All Focus articles
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ArticleNine steps to mastering violin vibrato
Dr Rebecca McLeod, associate professor of music education at the University of North Carolina, gives a guide to achieving a good vibrato - from establishing a relaxed position to mastering a smooth, even motion
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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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Focus
7 ways to harness mental practice for musicians
Tips for using mental imaging to boost your musical practice regime from The Strad’s archive
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Feature
How are string soloists coping with the coronavirus lock down?
As social distancing causes unprecedented disruption to concert schedules around the world, several soloists share their coping strategies and plans for the future.
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Focus
8 pieces of advice for happy string quartets
Words of instruction and inspiration on quartet playing from the pages of The Strad
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Focus
The harmonious string quartet - a balance of four personality types
No one said that living in a quartet was easy - but the most successful groups develop a unique identity that survives vitriolic relationships and even personnel changes, writes Paul Robertson
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Focus
7 tips for carving a scroll
How to perfect the head of your instrument from 125 years of the Strad
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Focus
Hilary Hahn marks 30 years since her debut solo recital aged ten
‘I built up to it for months, and I’ll never forget it,’ says the American violinist
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Premium ❘ Feature
Session Report: Violinist Johan Dalene makes his recording debut
For his debut album as an exclusive BIS artist, Johan Dalene – teenage winner of last year’s Carl Nielsen International Competition – has not shied away from ambitious and much-loved repertoire. He and producer Jens U. Braun recall the recording process
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Focus
Violinist Yehudi Menuhin's first appearance in The Strad, aged 10
We republish a snippet introducing the prodigy to Strad readers in 1926
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Focus
What do violinists Sarah Chang and Hilary Hahn keep in their instrument cases?
Ever wondered what players keep in their instrument cases, apart from their Strads? We talk to some well-known performers to discover the secrets they hold
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Article
Life Lessons: Christian Poltéra
Having the space to breathe is important in more ways than one, says the Swiss cellist
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Focus
5 ways to improve playing in thirds
Tips for hand position, bow distribution and intonation from The Strad Archive
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Focus
Double bassist Christine Hoock on sound and phrase
The professor of double bass at Mozarteum University Salzburg and president of the International Sperger Society for Double Bass shares her wisdom in this month’s Technique article
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Focus
5 tips for viola players, by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra's Manchin Zhang
Manchin Zhang shares her wisdom on various aspects of playing the viola, from vibrato to body balance
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Focus
How I interpret Bach: Tomás Cotik on Treatises Sources, Numerology and the Doctrine of Affections
Ahead of his 2020 album release of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas, the violinist continues his blog series, in which he discusses the contradictions between the opposing trends and traditions in Bach interpretation, and his personal solutions to them
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Premium ❘ Article
Technique: achieving balance between the chin and left thumb
Learn to reduce physical stress by distributing instrument weight more effectively across your body. By Matthew Jones, Head of chamber music and professor of viola at the Guildhall School of Music Drama, London; director of Pro Corda Intermediate Course.
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Premium ❘ Article
In focus: Paul Dörfel
A 1920 violin made by the Markneukirchen-based luthier Paul Dörfel. Written by Bruce Babbitt
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Article
Life Lessons: David Harrington
The American violinist recalls the path that led him to found the genre-defying Kronos Quartet
