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The Story of The Nutcracker in Music Notes
This is the story of The Nutcracker, the most famous ballet of all time, in music notes. Just a few facts about what was happening in Tchaikovsky’s life while he was writing the music for this ballet. Many have a family tradition of going to a performance of the Nutcracker every year. While this year might be a little different, thanks to technology we can still access and enjoy the music we have come to love at Christmas. Tchaikovsky based the story on E.T.A. Hoffman’s fantasy story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The BBC has a dramatized recording of this story. There are other audio books and dramatized recordings that you can…
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Can You Find the Hidden Notes?
I loved reading Highlights Magazine as a kid. There was always one hidden picture in each magazine. I would spend so much time pouring over these pictures looking for the lists of items. So, here is a fun worksheet using basic music symbols! Can you find the hidden notes and music symbols? This is a list of symbols and notes that a student needs to be able to recognize in order to succeed at solving the puzzle. List of Hidden Notes Treble Clef Bass Clef Alto Clef Whole Note Half Note Quarter Note Quarter Rest Half Rest Whole Rest Time Signature – 3/4 Eighth Notes Forte Piano Mezzo Forte Up…
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Carol of the Bells – Easy Violin
It’s November! Can you believe it?!?! 2020 has flown and dragged on all at the same time. I’ve been teaching some classes online and haven’t had time to blog. But hopefully you’ll see some of the fruit of that work sometime. But, here is a free easy Christmas violin arrangement that I just did for my group class. I’ve been working on Christmas music with my private lesson students the last few weeks. There is so much good Christmas music out there. And I’ve just finally admitted to myself that I really love Christmas songs. Although by January I’m usually ready to not hear Jingle Bells for a veeeeerrry long…
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Learn Intervals on the Fingerboard
Introduce students to intervals on the fingerboard. This worksheet and activity helps students identify steps up and down in the music alphabet. And then transfer that knowledge to the fingerboard.
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Fiddle Tunes for Beginners
Here are a couple fiddle tunes for beginning violinists. Summer is a great time to add variety into your students repertoire. These tunes can also reinforce techniques that they are learning in their classical literature. But you don’t have to tell them that! Fiddle tunes have a way of making the player and the listener smile. It’s hard to play these happy lively tunes and not smile. These tunes can get into their fingers and spark some practicing! Who knows you might even find your toe tapping. So where do we start? The Orange Blossom Special or The Devil Went Down to Georgia is probably not the best place for…
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Rhythm Flashcards
Here are some printable rhythm flashcards. These flashcards use the basic rhythm values that beginning students learn. These patterns are set using 4/4 time, but that is not written on the cards. Often method books introduce rhythm by teaching the names of the note values and how many beats each note gets. There are two patterns on each page. After you print out the rhythm patterns, cut down the middle of the page to create individual cards. I like to print these on card stock so that the flashcards hold up better. How to the Flashcards in a Lesson Students can clap each card and say the names of the note…
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Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Vivaldi
Here is a great composers note reading worksheet on Vivaldi. While most of the Baroque composers composed for strings, Vivaldi was prolific. He wrote over 200 concertos for violin. Being a violinist himself we see his great love for the instrument as well as his virtuosic skill in all his compositions. He took orders as a priest and served as a priest for year and a half. But due a health condition he was given a dispensation to not participate in Mass. Because of his red hair, he was nicknamed “The Red Priest.” Vivaldi the Teacher-Composer He began to teach violin at Ospedale della Pietà, a home for abandoned girls. Under Vivaldi’s teaching…
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How to Draw Quarter Notes
Here is a worksheet on how to draw quarter notes. It’s perfect for young students. Whether the student is learning to play an instrument or just exploring music, his worksheet is perfect for ages 4-6. My young students are just getting ready to enter kindergarten, so their writing and small muscle skills are still developing. These notes are large and the young student can trace quarter notes. The notes are drawn in dot to dot. Students also learn how to draw quarter note stems going up and down. First students trace 5 quarter notes with stems going up. Trace the circle. Color in the circle. Trace the stem. Then, they…
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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,…
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Violin Arrangement of Psalm 137
Here is an arrangement for violin and piano of a tune for Psalm 137 or Isaiah 53.
