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String Articles

These articles are written by string players or string teachers, and are sent out in our email newsletter. If you would like to subscribe, enter your email in the box to left. We welcome articles submissions by teachers and string business owners, as well as stories of personal experiences written by students. If you would like to write an article for this list go to Submit an Article for details.

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Newest

  • Injury Susceptibility in Musicians: Injury Susceptibility Quiz. If your answer to many of the questions is yes, you may be putting yourself at risk for an injury. Overuse injuries can creep up on you.

Technique

  • Practicing your instrument for success: With enough practicing, certain habits and methods are committed to memory and make practicing your instrument more enjoyable.
  • Vibrato to your heart's delight: An average student would develop a very reasonable, regular, well-sounding vibrato as soon as three months after starting on this discipline.
  • How long does it take to get really good at violin? What is Talent? This question is probably one of the top four or five most "frequently asked" on Yahoo Answers and various violin forums.
  • 6 Steps to Perfect Posture: When I take a new student, especially an adult, but also a young student who has been learning the violin in school, I start them out with Six Steps to Perfect Posture.
  • Finding the right teacher in 5 steps: Choosing the right teacher may be the most difficult decision facing a beginning string musician.
  • It's Never Too Late for Cello: I once heard that most people die "with music in their heart." On hearing this statement I felt a strong urge to do something.
  • Proper Preparation of Orchestral Excerpts: Too often, the audition takers find themselves focusing on their solo pieces for auditions in a way that is out of proportion to the total task at hand.
  • Laterality: Improve Intonation: Playing a string instrument requires the ability to co-ordinate several different movements with both arms simultaneously.
  • Sensible Sight-Reading: Do you know anyone who enjoys being "put on the spot," needing to perform a task, without the benefit of having preparation time, and at the same time is scored on the success of this event?
  • Dealing with Injury: I'm one of those people who takes their health for granted. This includes the health of my hands and the ability to practice and play my violin. The next thing I know I'm typing one-handed and having to get help washing my hair.
  • Shaking Bow in Performance: This month Jennifer addresses the most common problem string players face -- the shaking bow during a performance!
  • Memory Techniques: Everyone can memorize music by playing through enough times. This is called muscle memory. Unfortunately, it does not always work all the way through the piece when in an unfamiliar setting, or when confronted by nerves.
  • Vibrato exercises for a stiff wrist: These problems, stiff wrist, play slow, nervous, are all normal beginner problems. As for the wrist not being loose, I believe that in the case of the adult beginner this is due more to nerves than physical limits.
  • Handling Life as a Violinist: I once had a good friend that said that music would never let him down, but he quite often let music down.
  • Handling Stage Fright: I have been performing and teaching for 25 years (frightening thought in itself) and I still get very nervous before I play a solo or take auditions.
  • The Adult Beginner: I've been surprised and impressed by the number of adults who will begin the challenge to learn to play the violin.
  • Favorite Practice Techniques: I think teachers need to not only teach the student how to play, but more importantly, teach them how to practice!

Studio Teaching

Your Instrument

School Orchestra

Everything Else

  • Jealousy Among Musicians: Jealousy - do you feel it? Do you sense it in others? Does it hinder your relationships with other musicians?
  • A Boston Pops Tale: My bass teacher, a long time member of the Boston Symphony and the Boston Pops, swore that the following events actually took place, but he was such a loud liar we'll never know for sure.
  • Tales from the Home Planet: Violist Novi Novog tells of her adventures playing for Prince and the Doobie Brothers.
  • Violin: My Muse Violin: The word brings such vivid images to my mind.
  • Handel's Messiah: This month in honor of the season, we would like to feature Handel’s Messiah, since most of us will play this at some point during the season.
  • The Heifetz Legacy: The life and talent of Jascha Heifetz lives on through Sherry Kloss and others who continue his work.