All Debate articles
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Premium ❘ FocusOpinion: The power of imagination
To enhance a pupil’s learning, it is useful to build a list of words and catchphrases that conjure images relating to different techniques. Jeffrey Howard introduces his own ‘violin vocabulary’
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Premium ❘ Focus
Opinion: A New Deal for Early Music
Covid-19 has highlighted the economic inequalities that divide musicians who perform on period instruments from the majority of today’s string players, says Andrew Mellor
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Focus
Opinion: Jedi Wisdom for string playing
In the second of his articles, mining the wisdom of the Star Wars universe, cellist Brian Hodges explains how the teachings of the Jedi can be applied to string playing
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Debate
Opinion: The Wisdom of Yoda
In the Star Wars universe, Jedi Master Yoda is the ultimate teacher – and his insights can be applied just as readily to string playing as to learning the ways of the Force, writes cellist Brian Hodges
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Focus
Opinion: Reset, refresh, restore
As teachers and pupils return to in-person lessons, cellist Naomi Yandell examines why it is more important than ever to re-examine students’ goals and priorities, and take nothing for granted
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Debate
Is sexism to blame for the scarcity of women in the violin making business?
German violin maker Ute Zahn asked why there are so few female luthiers in The Strad's March 2013 issue
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Focus
Why can't players get vibrato right?
Vibrating need not compromise purity of tone if it's done tastefully, says Tully Potter, who takes to task those who overplay, misplay or completely disown it. From October 2009
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Premium ❘ Focus
Opinion: It takes three
As the Sitkovetsky Trio celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, lead violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky looks back at the lessons he and his colleagues have learnt
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Focus
Opinion: Live for the moment
Classical musicians and audiences can learn from stand-up comedy shows, where there’s a naturalness and immediacy of interaction between performers and the crowd, writes Rita Fernandes
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Focus
Sightreading is a skill that should be taught early
A student’s earliest engagement with note reading is the right time to introduce sightreading, argues Naomi Yandell
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Focus
Opinion: To speak plainly
Teaching a young student with Down’s syndrome has taught Jacqueline Vanasse the value of simple concepts and hands-on rewards
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Blogs
9 tips on playing the Ravel and Debussy quartets
Franck Chevalier, viola player of the Quatuor Diotima, gives advice on how to approach the most celebrated French additions to the quartet repertoire
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Focus
Opinion: Playing the game
In addition to technical mastery, musicians need to understand the ‘game rules’ of every performing tradition and musical culture, write Dudok Quartet Amsterdam musicians Judith van Driel and David Faber
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Focus
Opinion: Dare to be different
When selecting repertoire for that crucial audition it’s an advantage to avoid predictable choices, writes Julian Lloyd Webber, who suggests alternatives for cellists
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Focus
Opinion: Across the decades
Karen Gomyo revisits recordings by ‘golden age’ violinists, and explores why these performances are still so meaningful today
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Focus
Opinion: Make ’em laugh
Humour can be a useful tool when teaching – especially online, argues Naomi Yandell
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Focus
Opinion: Relaxed body, focused mind
The art of Chinese calligraphy has much to teach us about playing a stringed instrument, writes violist Hsin-Yun Huang
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Debate
Beyond Bach: 12 tips for better Baroque playing
A thorough knowledge of Baroque repertoire apart from the works of Bach is so important if modern players are to gain a proper understanding of Classical and Romantic works, writes Adrian Butterfield
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Premium ❘ Debate
Opinion: Solo exploring
There is so much more to the unaccompanied violin repertoire than the works of Bach, Paganini and Ysaÿe, writes James Dickenson
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Debate
Opinion: An integrated whole
By divorcing technique from the music, we prevent the bow from becoming an extension of our right arm and hand, writes John Crawford
