Teaching
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ReviewBook review: Top Banana
Alex Laing reviews the latest series of pieces for young players, from string pedagogues and authors Celia Cobb and Naomi Yandell
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Technique: Phrasing musically under pressure
Double bassist Edwin Barker shares exercises in repetition and variation to ensure maximum musical security on stage
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Article
Violist Tabea Zimmermann on the pressure of competitions
The German musician speaks to Amanda Holloway about launching her own career with competition wins, and about her attitude to her students entering contests today
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How to teach adult string students
Teaching adults need not be a daunting prospect. For Alice McVeigh the rewards outweigh the problems, as she reveals in her guide for tutors. From 2014
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How should string teachers approach an advanced adult pupil?
Understanding the physique and psyche of a new adult pupil should not be taken lightly, writes Pauline Harding
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Technique: Developing bow control for improved tone
Violist Martin Outram on mix of exercises to help you draw out sound actively and attentively with the right hand
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Debate
Opinion: The Wisdom of Yoda
In the Star Wars universe, Jedi Master Yoda is the ultimate teacher – and his insights can be applied just as readily to string playing as to learning the ways of the Force, writes cellist Brian Hodges
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Paul Makanowitzky: From prodigy to pedagogue
Swedish-born violinist Paul Makanowitzky ultimately helped create the American school of violin playing. David Hays explores his life and multifaceted career
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Feature
Leonard Rose: All about the bow
American cellist Leonard Rose was a consummate performer and pedagogue, whose velvety tone was the result of complete mastery of the bow arm. Oskar Falta explores some of his bowing theories and speaks to former students about his teaching techniques. From November 2020
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Technique: Speaking with the bow
Cellist Ophélie Gaillard on how to use language, vowels, consonants and inflection to colour and shape every phrase
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Technique: Developing a controlled vibrato
Exercises and ideas to build finger strength, improved tone and a continuous arm or wrist action, from violinist Lihay Bendayan
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Feature
How to help music students with sightreading
If your students only brush up their sightreading at exam time, they're missing out on an important part of music making
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Focus
10 tips for learning and teaching sightreading
Advice from The Strad’s archive on how to improve sightreading and reminders of its crucial place in any good musician’s skillset
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Focus
Sightreading is a skill that should be taught early
A student’s earliest engagement with note reading is the right time to introduce sightreading, argues Naomi Yandell
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Focus
'It is even unnecessary to know the names of the notes' - From the Archive: February 1942
Violin pedagogue Percival Hodgson advocates a system of pattern recognition to help young players, rather than the laborious method of learning the names of notes
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Arco project: Evolution of a partnership
Six years ago, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire head of strings Louise Lansdown established a partnership with a music centre in Soweto to launch the Arco project, providing in-person and online lessons for South African string students. Here she reflects on the importance of the scheme and on how it has developed
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Technique: New perspectives on bow curves for double bass
How to improve fluidity, nuance and expression in every bow stroke
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Pierre Baillot: Against the odds
Pierre Baillot battled against financial hardship and suffered personal tragedy, yet he became a leading exponent of the 19th-century French violin school. Martin Wulfhorst reveals his importance as an instrumentalist, pedagogue and composer
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Focus
‘A teacher should be most aware of a student’s health, both mental and physical’ - bassist Mary Condliffe
The Cardiff-based double bass pedagogue explains why her students’ health is her biggest concern, in this interview from April 2012
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Focus
Playing with a relaxed fourth finger by violinist Ros Stephen
Ros Stephen, author of the Oxford University Press Globetrotters series and Violinworks method books, gives exercises and advice to help string players reach fourth finger notes without straining
