Although we all have to start our intonation journey with figuring out how to play in tune up and down single strings, pretty quickly we encounter music which requires us to find our intonation in various zig-zag patterns across the strings. Arpeggios, ...

What is shifting? How do we make our shifts more accurate and clean? If we're just beginning and not ready to learn how to shift yet, what can we do to ensure we'll be ready when the time comes? Join me as we dive deep into the nuances of shifting ...

Good tone is a recipe with many ingredients, mostly involving the bow. We soon learn that weight is an important component, as well as bow speed and keeping the bow straight. However, good tone can still remain elusive. It's happened so many times ...

Ever wonder why certain violin and viola strings seem easier to sustain a nice bow bounce on than others? I have a theory and hope you'll enjoy this deep dive into how to create spiccato consistency string to string. As we find with both hands in fact, ...

A lot of us often wonder, where am I supposed to place my thumb on the violin (or viola) neck? What finger should it be closest to? Should it be stationary? Should it move? Is there a spot that will magically help it stop gripping and finally relax? ...

In this recent teaching video I'm sharing on my YouTube channel I'm sharing one of my favorite exercises to share with my students. Do you conveniently avoid playing in the lower half of the bow, or outright fear the tones you might encounter down ...

In this fourth installment of the Violin Geek Podcast's Intonation Mastery series we explore common issues within our technique that may contribute to intonation issues, as well as some considerations within our approach to tonality, and tempered versus ...

This question was posed in my Complete Vibrato Mastery online course recently: Is wrist or arm vibrato better for violists?

I personally don't believe that one style of vibrato is better for ...

As the account goes, someone once asked child prodigy and virtuoso violinist Jascha Heifetz: “How are you able to play so well in tune?” To that, Heifetz replied something to the effect of: “I don’t. I adjust before anyone notices.” Although playing ...

We should never underestimate the power of foundational exercises. I really can't stress this enough in fact. In her YouTube series, “With Nicky,” violinist Nicola ...

My latest article for Strings Magazine focuses on some of the challenges of my favorite violin concerto. Check it out here: https://stringsmagazine.com/tips-on-nailing-tricky-double-stops-in-mendelssohns-violin-concerto/?mc_cid=2ba968c6f0&mc_eid=a5cf24edb5

I received a question recently from one of my Complete Vibrato Mastery students asking whether one of type of vibrato (wrist, arm, or in modern times, the lesser used "finger" vibrato) ...

The age old story goes - you set up your bow hold, perfectly, just as your teacher showed you, but as soon as you start playing, the pinkie finger stiffens, or worse a joint fails and it buckles. Your tone starts to suffer. Your hold feels tense, and ...

One of the students enjoying my [online bowing course](https://www.laurelthomsen.com/Online Courses/) emailed me some questions about martelé recently. The technique was clear, but it’s application ...

I’m very excited to have a new online course available, this time all about vibrato! I’ve spend the last two months planning, video recording, editing, and finally, as I flew back and forth across the US for my Fall tour of New England, every chance ...

It would be hard to argue that rhythm is the foundation of all music. In it's simplest form, we find a steady beat, or not so steady as the case may be... Sometimes problems with rhythm aren't caused by what we thought they were. Whether you’re just ...

Not all shifts are created equal. And no, we’re not talking nightgowns!

Learn how to refine your violin or string family shifting technique for optimal expression! Did you know that the finger you “travel” on during a shift makes a subtle but ...

Whether you've been playing for months or years, the cause of jitters, sputters, and tremor type sounds in your sustained bow strokes can be so elusive they're ranked among the most annoying and frustrating issues a string player will ever encounter. ...

Learn to adjust your fingerings to harmonize perfectly with open string drones, be they in fiddle tunes or presented as "easy" double stops in classical pieces. Sounds simple? Not so much! In this episode if the Violin Geek Podcast, find ...

All chapters of my online course are now available through String Letter Publishing. Here’s a brief rundown of the contents of each chapter in case you want to dabble, otherwise, consider purchasing the complete set of 9 chapters for just $29.99!

How ...

Did you know that our violin family instruments are constantly giving us clues about how to be in perfect tune? We just have to learn to listen to the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle natural resonances. In this episode if the Violin Geek Podcast, ...

An excerpt from my Improve Your Bowing Technique online course is featured in the January 2012 edition of Strings magazine. If your bow strokes sound better on some strings than others, it could be that you need to adjust your bow’s contact point. ...

Another excerpt from my Improve Your Bowing Technique online course is featured in the December 2011 edition of Strings magazine! Want to move your bow from G to D? Or perhaps E to G? Or...A to E? No matter where you’re rocking your bow, your upper ...

An excerpt from my Improve Your Bowing Technique online course is featured in the November 2011 edition of Strings magazine. As the foundation of your bowing technique, how you hold your bow can mean the difference between beautiful tones and perpetual ...

Once we can play with good tone and intonation, and we’ve mastered the most basic tunes in the repertoire - Twinkle, Hot Cross Buns, etc., it’s time to add color and interest with dynamics - volume changes in performed music. Among these are the F’s ...

Happy new year everyone! The year is beginning for me with another published article in Strings magazine. Check out the January 2011 edition in bookstores now or follow the link below to the online version. The article is all about the left hand thumb ...

Very excited to have my first Strings magazine article published in the upcoming October edition. I received my copies over the weekend so, it’s official! I’ve been working on several more articles over the past few couple of months and thrilled to ...

In these very first episodes of the Violin Geek Podcast you'll learn to train your ears for excellent intonation on your violin or viola. String teacher Laurel Thomsen helps you tune the nine basic finger patterns found in all our major and minor scales ...

If you’re a string player, have you ever thought about left and right side independence? Perhaps not. The violin family instruments require such asymmetrical positions and motions, I suspect that many string players have never considered how interconnected ...