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Double-Stop Jingle Bells
Many of my Suzuki Book 4 students have been hard at work on learning double stops. So I thought I would challenge them to a version of double-stop Jingle Bells. Jingle Bells is the first Christmas song I teach to my Book 1 students. Jingle Bell Progression So by Book 4 my students have been playing Jingle Bells for a long time. Every Christmas for as long as they have been playing. In Book 2 we are transposing it to D Major and then Giant Jingle Bells comes in G Major on the G string. Then they learn a harmony part to play with the beginners and so by Book…
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How To Draw a Bass Clef
Here is a worksheet for kids to learn how to draw a bass clef. I think the bass clef is the easiest of all the clefs to learn to draw. The important part to remember is where the dots go, and that the bottom of the half of the heart doesn’t touch the bottom line. I also like teaching bass clef because it reinforces where bass F is. The large dot is an easy visual reminder and marker to help them remember F! Here are a couple of talking points when you are introducing bass clef to violin students. What does bass mean? How do you pronounce bass? (It’s not like…
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Tortilla Chip Time
Here is a worksheet similar to the Chips & Salsa Time Signature Game. The difference is this Tortilla Chip Time isn’t a game, it’s just a worksheet. I might have had some fun making these tortilla chips come to life. What would your expression be if you were about to be dunked in salsa and eaten? The note values used in this worksheet are: whole notes dotted half notes half notes quarter notes whole rests half rests quater rests Download Here All the time signatures in this worksheet use a “4” on the bottom of the time signature. This is another good time to remind students that a “4…
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Reviewing
Reviewing is one of the key ingredients to a Suzuki students success! It’s one of the key components or pillars in the Suzuki method, and the benefits of reviewing are deep, and long lasting, even life long. Review the Fundamentals First, when a student daily reviews pieces they already know it refreshes all the muscle memory for the techniques they learned in those pieces. I have heard the Suzuki repertoire compared to a pyramid. The techniques we learn/teach in Twinkle are used in every following piece. So by reviewing we revisit each of those learning steps. Review Pieces As Technique Etudes Secondly, as Suzuki teachers we often use review pieces…
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Wedding Music for Violin
It’s wedding season. Our social media feeds are filled with pictures of celebrations. We live at the beach and at this time of year we see multiple weddings taking place every weekend. No piece says “wedding” quite like Pachelbel’s Canon. I was thinking about how many times I’ve played Canon in D for weddings and my love hate relationship with it. I remember learning this as a kid to play with my cousins for my aunt and uncle’s wedding, and I thought I was “hot stuff” because I could play it. Now, I’ve played it more times than I can count, and in more ways and renditions than I can…
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How To Draw an Alto Clef
Teachers of beginners know that clefs are hard to draw. The treble clefs aren’t that easy to draw, but I think that the alto clef is just as complicated to draw. Here is a a worksheet on how to draw an alto clef. Sometimes the alto clef is also called the C clef. Everyone who uses the alto clef needs to know how to draw one. And that means that young violist need to know how to draw the clef they use! Why do we even have an Alto Clef? Technically this clef is called the moveable C clef. The middle sideways v can be placed on any line on…
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Kreisler’s Preludium and Allegro Preview Spot
Here is a preview spot for Kreisler’s Preludium and Allegro measures 66-83. This is only the first step in learning this passage. It only deals with the left hand intonation and shifting. Other practice steps should be used after learning the left hand to incorporate the bariolage type bowing used. (A great article by Grigory Kalinovsky, who is the Starling Professor of Music (Violin) at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music is available at Strings Magazine HERE. He discusses the the articulation and bowing ideas for measure 2 for the Allegro. But his ideas would apply to this passage as well.) Practicing Double Stops If you’re playing Preludium and Allegro,…
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April Practice Chart
With Student Day and Solo Celebration for the Okaloosa County Music Teachers Association is this month, my students are highly motivated to practice and they may not need this April Practice Chart. But, the monthly practice chart is giving them the visual reminder of practicing. I also am really loving these practice charts as they are giving me insight into the amount of practicing. In The theme for this month’s blocks is based on the rhyme, “April showers bring May flowers.” So download and print the practice chart and get to practicing so you can color an umbrella! April Practice Chart Download Here
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Easter Music for Violin
Buy Here At The Cross Level: 2 Music: Ralph E. Hudson Arranger: Ruth Coleman Publisher: Lorenz Corporation This arrangement is perfect for a Suzuki Book 2 student, or late beginner. It begins in the key of A and modulates to the key of D. There are low 2 – G naturals. There are natural harmonics used as echos similar to their use in the Boccherini – Minuet. Fingering and bowing are marked in the score. Demo recording is included with purchase of the book along with piano accompaniment track. Buy Here Beneath the Cross of Jesus Level: 4 Words and Music: Keith and Kristyn Getty Arranger: Kristin Campbell Publisher: Heart…
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March Practice Chart
My students have finished their February Happy Heart Practice Charts and we are marching into practice with this March Practice Chart. What has been helpful about these practice charts is that I actually see how much my students are practicing. No amount of creative teaching ideas can replace daily practice. I fall into the trap of not inspecting what I expect, or not communicating my expectations clearly. So, this teaching aid has helped me see what is happening outside the lesson. Why Practice? A couple weeks back I had a student who was really frustrated because he couldn’t play his music. He kept complaining that this song was too hard…
