Blogs

Even a great case can't do everything. The Cushy Case Cover adds a layer of protection for your violin or viola: thick padding against bumps, insulation that buffers dangerous temperature swings in winter, water resistance, extra storage for music and accessories, and backpack straps, all fitting over most standard dart-shape and oblong cases.

The violin E-string is unique: made of steel and offered with a range of platings that change its sound. This guide explains how platinum, titanium, and gold-plated E-strings differ in warmth, power, clarity, and response, with examples from Pirastro, Thomastik-Infeld, Larsen, and more, to help you choose the right E-string for your instrument.

The late violin pedagogue Shirley Givens explains the philosophy behind her beloved Adventures in Violinland method series. Written from a child's point of view with hand-drawn illustrations, duets, games, and fourteen recurring characters, the twenty-four books nurture a young player's imagination while building exacting modern violin technique, pitch awareness, note reading, and rhythm.

Wedding season is demanding, and outdoor ceremonies leave no room for equipment failures. This checklist covers the essentials for gigging string players: windproof solid-desk stands, page holders, smart gear carrying, comfortable seating, silent tuning, climate-appropriate rosin, versatile repertoire, and why a carbon fiber "outdoor" bow is worth considering.

hopping for a beginning string player doesn't have to be daunting. Part one of our gift guide series covers smart options at every price: choosing a teacher-approved first instrument (and avoiding online 'violin-shaped objects'), upgrading a beginner's strings, fun rosins, case straps and tags, plus stocking stuffers like beginner sheet music and music-themed accessories.

Which music stand should you get? It depends on your budget and where you'll use it. This guide compares three categories: ultralight folding stands for traveling musicians, sturdier fold-up stands that balance portability and stability, and classic studio stands like the Manhasset Music Stand.

For over a century, Bärenreiter has set the standard for serious music publishing. This post explains what makes their editions special: rigorous Urtext scholarship that conveys the composer's true intentions, high-quality paper and durable covers, clear notation, and intelligently placed page turns, and why these editions are valuable for students and performers alike.

For Black History Month, Shar Music honors Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the first classical composer of African descent. Born in Guadeloupe in 1745, he became a celebrated Parisian violinist, composer of violin concertos and symphonie-concertantes, and director of one of Europe's finest orchestras, admired by Marie Antoinette and rivaled, some say, by a jealous Mozart.

Puccini didn't just write opera; he lived it. This post recounts the Italian composer's famously stormy personal life: his elopement with the married Elvira Gemignani, the affairs that strained their marriage, and the tragic scandal surrounding their maid Doria Manfredi, a story so operatic it echoes through works like Turandot.