Magic Beads

Beads are a wonderful practice and teaching tool. This is an article I wrote for the Suzuki Journal on how I use them. 

Coat Hanger Cling

A good way to find a released left hand.

Tonalization: More Long Note Challenges

This variation focuses on the challenge of a quick transition between extremes.

Ed Sprunger on Playing in Sentences

My friend and colleague, Ed Sprunger. If you haven't read his book, Helping Parents Practice: Ideas for Making it Easier, get started right away! He has a new one, and I'm looking forward to reading it even though it is focused on violin. 

Creativity and the Brain

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, thank you and farewell

Tonalization: Variations on the Longest Note in the World

After doing the longest note in the world for a while, you might like to try some other open string exercises.

Michael Tilson Thomas: Music and emotion through time

Tonalization: Longest Note in the World

This is a well-known challenge. The idea is to play the slowest bow you can, while trying to keep the sound full by playing very near the bridge, and also to keep it perfectly even.

Praise Part 3: Praising why?

This last post on the subject of praise concerns not just the effects of praise, but more deeply our own motivations for praising.

Live Performance as a Birthright

...see also this related post.

Everybody's Scale

...love this.

The Value of Music Education

Praise Part 2: Praising what?

Continuing with another idea that has come out of Carol Dweck's work, this post concerns praising effort rather than ability.

Praise Part 1: Praising how?

The subject of praise in teaching or parenting, that is how and even whether to praise students (or in the context of parenting, children generally), is more controversial than might be expected. I've been exploring (through reading) some different perspectives on the subject, and am sharing some of what I've found over a few posts rather than one long, overwhelming one.

Glides

Practicing long shifts can be frustrating. Sometimes it may seem as though some shifts will just never be reliable. Gliding is a practice method that is quite effective.