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Improve your playing in the Playing Hub
Technique: Integrating improvisation into your daily practice
Swedish violist Henrik Frendin on how to add the technique to your everyday playing
Technique: thoughts on up- and down-bow staccato
Miclen LaiPang shares tips on the often-notorious technique
Technique: Double bass spiccato
Gaelen McCormick offers tips on teaching the technique on double bass
Premium ❘ Feature
Technique: Integrating improvisation into your daily practice
Swedish violist Henrik Frendin on how to add the technique to your everyday playing
Premium ❘ Feature
Technique: thoughts on up- and down-bow staccato
Miclen LaiPang shares tips on the often-notorious technique
Premium ❘ Feature
Technique: Double bass spiccato
Gaelen McCormick offers tips on teaching the technique on double bass
Why you should stop and think before you play
Violinist and Suzuki pedagogue Helen Brunner advocates for a thoughtful, step-by-step approach to practice
Why you should stop and think before you play
Violinist and Suzuki pedagogue Helen Brunner advocates for a thoughtful, step-by-step approach to practice
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
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
Why practice doesn’t prepare musicians for performance
Violinist and educator Maggie Watson explores why performance feels so different from the practice room, revealing how perception, the nervous system and psychological skills shape what really happens under pressure, and how musicians can train for the stage as deliberately as they train their technique
Why practice doesn’t prepare musicians for performance
Violinist and educator Maggie Watson explores why performance feels so different from the practice room, revealing how perception, the nervous system and psychological skills shape what really happens under pressure, and how musicians can train for the stage as deliberately as they train their technique
Stress is our friend, not our foe: how to manage stress to perform at your best
Cellist and researcher Joanna Latała encourages positively reframing the feeling of stress, and offers strategies on how to transform it into a force for growth and success
Positive self-talk: a key to boosting musicians’ confidence
Cellist and researcher Joanna Latała shares methods for how to enhance your performance with affirming language, plus what musicians can learn from top athletes and sports psychology
Vibrato: three reminders from our online editor Davina Shum
Don’t overdo it and avoid slipping into auto-pilot mode, writes the cellist
Vibrato: three reminders from our online editor Davina Shum
Don’t overdo it and avoid slipping into auto-pilot mode, writes the cellist
The Art of Vibrato: Techniques and Tips for Violinists
Donna Maurer offers six tips to help violinists master the technique of vibrato
Should vibrato exercises be practised separately from the repertoire?
Teacher Talk: your string teaching questions answered by our panel of experts. From 2011
Interpreting Dvořák vs. Mozart — a technical perspective for violinists
Grace Park provides a mini masterclass on how violinists can bring to life to the stylistic and musical qualities of the two seemingly opposite composers
‘We just love what we do’: 21 years of the Sacconi Quartet
Comprising violinists Ben Hancox and Hannah Dawson, violist Robin Ashwell and cellist Cara Berridge, the members of the Sacconi Quartet chat with The Strad about their guiding principles throughout their shared history together, as well as as some memorable performances
‘We just love what we do’: 21 years of the Sacconi Quartet
Comprising violinists Ben Hancox and Hannah Dawson, violist Robin Ashwell and cellist Cara Berridge, the members of the Sacconi Quartet chat with The Strad about their guiding principles throughout their shared history together, as well as as some memorable performances
Numbness of the fingers in violinists: what causes it and how can you fix it?
J.L.H. Thomas delves into a physical exploration of what causes numbness, as well as exercises to help strengthen muscles to alleviate its symptoms
Numbness of the fingers in violinists: what causes it and how can you fix it?
J.L.H. Thomas delves into a physical exploration of what causes numbness, as well as exercises to help strengthen muscles to alleviate its symptoms
Setting up the left hand: a guide for beginner violinists
Rachael Ridge gives some helpful pointers and a step-by-step guide delving into the nitty-gritty of left-hand set-up
Cornerstones for violinists: the Australian violinist and teacher Alice Waten on left-hand set-up
The Australian violin pedagogue Alice Waten (1947-2022) shared advice on achieving fluidity and expressivity in the left hand in an interview with Joy Lee from early 2022
Blogs‘Chamber music at its finest is an act of generosity’: Daniel Hope on shaping Wolf Trap
This season brings a new vantage point for Daniel Hope: guiding Wolf Trap’s Chamber Music at The Barns as artistic advisor before taking the stage himself, and navigating the growing intersection of performance and artistic direction
BlogsForm Revealed: Bruch’s Violin Concerto and the Discipline of Fire
Jiro Takahashi reflects on Bruch’s Violin Concerto no.1, following a performance by 14-year-old violinist Himari with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jaap van Zweden on 15 February
Blogs‘Let’s Clarice it up!’: The Takács on Assad’s new commission
Violinist Harumi Rhodes on the Takács Quartet’s touring commission, NEXUS, which receives its New York premiere at Carnegie Hall on 4 March.
