Lean On Me: Finding Beauty and Expression in Appoggiaturas
Appoggiaturas are so powerful in terms of emotional content because they create an influence on harmony as well as melody.
How To
Technique, advice, and tips.
Alasdair Fraser on How the Scottish Fiddle Is a ‘Vehicle for Different Types of Dialects’
Mastering the different styles of fiddling requires the same deep immersion as language fluency, according to Alasdair Fraser. It’s not about simply learning sheet music, but speaking in a regional dialect on your violin.
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 PastBy David BraggerTraditional old-time fiddle and its mesmerizing bowi... Read More...
Darol Anger Breaks Down Bluegrass from a Fiddler’s Perspective
By Patrick Sullivan
Exact numbers aren’t really Darol Anger’s thing. But over some four decades as a musician and educator, the incredibly versatile fiddler has... Read More...
Shutdown Skills Series: How to Make Irish Fiddle Music Sound Irish
A Celtic Primer for Classical Players
By Katherine Thomas
In the mid-’90s, the “Celtic Tiger” phenomenon ripped the veil between esoteric and pragmatic folk mus... Read More...
Bring the Masters to your Practice Sessions: Every Recorded Interpretation of J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major Provides a Valuable Lesson
By Brian Forst | From the March-April 2021 issue of Strings magazineBach’s Cello Suites, BWV 1007–1012, are the perfect medicine for cellists trying to cop... Read More...
Shutdown Skills Series: 12 Questions Violinists Ask About Fiddling
It all starts with the beat—and the spellingBy Donna HebertHow many times have you heard someone (perhaps yourself) ask, “What’s the difference between play... Read More...
Shutdown Skills Series: Old-Time Fiddling Tips—How to Work the Bow
Mastering These 3 Bow Strokes Can Help Give a Tune that 'Old-Time' SoundText and video by Bruce MolskyTHE PROBLEM
Your classical training prevents you f... Read More...
Silence: The Way in Which Great Composers Use the Absence of Sound has a Profound Impact on Their Music
By Evan Johnson | From the January-February 2021 issue of Strings magazineSometimes we forget how important silence is in music. It has as many functions a... Read More...
All Motions Great & Small: How to Practice String-crossing Technique for Bariolage
By Laurie Niles | From the January-February 2021 issue of Strings magazine“Bariolage” is a French word for a bowing technique that involves rapid changing ... Read More...