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

Technique, advice, and tips.

Beat ‘Practice Block’: 5 Tips For Building Effective Practice Habits (When You Would Rather Binge Netflix)

By Susanna Klein | From the September-October 2020 issue of Strings magazineSo much time, so little to do, and so much Netflix to catch up on. If you are f... Read More...

6 Ways to Protect Your Instrument from Damaging Winter Chill

Winterizing your fiddle will stabilize it and ensure that your fiddle survives the season's humidity changesBy Erin ShraderStringed instruments are happiest... Read More...

6 Tips to Keep Your Bow In Top Playing Shape

Whether you’ve just bought your first bow or are playing on a fine antique or contemporary handmade bow, here's how to keep your bow in top playing shape.

Bridge Care Basics for Bowed Instruments

A few simple tricks to help keep your bridge healthy and warp-freeBy James N. McKeanA version of this article first appeared in the July 2015 issue of ... Read More...

Instrument-Care Basics—Advice from the Experts

You've just brought home your first stringed instrument. You might be tempted to take it out of its case just to admire it, to imagine all the happy times ahea... Read More...

Home Recording: 5 Quick Tips on Promoting Your Own Recordings

By Laurel Thomsen1. Test & Plan for Success The process of album promotion should begin long before your first recording session, at performances whe... Read More...

Home Recording: 5 Tips on Making Awesome YouTube Videos

By Patrick Sullivan1. Don't Be BoringThe first rule of YouTube: Don’t be boring. “Create content that you find fun, that activates you,” advises violi... Read More...

Tackling the runs in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

By Laurie Niles | From the July-August 2020 issue of Strings magazineLeopold Auer might have hit on some truth when he declared that the violin concerto wr... Read More...

Tools and Techniques to Help Dial In Your Pitch on Strings Instruments

To play in tune, one must work on the ability to hear pitch clearly and physically produce the note in a consistent way. Here are some tips on playing in tune.

How to Keep a Cello—and Endpin—Rock-steady in All Conditions

By Emily Wright | From the May-June 2020 issue of Strings magazineThe first written recollection of a cello with an endpin dates from the late 18th century... Read More...