Intonation

For string players of all ages and abilities, tuning is a constant concern. Here you will find content to help you perfect those niggling intonation issues, including articles and video on:

Latest Intonation

‘We just love what we do’: 21 years of the Sacconi Quartet

10 November 2023

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

Ask the Experts: how to encourage students to trust their ears

30 January 2023

A reader asks what can be done to help young students who rely on learning finger placement rather than trusting their ears. Three teachers give their views

More Intonation

4 ways Bach can improve your playing: Violinist Rebeca Nuez Suarez

25 January 2023

Rebeca Nuez Suarez reflects on the application of Bach’s Solo Violin Sonatas and Partitas in the technical and musical development of young performers

How harmonics and singing can help to build a sound technique

10 January 2023

Violin and viola pedagogue Jane Metcalfe discusses using techniques inspired by Kodály and Colourstrings methods

Intonation

From the Archive: the difficulties of playing in tune
The Strad writer E. Polonaski bemoans the number of string players with suspect intonation in our March 1893 issue
A 30-minute daily practice routine for violinists and violists
How to keep your playing in shape while maintaining a busy schedule, by Misha Galaganov, professor of viola and chamber music at Texas Christian University, TX, US
Technique: A 30-minute routine to keep your playing on top form
Ideas to help violinists and violists maintain high technical and musical standards around a busy regime
TwoSetViolin: The Twelve Levels of Violin Playing
The musical double act abandon their usual hijinx in favour of something more serious for newbie violinists: a whistle-stop tour of what their violin-playing career could look like (with a bit of practice).
How I interpret Bach: Tomás Cotik on strings, intonation and vibrato
Ahead of his 2020 album release of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas, the violinist continues his blog series, in which he discusses the contradictions between the opposing trends and traditions in Bach interpretation, and his personal solutions to them
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