A Beginning Step to Composing

How can we make composing and improvising less scary? I’ve gotten some horrified stares, some tears, some blank stares when I’ve asked kids to try and make something up on their instrument. So I’ve been thinking about that question. Could we incorporate some creativity using the tool of composition or improv from the very first year a student begins learning the violin? What would a beginning step to composing look like?

Suzuki Principles Applied

As Suzuki teachers we work to take complex techniques and break them down into smaller steps that students can accomplish. So I started by asking what are the elements or skills needed to compose? As an adult composer and arranger many of the mental processes I do are so automatic, I don’t even realize what I’m doing. But as I started to deconstruct the composition process in my mind I got down to the basic elements in any piece.

• • • Pitch
    • Rhythm

Smallest Step? Pitch

What is the smallest step in improvising that our pre-Twinkler’s could do? What is the smallest step in composing that a 4 or 5 year old violinist could do successfully? Could we have them focus on just one of the elements? So far all my students have learned the twinkle patterns on open A and open E. They are becoming confident little players on their open strings. I realized that up to this point,I have always guided them as to what string to play or in what order to play it. I decided that would be a great first step.

Step 1: Choose the pitches to play on a rhythm pattern that they already know. 

What they know (pre-requisites)

1. Hold their violins correctly
2. Good bowholds
3. Play on open strings
4. Know all their twinkle rhythm patterns and can play them on open strings.