Technique – Page 7
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BlogsDeveloping a natural and relaxed approach to string playing – part 2
Portland State University professor Dr Tomas Cotik gives an introduction to kinesthetic feelings and demonstrates techniques and exercises
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BlogsDeveloping a natural and relaxed approach to string playing - part 1
Portland State University professor Dr Tomas Cotik gives an introduction to kinesthetic feelings and demonstrates techniques and exercises
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BlogsSing your way to string playing perfection - violinist Jack Liebeck
Breath control is very much like bow control, says the British violinist and Royal Academy of Music professor
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Premium ❘ FocusHow to develop an expressive vibrato
Just one beautiful note is all we need as a starter for a gorgeous vibrato, writes Phyllis Young
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Blogs'Portamento, when used tastefully, can bring a piece to life,' says violinist Aaron Rosand
The American virtuoso examines how the great 20th-century violinists used the ‘gliding technique' to bring personality and individuality to their interpretations
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BlogsThe power of legato practice for string players - Moonkyung Lee
The violinist shares her tried and tested method of practising to improve tone and memory skills
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FocusHow to use the back muscles while playing, by cellist Hillel Zori
The senior faculty member at the Buchmann–Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv University, Israel gives tips for maximising power and control with minimum effort
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Focus7 ways to improve your trills
Tips from The Strad’s archive for improving trill speed and clarity, and for varying ornamental style according to musical period
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Focus6 ways to control bow pressure
How to use bow pressure to produce a fine, even tone, to vary texture and dynamics and to produce smooth bow changes from The Strad archive
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FocusHow to develop expressive technique, by violist Pauline Sachse
The professor of viola at the Carl Maria von Weber School of Music, Dresden, explains how to give meaning to every note by training independence of the hands
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FocusHow to play fast passages without tension, by cellist Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi
Sometimes our hands know exactly what to do, if only we'd let them, says the Japanese artist
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FocusGetting articulation right is vital for performing minimalist music
Pwyll ap Siôn explores minimalism’s leading works for strings and provide tips on how to play them
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DebateWhy are string players today so afraid to use portamento?
Composers expected it and the music itself seems to demand it. Tully Potter argues for a return to swoops and scoops
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FocusShould string section bowings always be synchronised?
It is generally accepted that string sections should bow as a collective, but could this uniform approach sacrifice the composer's intended sound? Violist James Boyd argues in favour of greater freedom
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ArticleViolinist Ray Chen gives masterclass on smooth bow changes
Imagine that the paper is the instrument, the brush is the bow, and your musical line is the ink' Ray Chen continues his video masterclass series by analysing, with the aid of a paint brush, exactly what happens at the moment of a bow change. Watch: Violinist ...
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Blogs'Bach should be played with vibrato,' says violinist Pinchas Zukerman
The veteran violinist, violist, conductor and pedagogue is interviewed in The Strad's September 2016 issue
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FocusHow to encourage a relaxed left-hand thumb in string students
Top viola teacher Bruno Giuranna answer a reader's question for The Strad's Teacher Talk section
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Focus9 perspectives on spiccato
Like riding a bicycle, mastering spiccato is all about striking the perfect balance between control and release, as these excerpts from 100 years of The Strad demonstrate
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Blogs12 ways to encourage your student’s pickiness about pitch – part 2
Meredith Arksey, violin and viola professor at Washington State University, gives helpful hints for teachers wanting to improve their students' awareness of intonation
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Blogs12 ways to encourage your student's pickiness about pitch - part 1
Meredith Arksey, violin and viola professor at Washington State University, gives helpful hints for teachers wanting to improve their students' awareness of intonation