Musical Lessons from Deadlifting

How my time in the weight room has influenced my time in the practice room.

Practicing, Technique, ToneTravis MarilOctober 13, 2024Comment

How to Learn a Solo Piece in 7 Days

How I prepared Shostakovich's Romance for performance in just a week.

Practicing, Technique, ToneTravis MarilSeptember 2, 2024Comment

Carol Rodland on Musicality, Color & Daily Habits

Strategies and tactics from Juilliard professor Carol Rodland on using musicality to counteract nerves, playing with color and habits for a healthy violist.

Practicing, Technique, Tone, MasterclassesTravis MarilJune 10, 2024Comment

REVIEW: The ArcRest - A Shoulder Pad for the Shoulder-restless

I review the ArcRest, a minimalist shoulder pad.

Product Review, SetupTravis MarilJune 4, 2024Comment

VIDEO: 4 Principles for Smooth String Crossings

Core ideas and exercises for developing smoother string crossings.

Practicing, Technique, ToneTravis MarilMay 25, 2024Comment

From AVS Congress to the Stage in Just 26 Years: A Slow Productivity Odyssey

From hearing the Paganini Sonata live at the AVS Congress to performing it myself, in just 27 years!

Practicing, Organization, PlanningTravis MarilMay 17, 2024 Comments

Waiting to Exhale: How Breathing Helped my Paganini

How planning my breathing helped me in a crucial performance.

Practicing, Technique, CoordinationTravis MarilFebruary 23, 2024 Comment

Playing Between Positions: Michael Tree's Unique Philosophy of Fingering

Notes on Michael Tree’s unique approach to the fingerboard.

Practicing, Technique, Tone, Left HandTravis MarilNovember 4, 2023 Comment

Video: Primrose on Sound Production

A video tutorial examining some of Primrose’s fundamental bow concepts.

Practicing, Technique, ToneTravis MarilSeptember 25, 2023Comment

Mapping the Fingerboard, One Half-Step at a Time

A video tutorial covering fundamental exercises to chart your personal mental map of the fingerboard.

Practicing, Technique, Left Hand, ScalesTravis MarilJune 15, 2023Comment

Video: How Karen Tuttle’s "plop" transformed my Left Hand

A video tutorial of Karen Tuttle’s foundational left hand concepts.

Practicing, Technique, Left HandTravis MarilMay 24, 2023 Comments

Practice Passagework like Primrose

Use Primrose’s “Rule of 60” to tackle challenging passagework.

Practicing, Technique, Book Reviews, Coordination, Memorization, Right HandTravis MarilMay 9, 2023Comment

Harmonics and Ponticello: A Partially Perfect Pair

Want to develop a faster left hand and a deeper sound while working less? Try this technical “superset.”

Practicing, Technique, Tone, Left Hand, Right Hand, CoordinationTravis MarilApril 22, 2023Comment

PracticeMind: The Complete Practice Model

My review of PracticeMind, one of the best books that I’ve ever read on all things related to musical practice.

Book Reviews, Organization, Practicing, PlanningTravis MarilApril 2, 2023Comment

Pattern Practice - Create Targeted Etudes with Intervallic Thinking

Pattern Practice is an important tool that can be used to dissect and master tricky passages.

Practicing, Scales, TechniqueTravis MarilFebruary 23, 2023Comment

How to Memorize Music Quickly...While Dancing

Learn the strategies I used to memorize two pieces in less than 36 hours, then perform them on stage in front of 3000 people.

Memorizing, Practicing, Planning, Memorization, For StudentsTravis MarilJanuary 13, 2023 Comments

String Theory

A Music Blog