The holidays are right around the corner, so it’s time to make those gift lists. If you have a string musician in your life, the following eight gift ideas are right up his/her alley. We’ve done our homework and found…
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IMPROVING FINGER DEXTERITY FOR STRING MUSICIAN
Are you passionate about playing your string instrument? Are you interested in becoming a better-than-average – or even great – musician? Then finger dexterity is key to your mission.
Not only does finger dexterity allow your fingers to whiz…
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TOP 10 CLASSICAL CELLO COMPOSITIONS TO WOW YOUR FRIENDS
Cellos often play a supporting role in orchestras – particularly youth, beginner and intermediate orchestras. For a student, however, this can become decidedly un-inspiring. Aspiring cellists deserve inspiring compositions - pieces that go beyondthe rhythmic support of the treble clef…
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UPDATE - THE LATEST APPS FOR VIOLINISTS
Learning to play a string instrument like the violin takes a lot of practice. During the first year of training in particular, beginner violin students can find it a challenge to cope with all of the new ideas. Not only…
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TEACHER’S CORNER: 4 STRATEGIES FOR INTEGRATING NEW STUDENTS INTO YOUR ORCHESTRA
School orchestras are often a tight-knit bunch. This is great for those on the inside of the bunch, but can be daunting for new members. Using successful strategies to integrate new students into the orchestra culture will create a more…
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WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A VIOLIN TEACHER AS AN ADULT LEARNER
Finding the right violin teacher can be more challenging for adult learners than it is for children. For one thing, the balance of power is decidedly more equal; for another, adults often have a more difficult schedule to contend with…
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VIOLIN STRING ROUND-UP: ADVANCED VS. INTERMEDIATE VS. BEGINNER STRINGS
Violin strings, like their host instrument, should be selected to match the player's ability. Just as you shop for the right violin based on where you're at in your musical development, so should you seek strings that match your playing…
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WHAT TO WEAR FOR A WINTER OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE
While audience members have the luxury of bundling up to their hearts’ content, musicians playing outdoors aren’t so lucky during the winter months. You need to be strategic about the clothes you select to remain warm enough – but nimble…
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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PICKUP FOR YOU
Classically-trained string players - particularly those playing violin and viola - can have a difficult time getting used to the idea of sounding louder and often shy away from the idea of amplifying their sound.
However, amplifying your sound…
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3 STEPS TO TUNING YOUR VIOLIN
In the beginning, your violin teacher will help you tune your instrument - and is happy to do so because tuning is crucial to developing a good ear and the muscle memory required to play the notes accurately. At some…
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DIFFERENCES AMONG ROSIN TYPES AND WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR INSTRUMENT
If you move a rosin-less bow across the strings of your instrument, you will hear....hardly anything. That's because rosin provides the friction required to produce sound when an instrument's strings are bowed. Made from tree sap (and often mixed with…
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CHOOSING A WOODEN BOW AND WHY
Choosing the bow for your violin is just as a big a decision as choosing the violin. You want to take the same time and care in selecting the right bow that suits your skill level, goals, and budget.
…
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HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR VIOLIN STRINGS
Your violin’s strings are essential to producing good sound, and that means their care is every bit as important as the care you put into the body of the instrument. From protecting the violin in a case, to choosing the…
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HOW TO CHOOSE INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC FOR EVENTS
Now that we can all carry around hours of music in our pockets, we’re all living our lives with a constant soundtrack. According to Nielsen, Americans listen to an average of 4.5 hours of music every day. Then add this…
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VIOLIN PRACTICE TIPS FOR ADULT LEARNERS
Adult music students often doubt their music abilities because they've fallen prey to certain myths, including the one that "childhood is the only time to learn musical instruments well..."
While it's true learning to play a musical instrument at…
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HOW CAN I ENCOURAGE MY CHILD TO PRACTICE THE VIOLIN?
The good news is that learning to play the violin - or any string instrument - has lifelong benefits. However, if your child dreads practice time, or develops a negative association with practicing the violin, it can crush the spark…
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HOW TO PRACTICE AT HOME WITHOUT MAKING YOUR FAMILY CRAZY
Beginning violinists don't have the best reputation when it comes to sound quality. The reality is that except for the very rare virtuoso, all string musicians must start somewhere - and that somewhere often involves driving family members absolutely crazy…
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