The twentieth century presents string players with two sets of (somewhat related) technical problems: the variety of timbral and dynamic demands made upon the bow arm; and the intervallic demands made upon our left hand/arm. There are other concerns that make the music of this century difficult for many (Le. complex metric and rhythmic structures, and general questions of form and musical content), but these concerns affect all musicians, not just string players.

As regards the first problem, the assumption is usually made that the demands per se are new; unique; different. This assumption is at least partially false. It is the rate at which the demands change that is new, not the demands themselves.

As regards the left hand/arm, these problems result from the intervallic and harmonic choices used by composers in the music of this century, and string players have simply disregarded anything in their preparatory studies that might make this music less of a physical cipher to them. Indeed, the training material and thought processes behind today's teaching have generally continued as if the compositional milestones and solutions of this century had never happened.

The primary timbral demands made today upon our bow arm (other than normal bowing – which still constitutes the majority of what we do) are: pizzicato; playing on the bridge (Ital. = suI ponticello; Fr. = sur Ie chevalet; Ger. = am Steg); playing on the fingerboard (suI tasto; sur la touche; am Griffbrett); playing on or with the wood of the bow, either struck or drawn (collegno); and (occasionally) playing behind, or on the ‘wrong’ side of the bridge.