Scales
Jacob Murphy
A Month of Scales - No More Bored Scale Practice

Scales don’t have to be boring! I spent a whole month doing a different approach to scales every day, and posting the details. Not only did it keep things interesting -- it also brought more life to all of my practicing and playing.

A Month of Scales - No More Bored Scale Practice
Bow Arm Technique
Jacob Murphy
How The Bow and String Work Together

or… WHY speed, weight, and contact point matter. Have you ever wondered how exactly your violin bow makes the strings vibrate? Why does the bow sometimes get a beautiful sound, and sometimes a horrifying sound? And why are speed, weight, and contact point so crucial to getting a good sound? The answer is actually pretty straightforward.

How The Bow and String Work Together
Music & Repertoire
Jacob Murphy
Top 10 List: Music for Mourning

The large-scale requiems seem to get all the attention, but what about other, smaller-scale works that help us through times of loss, grief, and death? Here’s a Top 10 List (plus several honorable mentions) of elegies and other music of mourning for solo strings and chamber ensembles.

Top 10 List: Music for Mourning
Left Hand Technique
Jacob Murphy
3 Tips to Find Your Natural Vibrato

Vibrato is something a lot of developing violinists struggle with. It seems so effortless when done well, but it can sure feel like a lot of work to develop. Some violinists claim it can’t be taught – each violinist just has to figure it out. Some teach it by going into great detail about every aspect of arm vibrato, wrist vibrato, finger vibrato, width, and speed ... not to mention finger pressure, finger angle, thumb placement, and more. The truth is probably somewhere in between.

3 Tips to Find Your Natural Vibrato

Develop Effortless Technique (and Let Go of Tension)

Develop Effortless Technique (and Let Go of Tension)

We all know that great violin playing looks effortless. And in one sense, it is ... at least in that moment. (Putting aside all the work that led to that moment.) Great violinists have eliminated muscle tension and unnecessary work from their technique, either naturally or through careful practice, so all of their effort while playing goes directly into things that pay off in sound or virtuosity. And when your work is refined to just the absolute essentials, it really does become almost effortless. It’s a state we can all work towards.

Hello!

Call it my pandemic project … a productive outlet … my whisper into the vast storm of the internet … or just a way to give some personality to my site while maybe helping some people at the same time.

My plan is to have posts on everything related to the violin, from the technical to the musical to the psychological.

I teach violin, and perform in and around Chicago. You can read about my background. Or just explore my posts as they go up.

OK, well I think it’s time to launch: 3 … 2 … 1 …

Inquire About Lessons or Coaching