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There are two main schools of thought when it comes to the position of the thumb: the thumb towards the left of the neck, or right under it. The following is not in a lesson format, but rather a discussion… Read More »Left Thumb

Here are some common problems in ending a phrase and starting a new phrase: 1. Cutting the phrase short out of worry of starting the next phrase. 2. Always ending a phrase with the bow on the string. 3. Ending… Read More »Phrasing I

Based on some things which I have learned here in Fall 2006, and some new things I discovered while teaching, this post will elaborate on vibrato. A. Vibrato Speeds Those who have problems slowing down or speeding up their vibrato… Read More »Vibrato II

Pizzicato is a misunderstood concept in classical string playing – jazz bassists have a unique part of our society in this sense, since just about everything they do is pizzicato. Let us first examine the word “pizzicato” – which is… Read More »Pizzicato

There are actually four kinds of vibrato: wrist, arm, finger, bow. That’s in order of how often its used for most violin and viola players – though sometimes they are combined. In this post we will discuss wrist vibrato. The… Read More »Basic Vibrato

Playing scales is usually the least liked and probably the most misunderstood of things that a string student is asked to do. 1. Many students just run through the one easiest way to play a scale, and if it’s in… Read More »Scales

There are many factors to having a smooth bow stroke, and a relaxed bow arm is the most important. This is the first step in making a good sound on the instrument. The Problem Many teachers and students alike like… Read More »A Relaxed Bow Arm

Though there is no doubt that a lot of practice is a good thing, how one practices is the more important skill of a musician. Here are some suggestions as to things to do while practicing: 1. DO use your… Read More »Practice Methods

Or, if you prefer, slurring. This time we discuss how we use slurs, at two levels: first, for beginners trying this out for the first time, and second, for more advanced learners. If you are trying to learn and figure… Read More »Slurs for Beginners

This is a posting about recognizing intervals. This can be used in two ways: a) To form an accurate idea of playing in tune – while chromatic tuners help to tell you whether one note is exactly correct, it is… Read More »Basic Intonation