Technique – Page 4
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Focus8 ways to vary your vibrato
Tips from The Strad’s archive for varying vibrato speed, width, pressure and direction to produce an infinite range of colour contrasts
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Premium ❘ FeaturePerfect 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
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Premium ❘ FeatureTechnique: Mapping out the fingerboard
Exercises to train your brain and fingers, to help you become a more fluent performer and improviser
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Feature7 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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Focus'Every bow movement should be calculated' - Aaron Rosand
The American maestro discusses the need for relaxation and finesse for good tone production in a 2007 article for The Strad
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Premium ❘ DebateEarly vibrato was one aspect of a vastly different sound world
A response to Beverly Jerold’s article 'Did early string players use continuous vibrato?' by Kevin Class
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FeatureCellist Jian Wang on the importance of slow practice
The Chinese artist explains why his method of practising hand movements has its origin in the jungle
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Premium ❘ FeatureQuick exercises to improve string playing technique
Bruno Giuranna, Mimi Zweig, Bonnie Hampton and Boris Kuschnir reveal their secret teaching weapons
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Premium ❘ FeatureThe 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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FeatureHow to shift smoothly and cleanly by cellist Jeffrey Solow
When it comes to shifting, the American cellist and Boyer College professor gets his inspiration from the physics of ball games in this 2007 article
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Premium ❘ FeatureNone of my teachers were any good at explaining technique - Ruggiero Ricci
Celebrating his 90th birthday in July 2008, the legendary violinist looked back at his teaching influences and revealed that he was largely self-taught
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Premium ❘ FeatureTechnique: the importance of practising in 5ths
How the ability to play in perfect 5ths can help you to hone your position, intonation and vibrato
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DebateYoung 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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Premium ❘ FeatureTechnique: Walking bass
Essential foundations for producing a jazz bass-line with good sound, rhythm and harmony
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ReviewBook review: The Violin in 5ths: Developing Intonation and Sound
Anne Inglis reviews Rodney Friend’s inspiring volume
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BlogsÉmile Sauret, moderation and the ‘saccade’ bow stroke
As Nazrin Rashidova continues her recorded exploration of Sauret’s Études-Caprices played on his own Stradivari, she contemplates an unusual technical challenge
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BlogsYuri Zhislin on the 6 pillars of violin playing
The violinist and violist boils down a career’s worth of experience as soloist, chamber musician and teacher
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Premium ❘ FeatureAsk the Experts: helping double-jointed students
Five teachers and health specialists respond to a reader's query on how best to teach a double jointed student.
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Premium ❘ FeatureAsk the Experts: purchasing the right Baroque bow
A trio of Baroque bow makers give their thoughts on what to look for when making the leap into historically informed playing
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FocusThe secret behind Paganini's amazing technique
Generations of violinists have tried to discover what it was that made Paganini so legendary. In this article from 2014, the late great Ruggiero Ricci shared his thoughts with Strad readers
