String technique guides
Every audition rewards clean technique, and every technique can be isolated, drilled, and checked. Pick a bow stroke, a left-hand skill, or a tone fundamental below for what it is, how to practice it, and the mistakes that hold most players back, then record a passage and find out whether it is actually clean.
Bowing
Left hand
Tone
Frequently asked
What are the most important bow techniques to learn?
Detache (a smooth separate bow) is the foundation, then the off-string strokes: martele (a sharp accented stroke), spiccato (a controlled bounce), sautille (a fast natural bounce near the middle), and ricochet (a thrown bouncing stroke). Each builds on bow control and the right contact point.
How do I improve my tone?
Tone comes from three variables you control together: bow speed, bow weight, and contact point (how close to the bridge you play). Practicing long sustained bows and listening for an even, ringing sound trains the balance, and a recording will tell you whether the tone is actually even.
How do I check a technique is actually working?
Record a passage that uses it and get scored on tone, evenness, and intonation, the same things a teacher listens for. Your first take is free, no signup.
Explore more guides
- Audition prep by typeStep-by-step prep for conservatory, youth orchestra, all-state, and more.
- Repertoire guidesTempo, difficulty, and the hard passages in standard audition pieces.
- Etude guidesWhat each Kreutzer, Wohlfahrt, and Popper study actually trains.
- Scale guidesMajor scales for violin, viola, cello, and bass, key by key.
- Conservatory auditionsRequirements for Juilliard, Curtis, NEC, Colburn, and more.
- Youth orchestra auditionsRecorded-audition requirements, orchestra by orchestra.
- String competitionsVideo-prescreen competitions and how to prepare for them.
- Graded exams (ABRSM & RCM)Grade-by-grade requirements and mark schemes for strings.
- Best audition appsHow the audition-feedback apps actually compare.