Tips from Yo-Yo Ma

3 goals for the successful musician By Rory Williams Know Something Deeply In our age of specialization, you want to know something deeply so you have your own niche. Know a tradition deeply—be passionate about it. Be Flexible Because people…


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Paul Katz New England Conservatory

Role of the First Violinist

So you think the first violinist is running the show in a string quartet? Guess again by James Reel For more than a century after Joseph Haydn established the string quartet as one of music’s most sophisticated art forms, the…


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Develop an Individual Sound on the Strings

How to sound like your favorite player or find your own voice By Mimi Rabson What is it about your favorite players that makes them your favorites? Is it their clean tone, their intonation, their musical expression? What distinguishes your…

Nathaniel Ayers: Journey from Juilliard to Skid Row

Today, his life is about film and book projects by Louise Lee In some ways, Nathaniel Ayers at age 57 is a typical adult beginner on the violin. Taking his first lesson just this March, he spent the session working…


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violin being bowed

Navigate Tricky Double-Stops in Simple Steps

Learn the necessary preparation and bow control through these musical exercises By Mimi Rabson Double-stops can sound great when they are played correctly, but they are often maddening to work on. Getting them in tune is a daunting task and…

Yo-Yo Ma on Communicating Effectively with Your Audience

Performance is only magical if the audience is fully engaged by Edith Eisler “CONTENT, COMMUNICATION, AND RECEPTION,” cellist Yo-Yo Ma says, “those are the three elements that go into a performance; but unless they are in total alignment, there will…


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Viola

Tips for Inner Voices on Mastering Spiccato

By James Reel When you start playing in orchestras or chamber ensembles, one of the most important bow strokes you’ll need at your disposal is spiccato. Particularly in the inner voices in music of the Classical era, you’ll be generating…


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