Often, it's not enough to know a piece cold. You need to feel it, you need to interpret it. This is especially hard to do with an orchestral piece; how can you develop your own voice when you can't hear the rest of the orchestra? This is where Cadenza, a…
Latest Articles
Curious About Our Sheet Music Difficulty Ratings?
Tuesday, November 04, 2014Ever wonder how we decide our sheet music difficulty ratings? Below you'll find a detailed (and hopefully sane) explanation of our difficulty ratings. Although there are overlaps with ASTA's ratings, we decided to come up with our own rating system since…
Choosing the Right Set of Strings Redux
Tuesday, July 29, 2014Edited Dec. 3, 2018 - With the new sharmusic.com redesign, we've revamped out string charts! Check out the updated chart designs on our new site!Edited Apr. 14, 2016 - We've rolled live the Violin Strings, Viola Strings, Cello Strings, and Bass Strings…
Pickups and Preamps Redux
Friday, July 18, 2014Stepping into the amplified arena of music performance can be as easy as installing a pickup on your current instrument. A piezo transducer responds to pressure on the instrument's bridge (either in the wing slot, under the bridge feet, or from within…
A Brief Email Interview with Kathryn Schutmaat
Tuesday, April 22, 2014When My Very First Cello Method first arrived at SHAR we thought: Another method book . . . is there anything special about this one? What follows is a brief email interview with the author, Kathryn Schutmaat. We hear a little about her professional…
Friendship and Love of Music: An Interview with Hayley Murks
Thursday, August 08, 2013Each year, Strings Magazine awards a $3,000 scholarship (plus $1,000 to spend at SHAR) to a deserving young musician. The Edith Eisler Scholarship is a much-needed and generous award, one named in memory of a dedicated musician and contributor to …
"Tom" by Arnold Steinhardt
Monday, August 05, 2013The Guarneri String Quartet (photo by Erwin Fischer) and Charles Avsharian
Remembering David Crowder
Tuesday, July 23, 2013On a Friday morning at the end of June, everyone at SHAR was saddened to hear that our master bow restorationist David Crowder had passed away after a lengthy battle with emphysema. Aaron Johnson, the Repair Shop Coordinator, shares his memories of…
Revolution Strings in China, Days Nine and Ten
Tuesday, July 02, 2013Think back to your high school days. You may have played an instrument, and you have been quite good at it. But did you ever get the chance to tour China with thirteen violinists, two guitarists, a cellist, and a bass player? And this was after you…
"Colburn School Commencement Address" by Arnold Steinhardt
Friday, June 07, 2013The Guarneri String Quartet (photo by Erwin Fischer) and Charles Avsharian