Category: Right Hand

Bow Warm-Ups 2.0

It has been 11 years since I recorded the first bow warm-ups video in my fifth-grade class in Hilliard, Ohio.  That video was filmed spontaneously on an older low-resolution cell phone in class by a student volunteer.  The backing tracks were played live on a little Bose SoundDock Portable speaker....

Michigan MEA 2019 Sessions

It was incredible to present sessions at Michigan Music Educators Association! The teachers were welcoming and enthusiastic about learning. It was wonderful meeting so many new people! Here are links to the four sessions presented: Setting your string students up for success! Diagnose and correct common technical problems to allow...

ASTA 2018 Session Information

Assessment Practices of the 21st Century String Classroom presented by John-Rine Zabanal and Charles Laux Handout Download (PDF)   Setting Up Your Students for Success! presented by Charles Laux Downloadable slides and more coming soon!    

ASTA 2016

ASTA is always an incredible conference and 2016 was no different.  The weather in Tampa was fantastic and I attended some amazing sessions.  Special thanks to D’Addario for the great party on Thursday evening. They are generous in their support of string teachers!! I presented two sessions: It’s all about the bow!...

It’s all about the bow!

“It’s all about the bow! The best strategies for developing a beautiful tone in beginners and beyond.“ Description: Proper bowing technique is crucial for a healthy tone. Unfortunately the physical actions required for good bowing technique are often difficult for novice string players to fully comprehend. Laux will demonstrate how the complexities...

It’s totally tubular! How to cut PVC pipe for string teaching aids

Many string teachers have been using PVC pipe to aid students with the learning of bow hand shape, basic detaché bowing, and more. As I demonstrate these strategies at conferences and professional development workshops, many people have questions about what size PVC I use, how to cut the pipe, etc. so...

Bow “Seat Belts”

Using a rubber band attached to the frog can help the bow become more manageable for students who are new to string playing. Or, the  rubber band can serve as an aid to correct students who have developed bad bow hold habits. A rubber band (the “seat belt”) attaches to...