Adult Class Works on Fiddle Tune, Simple Gifts, and Nowell

After tuning we played the D scale using half note followed by two quarter notes, G scale using quarter and eighths, and C scale using half notes. We will vary those rhythm patterns each week on the one octave scales.

We successfully passed "For Pete's Sake" song 76. Our Ode to Joy is sounding better and better.

I passed out new copies of Bile Em Cabbage Down, which we can do for Post Falls Days. We learned to do what they call double stops: starting with playing F# and open A string together while you play the melody of the song like we played last week-- always playing open A together with melody. We reviewed slurring of break part of song and you can learn break on your own. We will not have class next week due to holiday, so that you will have lots of time to practice. Combining of tune and back-up was fun!

We did some sharing with some of the string orchestra. Then we all played the melody line of First Nowell. Combining harmony was good. We will improve, and actually for the first times through it is sounding quite good. It really helped to go over it several times. Keep practicing your part.

We started to learn the song on page 45 Simple Gifts, which we can play also at Post Falls Days. Pizzacato is good at first. It has a simple rhythm of quarter and eighth notes with slurrs. We will all try to learn melody these few weeks. You can write all fingering numbers in parts until you learn it because it does jump around more than our other songs have. We'll see how everyone does at practicing for 2 weeks. There is a chart for numbering fingering on page 47, OR YOU CAN USE YOUR SCALE SHEETS FOR D SCALE. I helped those who stayed with numbering the first line and you can continue numbering the rest of line A (melody line) in music.

I can't wait to hear you in two weeks. Especially on Simple Gifts!

5th Lesson for Beginners

We all checked our tuning and my assistant (Laura), in the class helped me check everyones bow hold. No broken strings today! Be careful when tuning. Always make sure it is low first and gradually turn peg if you are very far off. Of course if it is just a little off, use the fine tuner. A good Christmas gift for all of you would be a tuner. It is worth many, many private lessons, because it basically teaches you when your violin sound is sharp (too high) or flat (too low). You are then not so dependent on a teacher and you can practice anytime with an in tune instrument. It is very important to practice with an in tune instrument.

I had two volunteers who helped with demonstrations at first so that others could use them as models. They were students who said they had practiced 2hrs/week as I have requested. Gabby was my first student and she played 13 On the Trail, then we all played it with repeat. I did some corrections so all could see, encouraging use of whole bow. Then we all played songs 15 and 16. My next volunteer was Jesse and he played 16, Essential Elements Quiz on the cello.

I used several other volunteers throughout the class, so that only a few had to stay after. We finished playing all of page 8,9,10, and 11 all with bows. Everyone needs to work on longer bows, extending pressure evenly out on string. You need to use your index finger and wrist on bow to get the full sound of the string.

Homework is to bow all the songs on the pages we practiced today, pages 7-11. That should keep you busy for 2hrs/week. Also think of a song you would like to vary for the concert in Jan. using mostly D string notes, or pick a song farther in the book using both D and A string notes. I demonstrated lots of different ways to vary a song, just using quarter notes and rests. You should mimic the original song somewhat, so that it sounds well together as one song. Next week we'll go a little farther in the book and I will give you staff paper to write variations on.