4 Things to Check If Your Vibrato Isn’t Working the Way It Should
Here are a few specific points to check in your left hand and arm to make sure you’re ready for an effective vibrato in your string playing.
How To
Technique, advice, and tips.
How to Join a Youth Orchestra (and Make the Most of It)
For many young musicians, orchestra auditions are super intimidating—but they don't have to be! Here's what you need to know to prepare for an orchestra audition.
Listen to the Past: 7 Tips on Learning Old-Time Fiddle
Learning old-time fiddle requires a lot of research with your ears open to the past. Here are 7 tips on learning how to play old-time fiddle.
How to Make Irish Fiddle Music Sound Irish
In this Celtic primer for classical players, learn classical vs. traditional bowing, plus three types of ornamentation, so you can capture the sound of Ireland.
Bow Bugs: How to Know You Have Them and What to Do If You Find Them
Bow bugs live, breed, and feed in your violin case—and they're more common than you might think. Here's how to identify the problem and what to do if you find them.
Using Musical Context to Approach Viola Scale Work
Most viola methods and fingerings for scales are based on violin playing, but why are there so few dedicated scale or study materials for the viola?
Your First Cello Lesson: A Beginner’s Guide to Playing Cello
From how to hold the cello to left-hand tips for cellists, here's your comprehensive first cello lesson and a beginner's guide to playing the cello.
Reimagining Musical Mistakes as Invitations to Growth
Fixing one failure can raise your entire level of musicianship, especially when you apply the solutions to similar difficulties moving forward. Here’s how to do it.
Deciphering Debussy’s Markings Inspires New Thinking in Other Pieces
Notation is only the very beginning of musical interpretation in Debussy's Sonata for Cello and Piano, and markings alone leave a great deal to be imagined.
‘Me-Time with My Viola’: How Creating a Warm-up Routine Helps Make the Most of Your Music Practice
Violist Michelle Manson details their warm-up routine and gives suggests for how musicians can continue to evolve their own warm-up routine.