Blogs
‘Chamber music at its finest is an act of generosity’: Daniel Hope on shaping Wolf Trap
This season brings a new vantage point for Daniel Hope: guiding Wolf Trap’s Chamber Music at The Barns as artistic advisor before taking the stage himself, and navigating the growing intersection of performance and artistic direction
Blogs
Form Revealed: Bruch’s Violin Concerto and the Discipline of Fire
Jiro Takahashi reflects on Bruch’s Violin Concerto no.1, following a performance by 14-year-old violinist Himari with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jaap van Zweden on 15 February
Blogs
‘Let’s Clarice it up!’: The Takács on Assad’s new commission
Violinist Harumi Rhodes on the Takács Quartet’s touring commission, NEXUS, which receives its New York premiere at Carnegie Hall on 4 March.
Masterclass: Hoffmeister Viola Concerto in D major, first movement
Knowledge of the Classical style, technical proficiency and musical creativity are keys to making this movement successful beyond audition preparation, says violist Louise Lansdown
Masterclass: Beethoven Violin Sonata no.10, op.96, first movement
Simplicity is the challenge in this peaceful, pastoral movement, creating an image of Beethoven at one with nature, says violinist Lena Neudauer
Masterclass: Hoffmeister Viola Concerto in D major, first movement
Knowledge of the Classical style, technical proficiency and musical creativity are keys to making this movement successful beyond audition preparation, says violist Louise Lansdown
Masterclass: Beethoven Violin Sonata no.10, op.96, first movement
Simplicity is the challenge in this peaceful, pastoral movement, creating an image of Beethoven at one with nature, says violinist Lena Neudauer
Masterclass: Brahms Cello Sonata no.1 in E minor op.38, third movement
This fugal final movement requires elements of restraint where climaxes must be managed carefully, says cellist Steffan Morris
More from the Playing Hub
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
Cornerstones for violinists: the Australian violinist and teacher Alice Waten on left-hand set-up
The Australian violin pedagogue Alice Waten (1947-2022) shared advice on achieving fluidity and expressivity in the left hand in an interview with Joy Lee from early 2022
Five tips for achieving flawless legato for violinists and violists
Artists from The Strad’s extensive back catalogue share their insights on playing smoothly with the bow arm
Technique: Violin bow landings with Gina McCormack
Violinist Gina McCormack on teaching bow landings in reference to Mozart
Masterclass: Hoffmeister Viola Concerto in D major, first movement
Knowledge of the Classical style, technical proficiency and musical creativity are keys to making this movement successful beyond audition preparation, says violist Louise Lansdown
Masterclass: Beethoven Violin Sonata no.10, op.96, first movement
Simplicity is the challenge in this peaceful, pastoral movement, creating an image of Beethoven at one with nature, says violinist Lena Neudauer
Masterclass: Brahms Cello Sonata no.1 in E minor op.38, third movement
This fugal final movement requires elements of restraint where climaxes must be managed carefully, says cellist Steffan Morris
Masterclass: Brahms Violin Concerto, second movement
The feeling of rhetoric and a stream of consciousness must be represented when approaching this movement, says violinist Liza Ferschtman
Masterclass: Hoffmeister Viola Concerto in D major, first movement
Knowledge of the Classical style, technical proficiency and musical creativity are keys to making this movement successful beyond audition preparation, says violist Louise Lansdown
Masterclass: Beethoven Violin Sonata no.10, op.96, first movement
Simplicity is the challenge in this peaceful, pastoral movement, creating an image of Beethoven at one with nature, says violinist Lena Neudauer
Masterclass: Brahms Cello Sonata no.1 in E minor op.38, third movement
This fugal final movement requires elements of restraint where climaxes must be managed carefully, says cellist Steffan Morris
Masterclass: Brahms Violin Concerto, second movement
The feeling of rhetoric and a stream of consciousness must be represented when approaching this movement, says violinist Liza Ferschtman
Opinion: why string players should pay attention to large muscle groups
Fleet fingers may be the ultimate goal for string players, but it’s the larger muscle groups that form the foundations of solid technique, says cellist Davina Shum
Analysis March 2026: Persistent issues with secondary ticketing
As secondary ticketing websites continue to rake in vast profits, a group of affected parties are calling on the EU to take action at long last
In my studio: multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Anna Phoebe
From a bespoke violin to an array of electric instruments, pedals and recording gear, this studio offers a detailed look at the equipment behind Anna Phoebe’s composing, practising and producing routines
The road to a world premiere: notes from a composer and duo
What do the first stages of a new work feel like to a composer and the performers? Ahead of its world premiere on 2 March in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, violinist Hellen Weiss, cellist Gabriel Schwabe and composer David Philip Hefti share their experiences behind the scenes of Aus Licht gewoben (‘Woven ...
Opinion: why string players should pay attention to large muscle groups
Fleet fingers may be the ultimate goal for string players, but it’s the larger muscle groups that form the foundations of solid technique, says cellist Davina Shum
Analysis March 2026: Persistent issues with secondary ticketing
As secondary ticketing websites continue to rake in vast profits, a group of affected parties are calling on the EU to take action at long last
In my studio: multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Anna Phoebe
From a bespoke violin to an array of electric instruments, pedals and recording gear, this studio offers a detailed look at the equipment behind Anna Phoebe’s composing, practising and producing routines
The road to a world premiere: notes from a composer and duo
What do the first stages of a new work feel like to a composer and the performers? Ahead of its world premiere on 2 March in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, violinist Hellen Weiss, cellist Gabriel Schwabe and composer David Philip Hefti share their experiences behind the scenes of Aus Licht gewoben (‘Woven ...
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