All Debate articles
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Opinion: why don’t string players practice pizzicato?
Perfecting bowing is a lifelong quest for string players – but what about pizzicato? Cellist Davina Shum advocates setting aside some dedicated practice time to this neglected technique
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Opinion: The benefits and challenges of playing at the back of the section
While the musicians at the front of an orchestral string section might be in the spotlight, every string player should experience the unique challenges of sitting towards the back, says violinist Alexandra Gorski
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Opinion: Criticism in teaching
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell explores the fine line between nagging and getting a point across by reminder and reinforcement, and suggests that a less verbal approach can often yield good results
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Opinion: Adjusting instrument necks for teenage players’ growing hands
Bow maker Bernd Müsing believes that widening violin and viola necks could help young players, especially teenage boys, who find that there is no longer enough space between the strings for their growing fingertips
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Opinion: How improvisation can help with perfectionism
Having discovered a love of improvisation during the pandemic, cellist Simone Seales believes that the practice can free classically trained musicians from a typically unhealthy fear of imperfection
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Opinion: The benefits of rest for students
Cellist and teacher Naomi Yandell is often pleasantly surprised at how much progress can be made by students during a break from lessons
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Opinion: Flexibility in orchestral playing
Violinist Alexandra Gorski argues that an orchestra’s greatest asset is not power or accuracy; rather the ability to adapt seamlessly to every style of music and manner of conductor
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Opinion: The importance (and difficulty) of playing softly
As string players, we are often encouraged to make a big sound, but cellist Davina Shum believes that the art of playing quietly is an underrated one
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Opinion: EFT for performance anxiety
Violinist Jenny Clift struggled with performance anxiety until she discovered an unusual therapeutic technique
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Opinion: Rethinking Beethoven’s String Quartet op.135
Norman Werbner argues an intriguing case for a different way of performing Beethoven’s String Quartet op.135
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Opinion: The pros and cons of backing tracks
Naomi Yandell argues that while backing tracks are a useful learning tool, they create an experience gap that needs bridging
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Opinion: A case for depping
The art of deputising may be one of the scariest things a musician can do, but it’s a skill that can benefit all players, says cellist Davina Shum
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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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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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Opinion: French or German bass bow hold?
Rodrigo Moro Martín, the London Symphony Orchestra’s new principal double bass, argues that the two tribes who favour French and German bow holds should coexist in perfect harmony
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Opinion: Are regional differences in orchestral tuning really necessary?
Historically, orchestras have tuned to slightly different versions of the note A. Thomas Eisner wonders whether such gradations really matter
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‘The violin concerto lives again’ - Opinion
Are we witnessing a golden age for new violin concertos, or simply too much of a good thing?
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‘Cut the Stradivari cord’ - Opinion
Luthier Paris Andrew argues that, rather than copying Antonio Stradivari models, makers should study other beautiful instruments that exist
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Opinion: how chamber music develops communication and listening skills
Violist Rosalind Ventris shares her experience of the transformative power of playing chamber music
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Opinion: How teachers can help students deal with feelings of futility and despair
Neesa Sunar explores how teachers can call on their own experience to help pupils struggling with feelings of sadness or futility