3/14/25 The Simple Secret to Better String Playing

It’s simple. Sing. Just sing what you are playing.

Why don’t most people already do this?

Usually, it’s because they are afraid their singing will sound bad.

But don’t let this stop you! Just sing when no one can hear you.

There are several reasons singing is so powerful.

• Audiating. Audiation is hearing a note in your head before you sing or play it. You have to audiate when you sing. You imagine the note, you go for it, and if you don’t hit it, hopefully you adjust to make it in tune. Sometimes we can just put our fingers where we think they should be and don’t really listen to the results. Singing forces us to listen.

• Phrasing. When we sing a phrase, we simplify it and find the physical reality of the music. How it falls and rises—is short or long. Singing forces us to physicalize it and take it from an idea in our head to a physical reality in our body.

• Breathing. Singing forces us to breathe and allows our music to take on the human phrasing of conversation and sentences, which transforms our music from meandering phrases into meaningful communication.

So don’t just sing through your instrument. Actually sing out loud and see how it affects your playing.