“Do you use any technology or apps to help you practice?”
The Violin Channel recently caught up with 30+ of the world’s top string players to find out …
German-Japanese Concert Violinist, Arabella Steinbacher:
"Sometimes a metronome app ... and when I need to look at scores on tour, I like to use the new 'Henle' app"
VC Artist Violinist, Ray Chen:
"I use an iPad to replace my sheet music, both on stage and in the practice room ... it actually has allowed me to become a better musician because now there's no excuse for 'not having the orchestral score' ... when you literally carry around an entire library with you"
VC Artist Cellist, Kian Soltani:
"I use the voice memo app a lot to record myself practicing and to record my rehearsals ... and of course a metronome app"
VC Artist Dover Quartet Violist, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt:
"I love practicing with the 'Tempo' metronome app ... and also use 'Tunable' for when I want to practice intonation with a drone"
VC Artist Violinist, Benjamin Beilman:
"I love using my iPad and 'ForScore' with a bluetooth foot pedal to read from the full score ... so much is available on 'IMSLP' ... it also makes the suitcase considerably lighter"
VC Rising Star, Kevin Miura:
"I use 'Humiditrak' and 'ForScore' ... Humiditrak comes with a sensor that goes in your case to monitor temperature and humidity ... it even sends notifications to your phone if either of them are outside the safe range"
VC Young Artist Violinist, Fedor Rudin:
"I have started using the 'MusicJournal' app ... it keeps a record of how long and what you've practiced over days, weeks, months and years"
VC Young Artist Violinist, Nathan Meltzer:
"I always use the metronome app ... and to record parts of my practice sessions I use my iPhone, a 'Tascam iM2' microphone and a wireless speaker to listen back"
VC Young Artist Violinist, Timothy Chooi:
Israeli-born Cellist, Matt Haimovitz:
"I use my iPad Pro always ... I mark up the score with my finger or a stylus using 'ForScore'"
British Violinist, Chloe Hanslip:
"I use the ‘The Metronome by Soundbrenner’ app on my phone for when I need to do that type of practice ... but when it comes to planning practice I’m more of a pen and paper person"
Russian-born Violinist, Dmitry Sitkovetsky:
"I love the fact that I don’t have to carry my PC and CDs with me anymore ... I have all my playlists on 'Spotify' these days ... but I still use sheet music and a pencil with eraser – the old style"
VC Young Artist Violinist, Marc Bouchkov:
"I recently downloaded the 'Soundbrenner' metronome app ... it’s absolutely brilliant ... sometimes I also use 'Cleartune' - when I fear my ears are perhaps letting me down"
VC Rising Star Violinist, Yesong Sophie Lee:
"I use a metronome app, a recording app to hear myself back ... and 'Cleartune' - which is a pretty clever tuning app"
Korean-American Violinist and New England Conservatory faculty member, Soovin Kim:
"'Cleartune' and 'Tempo' apps ... and video recording doesn’t hurt!"
Colburn School of Music Violin Professor and Co-Director of String Chamber Music, Martin Beaver:
"I have a tuner app and a metronome app on my mobile phone ... both of which I use frequently in my own practice - as well as in lessons and chamber music coachings"
American Violinist, Stephanie Chase:
"I have a metronome app that I often use, and when I am playing at low pitch I will use a tuning app to hear the “A” ... when I am first learning a work, I may listen to a couple of recorded performances on 'YouTube' to get an idea of how tempi sound"
VC Artist Violinist, Stefan Jackiw:
"Does surfing 'Reddit' while practicing count? ... I use a metronome on my iPhone but that's about it"
Dutch Violinist, Noa Wildschut:
"I often record myself with my phone - so I can listen more carefully to myself"
VC Artist Violinist, Paul Huang:
"Besides a tuning app and a metronome app, that’s about it"
VC Young Artist Cellist, Aurélien Pascal:
"Just an iPhone metronome app"
Ariel Quartet Violist, Jan Grüning:
"The Metronome app of course ... and most importantly perhaps the recording device and the tuning app to find my A of the day - at times a challenging task for us violists ..."
VC Artist Violinist, Jennifer Pike:
"I have a metronome app on my phone ... but just for reference"
VC Young Artist Violist, Timothy Ridout:
"Just the metronome and tuning app on my phone ... my viola is very temperamental in different climates and I always need assistance in finding a good A"
Australian Funster, TwoSet Violinist, Eddy ‘Shreddy’ Chen:
"Just a tuner and metronome ..."
Australian Funster, TwoSet Violinist, Brett ‘Bang’ Yang:
"Nope. Nothing. Nada. Negative ... "
American Violinist, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg:
"Absolutely not!"
Kronberg Academy Pedagogue & Violinist, Mihaela Martin:
"No, I don't use any technological tools ... just my ears and good concentration"
