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Primer Level
The Magic of Music Theory Primer level is now available at Amazon.com as well as ingramspark.com! This Primer level is perfect for the student who is age 6-10 who has started reading notes or is ready to begin reading. Incorporating the concepts taught in the pre-reading series. Students review pitch placement for the basic finger pattern for all 4 strings. New for this level is learning A and E string notes on the staff. Basic note values of quarter, half, dotted half and whole notes are reviewed. New for this level, 2 beamed eighth notes are introduced for students to recognize and draw. New in Primer level students will draw…
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Violin Fingerboard Flashcards
Are you looking for a floor activity for a young student’s lesson? Or maybe mom needs an in the car activity on the way to violin lesson to get them thinking about violin. These violin fingerboard flashcards might be just what you need. Each card has a picture of the violin fingerboard. A small house is on each place on the fingerboard marking a pitch. The back of the card shows the letter name for that fingerboard house. Whether the student is reading on the staff or not, these cards help them identify and review fingerboard pitches. Choose the notes your students, and as they add new notes, add in…
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Apple Orchard A & E String Activity
The Apple Orchard A & E String Activity is a way to review finger numbers and note names on the A and E string. You can easily turn it into a game or just use it as an activity. Sometimes it is nice just to not have to win! This helps students think about the fingerboard in their mind and know the name of the note that the finger is playing. If you have a student with a broken arm, wrist, or jammed finger, this might be the perfect solution for lessons or practice time. To play the Apple Orchard A & E String Activity, you’ll need a die. I…
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Violin Finger Number Vending Machine
I created the violin finger number vending machine worksheet for a little student who is just starting to place fingers on the fingerboard. The finger number vending machine works for viola and cello as well since they use the same finger numbers! I wanted a fun activity to help this budding violinist remember the number for each left hand finger. By seeing the number on the page and then touching the finger and thumb to an object I hope it helps remember the finger number. I also wanted to have a tactile experience of picking up an object between the thumb and finger and not squeezing. So the finger number vending machine…
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First Position Card Game
Here is a first position card game for beginning violin students. It’s spring time, kids are ready to be out of school and playing outside. They are tired after all the testing. Having a variety of activities for lessons or practice can be a good thing at this time of year. What Do They Need To Know? Students will need to know the letters for the basic finger pattern position in first position on all 4 strings. 1st finger a whole step above the open string, 2nd finger a whole step above 1st finger, 3rd finger a half step above 2nd finger and 4th finger a whole step above 3rd…
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Pick A Daisy – G String Game
Here is fingerboard game called Pick A Daisy a G string game. Reinforce fingerboard letters with a fun game away from the violin. This game covers the pitches in first position on the G string for 1st finger – A, 2nd finger – B, 3rd finger – C and 4th finger – D. You can also use Pick A Daisy G string game with viola students. Since the pitches and finger numbers on both instruments, students can play together. And you can play Pick A Daisy while listening to your recording! A win, win! Fingerboard ID on the G String Since I use the Suzuki violin method the first piece…
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Fingerboard For Your Feet
It’s a floor fingerboard for feet! Have you seen those giant floor keyboards? A music program I taught at in Denver incorporated it into their curriculum as we were learning to identify keyboard notes. The kids loved it! The Piano Studio I’m teaching a bunch of 4 year old beginners this year and they are on the brink of starting to learn their fingerboard. Group lessons for 4 year olds must include some gross motor skill activities to get the wiggles out! Well, all this got me to thinking, what if I made a floor fingerboard for your feet! I guess you could call it a footboard or a floorboard.…
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Finger Number Bingo
Looking for some new ideas for the new year? Here is a game Finger Number Bingo. I was looking for a pre-reading piece for one of my piano students and some of the piano activity pages I saw had me thinking about how to incorporate them with my violin students. My brain seems to come up with these ideas when I am supposed to be thinking about something else or going to sleep. Any one else? I adapted a piano finger number game for violin finger numbers. It’s a game that helps reinforce left hand finger numbers for beginners, and practice partners can play easily with students at home. You don’t need to…
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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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Fingerboard Worksheets for Viola and Cello
Here are some fingerboard worksheets for violin, viola and cello. A couple months back, I got a call to substitute last minute for a theory class for our local Suzuki school. As I talked with the theory teacher, she suggested that I do some fingerboard mapping activities. Break out the fingerboard worksheets! Most of their classes focused on reading rhythm patterns and learning staff note. Several parents had asked how the staff notes corresponded to the instrument their child was learning. (The theory teacher was a non-string player, and as she is taking classes herself hadn’t had a chance to look up the fingerboard diagrams.) I told her I already…
