Improve your playing continued – Page 61
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Premium ❘ Feature
Violinist Heime Müller on his search to cure his focal dystonia
In this Health Matters interview from 2009, the German violinist tells how a loss of full finger motion was the first sign of the movement disorder, musician's dystonia
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Article
Kenneth Arthur Renshaw performs Ravel's Tzigane
Kenneth Arthur Renshaw, who won the Senior Prize at the 2012 Menuhin Competition in Beijing, performs Ravel's Tzigane in the Semi Finals. The 2014 Menuhin Competition is currently taking place in Austin, Texas. It has recently been announced that the 2016 Competition will take place in ...
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Blogs
The art of distraction is more effective than repetitive practice
Repeating a difficult passage over and over again can lead to stress and tension. Instead distract your mind at the point of execution to feel relaxed as you play, writes cellist Thomas Demenga
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Blogs
10 habits of successful musicians
American cellist David Finckel embarks on a series of seminars – entitled Being a Musician – at Stony Brook University, New York on 3 February. Here, he identifies the important habits of those musicians who have built and maintained successful careers
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Focus
Bringing true ensemble playing to your string quartet
In the following excerpt from an article on string quartet playing, published in The Strad, April 1908, our writer offers advice on achieving cohesion – and interest – in your group playing
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Blogs
Claudio Abbado — an orchestral violinist's personal tribute
Berlin Philharmonic violinist and member of the board of directors, Stanley Dodds, remembers the great conductor, who died this week
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Focus
Berlin Philharmonic pays tribute to former concertmaster Szymon Goldberg
The orchestra is to host a free exhibition on the Polish violinist in February and March
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Focus
Drawing the line with student–teacher relationships
A string player discusses the contentious issue of student–teacher relationships in and out of the conservatoire. Where does responsibility lie?
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Focus
Essential tips for teaching limb-different children to play stringed instruments
Youngsters born with limb differences can be as determined as anyone to learn an instrument – and here's how to help them achieve their goals
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Focus
How do you encourage students to develop their own musical ideas?
Teacher Talk: your string teaching questions answered by our panel of experts
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Focus
How do you help students avoid stage fright?
Teacher Talk: your string teaching questions answered by our panel of experts
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Focus
From the archive: The tale of the King of Spain Strads
The set of decorated Stradivari instruments housed at the Royal Palace of Madrid made news recently when they received their first public performance, by the Quiroga Quartet from Spain (see link below). The stringed instruments have an eccentric history, shrouded in mystery and conflicting views. Stradivari made them for the Spanish ...
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Focus
Making the most of one hour of practice
Teacher Talk: your string teaching questions answered by our panel of experts
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Focus
How to deal with unsupportive parents
Teacher Talk: your string teaching questions answered by our panel of experts
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Focus
What competition success did for my career – by six prize-winners
Seasoned competition goer Heather Kurzbauer considers the place of competitions today, and violin laureates discuss how their wins have helped their careers
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Focus
What criteria should be followed to determine what bowing to use in bass music?
Teacher Talk: your string teaching questions answered by our panel of experts
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Focus
How to market yourself as a string player
You need flexibility and business acumen as well as talent to stand out from the crowd in today's rapidly changing music world, argues double bassist-turned-agent Corrado Canonici
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Focus
Should one borrow, hire or buy the first violin for a beginner?
Teacher Talk: your string teaching questions answered by our panel of experts
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Focus
Can you name this mystery violin music?
A recording by violinist Marie Wilson offers a tantalising glimpse into her playing, but the repertoire is unnamed
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Focus
From the archive: Vibrato on the Violincello
In this article published in The Strad, May 1912, Emil Krall offers some instruction