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Troubleshoot shifting into high positions on violin and viola. Stop climbing Mt. Everest!
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I often have reminded my students to stop trying to climb Mt. Everest when they are shifting up on the violin and viola. There are both psychological factors and physical factors that can make shifting into the higher positions challenging. Taking these factors into account and making a few adjustments will make you more…
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How to find a good string teacher
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Congratulations! You or your child want to learn a stringed instrument (aka violin, viola, cello, bass). Finding a good teacher is the first and one of the most important steps you will take but now especially with the internet, there are a flood of options to choose from! Consider this your guide for narrowing…
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How to do Up-bow Staccato on the Violin and Viola
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Up-bow staccato is one of the flashier techniques in violin playing and is found in several of the core pieces of the repertoire. In this post I’ll teach you what it is and how to play and practice it effectively. What is up-bow staccato? Staccato in music essentially means to create a separation between…
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Learning Up-bow Staccato in the Suzuki Violin Method
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Staccato is a musical notation that is usually interpreted as a shortening of the note in order to create space or silence between notes. In stringed instruments this shortening of the note is created by abruptly stopping the movement of the bow, even if for a fraction of a second. The staccato technique is…
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How to have good stage presence as a string player
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Stage presence refers to the ability of a performer (musician, speaker, actor etc.) to command the attention of their audience. A person with good stage presence is able to naturally draw in the attention of their audience without unnecessary distractions. To some it comes more naturally than to others, but good stage presence can…
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Immediately Improve Your Phrasing: The “Zig-zag” Bow for Violin, Viola, and Cello (Salut d’ Amour)
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Looking for a tip that will noticeably improve your phrasing? Read below to learn how to step up your playing through use of what I call the “zig-zag” bow. Static Phrasing The reason you have static sounding phrasing may be that you are using the same length of bow again and again and in…