All Practice articles
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Focus7 ways to harness mental practice for musicians
Tips for using mental imaging to boost your musical practice regime from The Strad’s archive
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Focus
7 views on repetitive practice
Is repetition the most effective mode of practice? Debate from The Strad Archive
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Debate
Opinion: In the Public Eye
The primary purpose of a musician is to be heard by an audience – yet so many performers are self-conscious about the idea of their practice being observed and judged. Perhaps it’s time to practise out in the open, writes Toby Deller
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Focus
How important is happiness for effective practising?
Adopting a positive mindset helps to prime you for learning, writes musician and performance psychology expert Christine Carter
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How to play with a flexible bowing arm by cellist Gary Hoffman
The American musician explains how he developed a supple and varied bow arm motion, guided by his ear and musical instinct
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Is repetitive practice a good or a bad thing?
A prolonged, sickening and monotonous repetition of a section of music or the legitimate means of mastering a difficult passage? Joseph O'Doherty weighs up the two sides.
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How to develop fourth finger strength
String students often suffer from weakness in the little finger, but this can be overcome, writes James Winram in the Strad's July 1913 issue
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Me and my teacher: Dan Styffe and Gary Karr
The double bass virtuoso taught Styffe how to control the pressures of the world outside the teaching studio
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Focus
Singing during practice can help improve sound and characterisation
Cellist Laurence Lesser suggests that learning to listen to your voice constructively isn't easy, but it helps to set musical feeling directly into motion
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Harnessing breathing to improve your string playing
Breathing naturally is one of the first principles of Alexander teaching - and it's a must for anyone who suffers from stage fright, says Joseph Sanders
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Focus
12 ways to encourage children to practise
Finding the right level of involvement in a child’s instrumental practice can be a tricky balancing act. Cellist and pedagogue Oliver Gledhill offers some strategic guidance
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7 techniques to combat stage fright
How often has a potential performance of a lifetime turned into a performance from hell? Are you suffering from stage fright? Laurinel Owen gives advice on overcoming this common affliction
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Feature
7 mental techniques to boost your practice
Effective practice without the frustration and drudgery? Piet Koornhot looks at ways to direct your imagination.
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Quick exercises to improve string playing technique
Bruno Giuranna, Mimi Zweig, Bonnie Hampton and Boris Kuschnir reveal their secret teaching weapons
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The 4 stages of memorising music for performance
With the right concepts and skills, any musician can successfully learn music by heart, as Gerald Klickstein explains
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Debate
Young students must learn to listen if they are to practise effectively
String students who struggle in the early stages of learning often don't know how to listen. Patiently help them to train their ears, says Peter Quantrill, and practice sessions will become ever more fulfilling
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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: how to make the best use of limited practice time
Four specialists in practice techniques advise a busy amateur musician how to make the most of his limited rehearsal time
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Blogs
Aaron Rosand on how to practise effectively
There is no short cut to fine playing; only logical, intelligent and concentrated practice will yield results, writes the American violin virtuoso
