Fixing the Pinky Problem: How String Players Can Retrain a Collapsing-Locking Left 4th Finger
The “pinky problem” is one of the top complaints among string players. But fret not, here's how to retrain a collapsing-locking feft 4th finger.
April 2018
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.
Traveling with a Bass Can Be a Headache. Travel Basses Might Offer a Solution
By Louise Lee Ask double bassists about the downsides of playing the instrument, and they will likely point to travel. Small cars can’t accommodate the instrument in the trunk or back seat. Train operators and bus drivers scowl when they…
Jeff Meyer Creates Wood Stands That Offer Functionality In Addition to Beauty
By Louise Lee Craftsman Jeff Meyer remembers the order well: The customer, a harpist, wanted a wood music stand designed and finished to match her harp. The request sent the owner of Cedarmont Woodworking scurrying, studying photos of the harp…
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Composer Augusta Read Thomas Has No Time for Creative Boundaries
By Thomas May | From the April 2018 issue of Strings magazine No matter how gloomy you may be feeling about the state of the world, it seems impossible to come away from an encounter with Augusta Read Thomas without…
A Violin Maker Investigates the Bow-Making Process
By James N. McKean Ron Forrester came to bow making later than most. He was in his early thirties, an amateur cellist, when he brought a broken bow into the shop of Yung Chin in New York. That visit changed…
Eastman Delivers Upright Bass with a Pre-Installed C-Extension
By Stephanie Powell In collaboration with Lisa Gass of Los Angeles Bass Works, Eastman Strings announced the release of its first pre-installed c-extension for bass. A c-extension allows bass players, mainly orchestral, to hit lower notes with an extended fingerboard…
French Cellist Gautier Capuçon Plumbs His Own Experiences for Inspiration on His Latest Album
By Greg Cahill You could say this is Vol. 1 of an autobiographical musical tale,” says Gautier Capuçon, speaking on the phone about his new album, Intuition (Warner). He’s calling from the Teatro Auditorio San Lorenzo de El Escorial in…
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Projecting Over an Orchestra
How to get yourself ready for that solo gig of a lifetime By Miranda Wilson Any string player soloing with an orchestra must project her sound in such a way that it’s audible at all times, even though she’s up…