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

Technique, advice, and tips.

proper string height: Violin strings and bridge

Understanding the Perils of High Action on Stringed Instruments and 3 Ways to Recognize it

Here are some tips to find your comfortable string height on violin in a range that is also healthy, and how to recognize high action when things are out of whack.

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.

7 tips on developing a beautiful vibrato

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.

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.

Hadleigh Castle sketch and finished painting by John Constable, 1829

Painting a Musical Landscape: The Benefits of Concept-First Learning

When learning new repertoire, music students usually dive in from the first measure and build bar to bar; this sometimes may go counter to the intent of the composer and the piece.

Ask the Expert: How to Stop Your Pegs from Slipping

Properly functioning tuning pegs are crucial to a healthy instrument. Here's how to keep them from slipping on your violin, cello, viola and bass.

Meghan Cummings illustration with violin for 10 leadership tools learned from playing violin

10 Leadership Tools I Gained From Playing Violin

Over the years, my violin became a carefree outlet to release the pressures of leading a nonprofit organization. Here are 10 leadership tools I gained from playing violin.

small classical ensemble recording in studio

6 Tips for an Efficient, Harmonious Classical Ensemble Recording Experience

A small classical ensemble that wants to make a recording faces the same challenges upon entering the studio. These tips can help make things go smoothly, and without too much drama.