Embrace Strings

From the Stand

Thoughts on playing, setup, and building Embrace Strings — from the people doing it.

Practice

Feel vs. Real

I remember one day taking a golf lesson. We were working through a specific problem in my swing: my hands were dragging behind my body too quickly. For 20 minutes, I attempted to move differently, feeling very awkward in the process. Coach kept saying, "Not quite enough, try and exaggerate it even more." After a few more failed attempts, Coach took out his phone, recorded me, and showed what my Real swing looked like (no different than my regular swing).

August 29, 2026

Practice

Why Intentional Practice is Hard (and How to Solve It)

We all know the feeling: after two hours of "practice," you feel like no improvement was made, or maybe you even got worse from the session. You begin to think: "What did I do wrong?", "Why can't I play this?", "Am I even a good musician?".

August 23, 2026

Performance

Two Layers of Tension

Three years ago, I was in so much pain that I was unable to play. After months of practicing for auditions, playing 3-4 hours a day in poor posture, my body had had enough. The entire summer was spent going to the chiropractor, stretching, and relearning how to play without tension. I still work through that to this day.

August 16, 2026

A violist performing on stage under dramatic lighting

Founders

What "Embrace" Means

The silence following the final note is beautiful. Its purpose is reflection — reflection on the music, reflection on life, on the world. It provides warmth, or joy, or peace, that few experiences in our modern world do. The silence wraps the soul in its warm embrace, comforting it.

August 2, 2026

Close-up of an Embrace Strings adjustable chinrest

Setup

The Two-Finger Chinrest Test

Lots of musicians are particular about the chinrest they use. But do we really know what makes a good chinrest?

July 25, 2026

String player practicing alone in a rehearsal room

Practice

The Power of Recording

Every serious musician agrees that recording yourself is one of the fastest ways to improve. And almost none of us do it consistently.

July 18, 2026

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Embrace Strings adjustable chinrest on a violin, side view

Setup

"Average" is Harming Your Setup

In the 1950s, the US Air Force wanted to design the perfect cockpit for the average pilot. After spending multiple years and millions of dollars measuring 4,063 pilots and calculating their collective average dimensions, they built what they thought was the "perfect" plane.

July 12, 2026

Setup

Finding Your Fit

Finding the right setup is a uniquely personal endeavor. Each person's height, build, arm length, neck length, posture, clothing, and many more factors influence the way you connect with your instrument. Here is how we suggest finding your fit:

June 15, 2026

Performance

Why Your Setup Changes Every Day

A cold rehearsal hall, a long drive, a rough night of sleep — your body is never the same twice. And your setup shouldn't pretend otherwise.

June 20, 2026

Founders

Why We Started Embrace Strings

At 6'5", playing viola without pain has always been a struggle. It was constant and pulled me away from fully connecting with my music.

June 25, 2026