All Left hand articles
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FocusPerforming entirely by reflex, by cellist Leonid Gorokhov
The Russian musician and Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hannover professor describes how he trains himself to transcend the physical restraints of playing
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Perfect 5ths
British violinist Rodney Friend has spent many years formulating his method for achieving a relaxed left-hand position. Here, he shares his voyage of discovery with Charlotte Smith
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Technique: Mapping out the fingerboard
Exercises to train your brain and fingers, to help you become a more fluent performer and improviser
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Cellist Jian Wang on the importance of slow practice
The Chinese artist explains why his method of practising hand movements has its origin in the jungle
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How to shift smoothly and cleanly by cellist Jeffrey Solow
When it comes to shifting, the American cellist and Boyer College professor gets his inspiration from the physics of ball games in this 2007 article
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Technique: the importance of practising in 5ths
How the ability to play in perfect 5ths can help you to hone your position, intonation and vibrato
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How to develop left-hand finger strength
Up and down movement is the basis of left-hand technique and many pedagogues have invented fiendish exercises to improve it. Rok Klopčič takes a look at some of them
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Ask the Experts: helping double-jointed students
Five teachers and health specialists respond to a reader's query on how best to teach a double jointed student.
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10 tips for improving your scales
Guidance from The Strad’s archive on tuning, bow control, shifting, direction and pulse
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10 views on the benefits of slow practice
Debate on how best to harness slow practice from The Strad Archive
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Double stopping on the cello: How to play passages of 3rds and 6ths with more fluidity
Technique advice, exercises and repertoire examples from Lionel Handy, cello professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Birmingham Conservatoire and Winchester College, UK
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How to make the most of cello scales
Approach scales with commitment, imagination and daring, and they will inspire your cello playing, argues Mats Lidström
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What is the best scale system for string students?
The Strad's panel of teaching experts answer reader questions as part of the magazine's Teacher talk series
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7 tips for playing fast passages for string players
Guidance from The Strad’s archive on increasing left-hand finger speed and minimising tension
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'Popper's cello studies force you to know the fingerboard inside out'
The cellist and Boston Conservatory chair of strings considers the value of the composer's etudes
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Article
How to balance the left-hand when playing chords and double stops
The Berlin University of the Arts and London Royal Academy of Music viola professor speaks about left arm set-up when playing multiple notes simultaneously
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Blogs
Aaron Rosand on finding the correct bowings and fingerings
There are no short cuts to discovering the fingerings and bowings to suit your hands, writes the American violinist. Practice and more practice is the key
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Blogs
A novel way to practise double-stops - Rachel Barton Pine
The US violinist advocates emphasising either the top or bottom lines when practising double stopped scales to anticipate more accurately what occurs in the repertoire
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Blogs
Violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky on the importance of practising scales
Scales are invaluable to all aspects of playing says the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Northern College of Music violin professor
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Blogs
Developing a natural and relaxed approach to string playing – part 2
Portland State University professor Dr Tomas Cotik gives an introduction to kinesthetic feelings and demonstrates techniques and exercises
