaBow’s Escent Offers Advanced Players a Versatile Tool

It is the advanced player whose career reflects this kind of versatility that CodaBow was considering when it launched its new Escent bow.