-
Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Paradis
The Great Composers note reading worksheet this week teaches about Maria Theresa von Paradis. Maria Theresa von Paradis was both a composer and performer in a time when women were not encouraged to do either. She performed, composed, and taught. Maria Theresa von Paradis: Education Maria Theresa von Paradis’ parents named after Empress Maria Theresa, the empress of Austria. Her father worked as the Imperial Secretary of Commerce and Court Councilor. Maria Theresa von Paradis began to lose her eyesight at age 2. And she was completely blind by age 5. Paradis studied composition, keyboard and music theory with Vienna’s best teachers. Her composition teacher Antonio Salleri taught students who became famous. His students include Beethoven,…
-
Pick an Apple – Twinkle Activity
We are all social distancing since COVID-19 is here. That means extra time to practice. So here’s a game for beginners called “pick an Apple.” It is an activity that reinforces Twinkle. Right now there is no soccer practice, or play dates, or even preschool happening. While elementary and above are getting activities to do at home. Preschoolers don’t have work to do at home. In order to help parents take advantage of this time, I’ve created some resources to help them to solidify all the skills we use in Twinkle. Build in more receptions and keep their interest by creating different activities using the same skills. This activity is…
-
Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Martini
Learn about the life of Giovanni Battista Martini in The Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Martini. This worksheet helps violin students review staff notes that are on the A and E string. And the worksheet is also available for viola students. They will review the staff notes found in alto clef C and G strings. Students can learn about the composer, Giovanni Martini, who wrote the first piece in Suzuki Book 3, Gavotte. And they will review staff notes. Have your students get to know about the composers of their music with The Great Composer series! Violin Download here Viola Download here Giovanni Martini was born in Bologna, Italy.…
-
Compose with Puzzles
Here is an activity for beginners to encourage their creativity. And learn to compose with puzzles.. This is the second activity for beginners for teaching composition. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to make improvising and creating less scary for violin students. It seems to me that if we include structured activities for improvising or composing, that students will be more likely to try it at any level of playing. Most beginners are willing to try anything. Since everything is new. And they are like little sponges absorbing information and sounds. I’ve also been looking for ways to do the same bow patterns and finger patterns packaged differently. It…
-
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…
-
Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Paganini
The Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – 10 tells the story of Niccolo Paganini. This worksheet covers the E string notes – E5, F5, G5 and A5 for violin. For viola it covers the C string – C3, D3, E3, F3, and G3. There are variations as to the notes printed and the missing letters between the two sheets since they cover different strings. Because the Great Composer Note Reading Worksheet numbers 1-9 use the same pitches and are on the same strings, the violin and viola answers are identical. But on this worksheet they are different! Violin Download here Viola Download here https://youtu.be/1M6FRoac4uU Suzuki students are first introduced to…
-
Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Brahms
The Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – 9 tells the story of Johannes Brahms. This worksheet covers the three strings that the violin and viola have in common, the G, D and A string notes. You can download the worksheet below in either treble clef or alto clef. Students can learn about the great composers while working on their note reading on the staff. Violin Download here Viola Download here I did say that worksheet eight was the last covering these three strings, but I decided that a little more review and reinforcement never hurt a student. And the letters in the name Johannes Brahms lent themselves to the letters on these three strings.…
-
Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Dvorak
This is the eighth installment in the Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet on Dvorak. This Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet covers the G, D and A string notes and is on the Czech composer Antonin Dvorák. You can download the worksheet below for either treble clef or alto clef. Antonin Dvorak Why Dvoràk? You will find that several different string methods include themes from Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 9, New World.” And Suzuki students will be playing Dvorak’s “Humoresque” in Book 3. I also think it’s important that students are exposed to how Dvorák took the popular music of the people and incorporated it into his compositions. He never took composition…
-
Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Mendelssohn Hensel
Here is one of the great women composers note reading worksheet! Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel is one of the great composers of the 19th century. Her brother, Felix, was very famous in his lifetime. (Not all composers were famous while they were living.) Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel was not recognized as a composer, because she was a woman. But today, we recognize her as one of the great composers. In that time publishing companies did not publish music by women. But, they did publish a few of her pieces, but under her brother’s name! It was not until after she died that they published some of her compositions under her name. Aren’t you glad that women composers get published…
-
Listen to the Bird Tweet
Listen to the Bird Tweet is a great pre-twinkle song that helps us on our journey to Twinkle. The words are were created by Susan Kempter. Students play the rhythm from variation A in Suzuki Book 1 four times. At our school we first teach it using just 1 open string. So all 4 repetitions of the pattern are on one string. (But like any good Suzuki exercise, it can morph into whatever you need!) How this post developed: We have been doing lots of different pre-twinkle songs in group. Songs like, Up Like a Rocket, Pumpkin on a Fencepost, Chicken on a Fencepost, Open E Concerto, Open A Concerto,…
