For Subscribers

Opinion: The importance (and difficulty) of playing softly

16 August 2023

GettyImages-170005609

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

Fellow string players: I wonder how many times you’ve heard (or thought) the words, ‘Play louder!’, ‘More projection!’, ‘Play to the back of the hall!’

Whether we’re teaching or doing our own practice, we string players place a lot of emphasis on the strength of our sound, and often this is interpreted as ‘big’. Forte, robust, strong and so on are all adjectives that suggest that this sound is unlocked using muscular force, which, when left unchecked, can lead to strain injuries. We then must learn to attain our concert hall-filling sound utilising gravity, with correct weight distribution using the muscles of our back, torso and arms…

Already subscribed? Please sign in

Continue reading this article and explore hundreds more…

  • Easy registration

    Sign up to access select Strad content and the option to receive our weekly newsletters

    Register

  • Free 7-day subscription

    Full access including all subscriber content and the digital archive

    No strings attached – we won’t ask for card details

    Free Trial