Violin tips & More

  I get asked about practicing all the time. Practice schedules, how to practice, what to practice, routines, habits, techniques… everything! And while I’ll save my complete guide on practicing for another time (as it’s a very in-depth manifesto), I want to...

Which is better, a carbon fiber or wood bow? It's a question I've received a lot, so... Here are my thoughts! As many of you may have noticed, I actually play both a carbon fiber and wood bow. While it’s essential to try out a bunch of bows at your local luthier to...

I hope your Monday is going well so far, but just in case you need a little break... Here's a musical interlude from one of the world's best violinists in an intimate setting: ... ... She plays some pretty dense difficult classical music for the first 7 minutes or so,...

I made a new friend and thought you guys might like to meet him. He served in World War II, conducted an orchestra on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl, and has been playing violin for over 93 years. Meet San Pedro California's own, Harry Hall: ... ... I'm so inspired...

Thank you guys for all your responses to The Hot Violinist end of 2015 Official Survey! Reading through them has got me reflecting on what a long strange trip it's been since I started playing violin. Many of the things you said sounded like a letter from my past...

Happy New Year Hot Violinists! I decided to avoid the party animals on the highway this year, and had a nice quiet New Years Eve at home with a Bach manuscript Santa brought and nice glass of sparkling rose (not the sweet kind!). I wrote down a few resolutions and...

Hiya Folks! Kelly and I have been playing around with new arrangement ideas for LOTM! I've added a shift into 3rd position (High notes!! Wee!) and the quiet living room setting is perfect for Kelly to play some more delicate picking patterns on guitar. Some of this is...

Q: If I decide to get a violin and mess around with it... My first thought was to check local pawn shops, but I'm not sure what signs of “quality” or brands to look for - I might end up with something shoddy or discouraging in some other way. Do you have suggestions...