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Improve your playing in the Playing Hub
Technique: The art of Bach on the viola
Marc Sabbah on playing solo Bach on the modern viola
Technique: Creative fingering for violinists
Leo Phillips explores how players can experiment with different approaches to violin fingerings and hand frames
Technique: Singing with the bow
Valentina Scheldhofen Ciardelli on broadening your expressive range on the double bass
Premium ❘ Feature
Technique: The art of Bach on the viola
Marc Sabbah on playing solo Bach on the modern viola
Premium ❘ Feature
Technique: Creative fingering for violinists
Leo Phillips explores how players can experiment with different approaches to violin fingerings and hand frames
Premium ❘ Feature
Technique: Singing with the bow
Valentina Scheldhofen Ciardelli on broadening your expressive range on the 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
Those notorious liars: thirds and sixths!
Getting the intonation right on your thirds and sixths can be tricky and misleading. Cellist Michael Reynolds shares some strategies to make the process less painful and more in tune
Those notorious liars: thirds and sixths!
Getting the intonation right on your thirds and sixths can be tricky and misleading. Cellist Michael Reynolds shares some strategies to make the process less painful and more in tune
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!
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
Blogsinti figgis-vizueta traces eight years of transformation on ‘Music for Transitions’
The composer reflects on eight years of life and work in New York City, the improvisational possibilities of the string quartet, and the themes of change, queer identity and trans futurism that shape her new album
Premium ❘ FeatureA conversation with Ysaÿe - From the archive: November 1896
The great Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, aged 38, talks to The Strad at his home in Brussels
BlogsWhy string players shouldn’t neglect improvisation
Violinist Preetha Narayanan and cellist Tara Franks of Balladeste build their music from improvisation, without writing a note down. Ahead of the release of their fourth album, Imprints, they talk about where that started and why classically trained string players should learn to lean into improvisation
Blogs
inti figgis-vizueta traces eight years of transformation on ‘Music for Transitions’
The composer reflects on eight years of life and work in New York City, the improvisational possibilities of the string quartet, and the themes of change, queer identity and trans futurism that shape her new album
Premium ❘ Feature
A conversation with Ysaÿe - From the archive: November 1896
The great Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, aged 38, talks to The Strad at his home in Brussels
Blogs
Why string players shouldn’t neglect improvisation
Violinist Preetha Narayanan and cellist Tara Franks of Balladeste build their music from improvisation, without writing a note down. Ahead of the release of their fourth album, Imprints, they talk about where that started and why classically trained string players should learn to lean into improvisation
Masterclass: Bach Violin Concerto in E major BWV1042, third movement
Julian Rachlin shines a light on this joyful movement comprising a satisfying musical architecture that alternates between anchoring refrains and exploratory soloistic episodes
Masterclass: Schumann Fairy-tale Pictures op.113, third and fourth movements
Patrick Yim explores two movements of juxtaposing characters that test a viola player’s versatility and technical skill
Masterclass: Bach Violin Concerto in E major BWV1042, third movement
Julian Rachlin shines a light on this joyful movement comprising a satisfying musical architecture that alternates between anchoring refrains and exploratory soloistic episodes
Masterclass: Schumann Fairy-tale Pictures op.113, third and fourth movements
Patrick Yim explores two movements of juxtaposing characters that test a viola player’s versatility and technical skill
Masterclass: Haydn Piano Trio in C major, Hob.XV:27, first movement
Violinist Elene Meipariani of Trio E.T.A. highlights the importance of finding a unified sound that brings life to this sprightly movement
More from the Playing Hub
6 tips for improved coordination
Guidance from The Strad’s archive for greater synchronisation between left-hand fingers and bow
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
Masterclass: Bach Violin Concerto in E major BWV1042, third movement
Julian Rachlin shines a light on this joyful movement comprising a satisfying musical architecture that alternates between anchoring refrains and exploratory soloistic episodes
Masterclass: Schumann Fairy-tale Pictures op.113, third and fourth movements
Patrick Yim explores two movements of juxtaposing characters that test a viola player’s versatility and technical skill
Masterclass: Haydn Piano Trio in C major, Hob.XV:27, first movement
Violinist Elene Meipariani of Trio E.T.A. highlights the importance of finding a unified sound that brings life to this sprightly movement
Masterclass: Grieg Violin Sonata no.3 in C minor, op.45, first movement
Esther Yoo guides violinists through a movement of turbulence and tenderness in a work that requires complete technical command
Masterclass: Bach Violin Concerto in E major BWV1042, third movement
Julian Rachlin shines a light on this joyful movement comprising a satisfying musical architecture that alternates between anchoring refrains and exploratory soloistic episodes
Masterclass: Schumann Fairy-tale Pictures op.113, third and fourth movements
Patrick Yim explores two movements of juxtaposing characters that test a viola player’s versatility and technical skill
Masterclass: Haydn Piano Trio in C major, Hob.XV:27, first movement
Violinist Elene Meipariani of Trio E.T.A. highlights the importance of finding a unified sound that brings life to this sprightly movement
Masterclass: Grieg Violin Sonata no.3 in C minor, op.45, first movement
Esther Yoo guides violinists through a movement of turbulence and tenderness in a work that requires complete technical command
How Scotland’s old stories shaped my album ‘Binnorie’
From Halloween guisers and neep lanterns to ancient ballads and island folklore, a journey through Scotland’s rich storytelling traditions became the foundation of Louise Bichan’s new album, Binnorie
Mutual respect, trust, freedom and responsibility: the DSCH–Shostakovich Ensemble on works by Schubert and Dvořák
The Portuguese chamber group releases a new album comprising Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet and Dvořák’s Piano Quartet no.1. Filipe Pinto-Ribeiro shares his love for these two landmark works for piano and strings
‘It is through your intellectual understanding that you can find the magical points in the music’ - Miriam Fried’s life lessons
The US–Israeli violinist on her unique upbringing and career, and what it takes to master a piece
‘I want to feel nourished and comfortable’: what do string players eat before a performance?
Top string players share their pre-performance fuel, where bananas and dark chocolate feature frequently, as Davina Shum found
How Scotland’s old stories shaped my album ‘Binnorie’
From Halloween guisers and neep lanterns to ancient ballads and island folklore, a journey through Scotland’s rich storytelling traditions became the foundation of Louise Bichan’s new album, Binnorie
Mutual respect, trust, freedom and responsibility: the DSCH–Shostakovich Ensemble on works by Schubert and Dvořák
The Portuguese chamber group releases a new album comprising Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet and Dvořák’s Piano Quartet no.1. Filipe Pinto-Ribeiro shares his love for these two landmark works for piano and strings
‘It is through your intellectual understanding that you can find the magical points in the music’ - Miriam Fried’s life lessons
The US–Israeli violinist on her unique upbringing and career, and what it takes to master a piece
‘I want to feel nourished and comfortable’: what do string players eat before a performance?
Top string players share their pre-performance fuel, where bananas and dark chocolate feature frequently, as Davina Shum found
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