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Improve your playing in the Playing Hub
Technique: Latin American music techniques and rhythms
Cellist David Chew presents tips on approaching Latin American rhythms, in particular from Brazil
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
Premium ❘ Feature
Technique: Latin American music techniques and rhythms
Cellist David Chew presents tips on approaching Latin American rhythms, in particular from Brazil
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
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
What in-tarnation? Exploring expressive intonation with cellist Michael Reynolds
Cellist Michael Reynolds shares the importance of expressive intonation, as well as practical intonation tips that should prevent your string quartet from disbanding!
What in-tarnation? Exploring expressive intonation with cellist Michael Reynolds
Cellist Michael Reynolds shares the importance of expressive intonation, as well as practical intonation tips that should prevent your string quartet from disbanding!
‘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
BlogsAlexander Aitken’s violin: the instrument that travelled from Gallipoli to the Somme
Benjamin Baker tells the story of mathematician and violinist Alexander Aitken, whose modest instrument accompanied him through the First World War and now inspires a new commission at AWE London ahead of Anzac Day, tracing memory, music and survival across a century
BlogsTwo instruments, one voice: Andy Leftwich on his violin and mandolin
Grammy‑winning musician Andy Leftwich reflects on the violin and mandolin that have defined his career, and how playing the two instruments inform each other
BlogsComposers create amazing worlds for us to explore: the Jupiter Quartet on its new album, ‘Undreamed Shores’
Liz Freivogel, violist of the Jupiter Quartet, speaks about the power of collaboration between composers and performers, illustrated in the ensemble’s new album featuring works by Michi Wiancko, Stephen Andrew Taylor and Kati Agócs
Blogs
Alexander Aitken’s violin: the instrument that travelled from Gallipoli to the Somme
Benjamin Baker tells the story of mathematician and violinist Alexander Aitken, whose modest instrument accompanied him through the First World War and now inspires a new commission at AWE London ahead of Anzac Day, tracing memory, music and survival across a century
Blogs
Two instruments, one voice: Andy Leftwich on his violin and mandolin
Grammy‑winning musician Andy Leftwich reflects on the violin and mandolin that have defined his career, and how playing the two instruments inform each other
Blogs
Composers create amazing worlds for us to explore: the Jupiter Quartet on its new album, ‘Undreamed Shores’
Liz Freivogel, violist of the Jupiter Quartet, speaks about the power of collaboration between composers and performers, illustrated in the ensemble’s new album featuring works by Michi Wiancko, Stephen Andrew Taylor and Kati Agócs
Masterclass: Bruch Violin Concerto no.1, second movement
Bella Hristova outlines the importance of pacing oneself and creating a hierarchy of intensity in this popular slow movement
Masterclass: Beethoven String Quartet no.11 op.95 ‘Serioso’, first movement
This whirlwind movement represents a turbulent time in the composer’s life, evident in the work’s relentless momentum and extreme characters, says Ariel Quartet cellist Amit Even-Tov
Masterclass: Bruch Violin Concerto no.1, second movement
Bella Hristova outlines the importance of pacing oneself and creating a hierarchy of intensity in this popular slow movement
Masterclass: Beethoven String Quartet no.11 op.95 ‘Serioso’, first movement
This whirlwind movement represents a turbulent time in the composer’s life, evident in the work’s relentless momentum and extreme characters, says Ariel Quartet cellist Amit Even-Tov
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
More from the Playing Hub
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
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
Masterclass: Bruch Violin Concerto no.1, second movement
Bella Hristova outlines the importance of pacing oneself and creating a hierarchy of intensity in this popular slow movement
Masterclass: Beethoven String Quartet no.11 op.95 ‘Serioso’, first movement
This whirlwind movement represents a turbulent time in the composer’s life, evident in the work’s relentless momentum and extreme characters, says Ariel Quartet cellist Amit Even-Tov
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: Bruch Violin Concerto no.1, second movement
Bella Hristova outlines the importance of pacing oneself and creating a hierarchy of intensity in this popular slow movement
Masterclass: Beethoven String Quartet no.11 op.95 ‘Serioso’, first movement
This whirlwind movement represents a turbulent time in the composer’s life, evident in the work’s relentless momentum and extreme characters, says Ariel Quartet cellist Amit Even-Tov
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
Chiaroscuro Quartet: gut instinct
The musicians of the Chiaroscuro Quartet talk to Pauline Harding about the challenges of playing on gut strings, and the emotionally and physically demanding experience of recording the complete Beethoven string quartets
Postcard from the Netherlands: String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam
Clare Varney reports from the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam, where an array of star performers and repertoire old and new proved that the genre is alive and well
Between D minor and its shadow: listening for meaning in a place of tension
Contrary to the extremes of opinion in music – loud versus soft, technique versus expression, major versus minor – violinist Hector Scott explores how meaning can be found in the tension between these dichotomies
‘Big sound – not just loud, but big’: remembering violinist and pedagogue Jan Mark Sloman
Violinist Shannon Lee revisits the lessons, humour and lasting influence of her late teacher Jan Mark Sloman, whose posthumous book Notes to a Violinist captures a lifetime of pedagogical insight and belief in young musicians
Chiaroscuro Quartet: gut instinct
The musicians of the Chiaroscuro Quartet talk to Pauline Harding about the challenges of playing on gut strings, and the emotionally and physically demanding experience of recording the complete Beethoven string quartets
Postcard from the Netherlands: String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam
Clare Varney reports from the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam, where an array of star performers and repertoire old and new proved that the genre is alive and well
Between D minor and its shadow: listening for meaning in a place of tension
Contrary to the extremes of opinion in music – loud versus soft, technique versus expression, major versus minor – violinist Hector Scott explores how meaning can be found in the tension between these dichotomies
‘Big sound – not just loud, but big’: remembering violinist and pedagogue Jan Mark Sloman
Violinist Shannon Lee revisits the lessons, humour and lasting influence of her late teacher Jan Mark Sloman, whose posthumous book Notes to a Violinist captures a lifetime of pedagogical insight and belief in young musicians
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