The Violin Geek Podcast

Nine ways, other than more practice, to sound better now!

To learn more about Laurel, please visit www.laurelthomsen.com

To check out photos, musings, video links, and to see updates about Laurel's educational materials and performances, visit "Laurel Thomsen Music" on Facebook and share your support with a "Like".

Want to offer a comment or have a question answered on the podcast? Send Laurel an email at [email protected]

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 among the most annoying and frustrating issues a string player will ever encounter. In this episode, violinist, string teacher, and author Laurel Thomsen gets down to bow basics and covers a variety of suggestions that may be just what you need to eradicate your unwanted bow bounces for good.

To learn more about Laurel, please visit www.laurelthomsen.com

To check out photos, musings, video links, and to see updates about Laurel's educational materials and performances, visit "Laurel Thomsen Music" on Facebook and share your support with a "Like".

Want to offer a comment or have a question answered on the podcast? Send Laurel an email at [email protected]

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, after all, not all fingerings are made equal when dealing with the complex harmonic series' of violin family instruments!

To learn more about Laurel, please visit www.laurelthomsen.com

To check out photos, musings, video links, and to see updates about Laurel's educational materials and performances, visit "Laurel Thomsen Music" on Facebook and share your support with a "Like".

Want to offer a comment or have a question answered on the podcast? Send Laurel an email at [email protected]

Learn to use sympathetic vibrations to clue you in for perfect intonation. "It's a pretty cool technique!" ~LT

To learn more about Laurel please visit www.laurelthomsen.com

educational materials and performances through "Laurel Thomsen Music" on Facebook. Want to offer a comment or have your question answered on the podcast? Send Laurel an email at [email protected]

Welcome to episode 50 (coming in at exactly 50 min. no less!). Today musician/teacher Laurel Thomsen offers a guided warmup series for body and brain. If you experience tension or pain when you play, want to improve your playing posture or posture in general, or want to experience more focus and energy while you play and practice, this one's for you!

To learn more about Laurel please visit www.laurelthomsen.com

Laurel Thomsen Music on Facebook and consider offering your support with a "like". Want to offer a comment or have your question answered on the podcast? Send Laurel an email at [email protected]

Learn to tune your violin or viola in the professional classical way, just like symphony members do world wide.

To learn more about Laurel please visit www.laurelthomsen.com

Laurel Thomsen Music on Facebook and consider offering your support with a "like". Want to have your question answered on the podcast? Send Laurel an email at [email protected]

Sometimes changing your mental approach is all it takes to find the courage to dive deep, address the challenges, and take your playing to the next level. Join musician, educator, and author Laurel Thomsen as she explores a powerful quote taken from mandolinist Mike Marshall.

To learn more about Laurel please visit www.laurelthomsen.com

Laurel Thomsen Music on Facebook and consider offering your support with a "like". Want to have your question answered on the podcast? Send Laurel an email at [email protected]

Don't know the difference between Urtext, fascimile, and interpretive sheet music editions? In this episode musician/teacher Laurel Thomsen sheds light on the pros and cons of each type of edition, common publishing companies within each family, and which needs of a student or performer could be best served by each type.

To learn more about Laurel please visit www.laurelthomsen.com

Laurel Thomsen Music on Facebook and consider offering your support with a "like". Want to have your question answered on the podcast? Send Laurel an email at [email protected]

Today we cover a listener question about fingerings for the Giga, or Gigue, from J.S. Bach's Violin Partita #2. Using this piece as an example, musician/teacher Laurel Thomsen gives guidelines for choosing good fingerings - those that facilitate clarity, phrasing, and interpretive flow.

A version of the Gigue with Laurel's recommended fingerings and bowings can be found on her site, www.laurelthomsen.com, through the "Podcast" link in the navigation bar.

To learn more about Laurel please visit www.laurelthomsen.com

Want updates about Laurel's educational material and performances? Just search

Laurel Thomsen Music on Facebook and consider offering your support with a "like". Want to have your question answered on the podcast? Send Laurel an email at [email protected]

Happy New Year! Dust off that old sheet music and make time to review your old repertoire. In this episode violinist/teacher Laurel Thomsen gives 5 reasons to make review a regular part of your practice in 2012.

To learn more about Laurel and her performing, teaching, and writing, please visit www.laurelthomsen.com

To check out photos, musings, video links, and get updates about Laurel's educational materials and performances, visit "Laurel Thomsen Music" on Facebook and share your support with a "Like".

Want to offer a comment or have a question answered on the podcast? Post to Laurel's Facebook wall or send an email to [email protected]