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The Bulletproof Musician · Nov 2, 2025 · 57 min

Ida Kavafian: Habits That Separate Good Musicians from Great Ones

This episode with violinist Ida Kavafian is packed with key points about effective practice, plus fascinating nerdy details about bowing and fingering principles, references to specific passages in the Sibelius concerto, Schubert Fantasy, Beethoven’s Kreutzer sonata, a clever hack for playing fifths in tune, and so much more. And if you’re not a string player, don’t worry - many of the principles are equally applicable to other instruments too. Get all the nerdy details and learn how to level up your practice in this month’s interview: Ida Kavafian: Habits That Separate Good Musicians from Great Ones More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content. Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage. Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice. Live and self-paced courses

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show notes

This episode with violinist Ida Kavafian is packed with key points about effective practice, plus fascinating nerdy details about bowing and fingering principles, references to specific passages in the Sibelius concerto, Schubert Fantasy, Beethoven’s Kreutzer sonata, a clever hack for playing fifths in tune, and so much more.

And if you’re not a string player, don’t worry - many of the principles are equally applicable to other instruments too.

Get all the nerdy details and learn how to level up your practice in this month’s interview:

Ida Kavafian: Habits That Separate Good Musicians from Great Ones

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