All Focus articles
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Focus
My violin heroine Maud Powell, by Rachel Barton Pine
Violinist Rachel Barton Pine examines why Powell's pioneering contribution to the art of violin recording so richly deserved the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 56th Grammy Awards in 2014
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Feature
Studying the violin with Carl Flesch: Yfrah Neaman
Lebanese violinist Yfrah Neaman, who died in 2003, shared memories of his teacher with Evelyn Chadwick in December 1994
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Focus
7 tips on adjustments to get the best out of your instrument
The finest Stradivari in the world will sound poor if it is badly set up. Here are some points to consider sourced from our archive
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Premium ❘ Feature
Blue Sky Teaching: Using creative approaches to refine students’ technique
In our June 2019 issue, Judith Kogan spoke with three string teachers, all based in North America and whose unique ideas are achieving significant results
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Focus
Anne Akiko Meyers on playing the ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’
The US violinist, who has been loaned in perpetuity what is currently the world’s most expensive instrument, discusses its tone quality and projection
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Focus
The thief, his wife and the ‘Huberman’ Strad
The ‘Gibson, Huberman’ Stradivari now owned by Joshua Bell has a history worthy of a blockbuster thriller
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Focus
Photo gallery: 300 years young – Stradivari’s decorated ‘Rode’ violin
The 1722 instrument will be performed in concert at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum on 20 October, to mark its 300th anniversary
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Focus
Can bowing-wrist suppleness improve intonation?
John Krakenberger has made a number of interesting connections between good tuning and loosening the bowing wrist in his teaching
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Cellist Pablo Casals on expressive intonation
The great artist believed that 50 per cent of a player's total dramatic power lay in exaggerated intonation, writes former pupil Pamela Hind O'Malley
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Review
Mastering intonation, by cello professor Antonio Lysy
Cellist Antonio Lysy provides exercises to help you play in tune every time you put your finger on the string
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Focus
8 ways to improve your intonation
Tips and tricks for playing in tune – or giving the impression of playing in tune
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Focus
How the violin trade has changed since the Queen’s accession
In this article from 2012, Philip Kass examines how everything from manufacturing to trade in the Far East have all changed during the Queen’s reign
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Focus
Conquering performance nerves: I'm great in practice but don't perform so well on the day
Brian Hodges and Diana Allan answer student questions on coping with stage fright
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Harnessing breathing to improve your string playing
Breathing naturally is one of the first principles of Alexander teaching - and it's a must for anyone who suffers from stage fright, says Joseph Sanders
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Focus
7 techniques to combat stage fright
Are you suffering from stage fright? Laurinel Owen gives advice on overcoming this common affliction
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Focus
Martelé: Essential foundations for a top-quality bow technique
Rictor Noren offers grounding, exercises and repertoire suggestions to help you work on your martelé stroke
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Focus
Movement in the bow hand and wrist, by violin professor Boris Kuschnir
Kuschnir explains how to master control of your sound through correct use of the bow
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From the Archive: How to memorise solos
The art of memorising can be mastered by even those who believe they have no aptitude in the area, wrote Edwin H. Pierce in The Strad's December 1894 issue