Category Archives: Member Articles

Join the forum discussion on this postAfter reading various blogs about orchestra etiquette I decided to compile ideas collected from many different professional as well as amateur players. If you come up with suggestions to add or change, please contribute … Continue reading →

After much discussion on the web and many misconceptions about how frequently strings should be changed, I decided that a more detailed summary is necessary. Let’s start by mentioning that there are several factors that affect the life of your … Continue reading →

Obviously we need to keep good posture in mind, but the one single change that I made helping me play violin for countless hours without getting tired is to learn to sit on the edge of my chair. Having worked … Continue reading →

Keeping the fire burning for music is extremely important for self preservation. Playing in an orchestra to earn a living, we play music that we don’t necessarily want to? Having played in Scandinavian orchestras for over 20 years, which are … Continue reading →

Vibrato is one of the violinists greatest expression tool when used correctly. Many argue as to how much and how often one should vibrate. Basically we should vibrate more when playing romantic music and tighter when playing classical music. When … Continue reading →

Why do we play scales? Besides playing to warm up before intensive practice, we play scales to establish finger patterns in our left hand that correspond with the pieces that we will be working on and performing. Continue reading →

Should a musician vibrate with the pitch in the middle or only up to the pitch? Most experts say that the ear registers the highest pitch as the intended tone. Continue reading →

What is the best way for violinists and fiddlers to warm up? Should violinist vibrate when warming up or just play long even and smooth notes? Continue reading →

Musicians having to learn and prepare a new program every week often feel guilty about the time that they don’t spend on preparing adequately. Here are some tips on how to prepare quicker and enjoy the process as well. Continue reading →

People often ask me how long they should practice. My answer is that it depends on what your goals are. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish and what you would like to be able to do with your instrument … Continue reading →