How My Worst Cello Lesson Taught Me the Best Lesson I Could Have Learned
By Brian Hodges | From the May-June 2020 issue of Strings magazineThe most memorable lesson I ever had as a student, the one that is seared in my brain and... Read More...
How To
Technique, advice, and tips.
Ready or Not: Growth as a Musician Means Facing a Little Anxiety
By Scott Tixier | From the May-June 2020 issue of Strings magazineAfter living in New York City for 13 years working within extremely short deadlines and c... Read More...
Two to Tango: Tips for String Players Working with Guitarists
By Laurel Thomsen | From the May-June 2020 issue of Strings magazineWhile it can be difficult for string players to find other violinists, violists, and ce... Read More...
Shutdown Skills Series: Learn Traditional Scottish Ornamentation
By Louise LeeThe problem: You want to play traditional Scottish music, but you can’t seem to make it sound, well, Scottish.Solution: Learn to play Scottish ... Read More...
Shutdown Skills Series: How to Hold a Violin or Viola Without Tensing Up
6 ways to eliminate tension and improve your playingBy Laurel ThomsenThe Problem: A tense instrument-hold is causing pain, or intonation, dexterity, and mo... Read More...
Shutdown Skills Series: 5 Tips on Promoting Your Own Recordings
By Laurel Thomsen
Getting signed to a label was once the benchmark of musical recognition, as many among the general public still believe. I’ll admit to a pang ... Read More...
Shutdown Skills Series: Perfect Fifths—A Few Thoughts on Tuning Your Viola (Violinists & Cellists Invited)
By Atar Arad
Not unlike the multitude of different calendars existing side by side with none claiming perfection (hence leap days and leap months), intonation s... 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: A Primer on Pegs
By Erin Shrader“Pegs don’t get a lot of respect,” says Eric Meyer, a Portland, Oregon, craftsman whose handmade fittings grace some of the world’s great instr... Read More...
Shutdown Skills Series: Master the Irregular Rhythmic Passages in the First Movement of the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1
By Scott Flavin
This article first appeared in Strings' May 2018 issue.
The Bruch Concerto! For most intermediate violinists, it’s a rite of passage, the first ... Read More...