TIPS and TRICKS for TEACHING BEGINNERS Teachers’ Workshop

TIPS and TRICKS for TEACHING BEGINNERS

Teachers’ Workshop

Presenter: Loreta Fin

 Director of Strings and Instrumental Music – Somerville House School for Girls, Brisbane
Past National and State President – Australian Strings Association (AUSTA)
AMEB Examiner, Consulting Editor – AMEB Series 8 Violin Books, Preliminary to Grade 4
Composer – Wilfin Music Publications
Education Committee – Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Principal Viola Qld Pops Orchestra

TIPS and CATCH CRIES

If you CAN have a wandering helper, it’s a great idea, as you are free to “teach” rather than “stop and fix”

Get ready cue (D Major Arp)

Teacher “mirrors” class: Give me a wave with the hand that holds the violin (or holds  the bow)

Learning Resting and Playing position: (Teacher “mirrors” class)

Show me your vln – arm up – vln under – don’t squash bridge

Find button – up-over-shoulder-head to the left

Later: UP OVER SHOULDER HEAD

Don’t wear your dad’s tie

Show angle with your (mirror) arm – not up, down, but straight

From the knuckles to the elbow is a (CLAP!) Straight line! (Left arm)

Is THIS a straight line? (Show them wrist in/out/straight – vln/vla and Vc/Db)

Left hand: G’day mate, going this way? Make a letter C; turn it around

“Raindrops”

ROCK, Water-pistol (squirt!) Letter C for Pizz

Fingers like wiggly worms/fairy wings/butterfly wings

Find you “home-base” note (first finger “on the mark”)

Jack-in-the-box (celli) or all in ensemble

Sit forward on your chair, feet flat ONE TWO (Stamp feet)

Basses are great! Sit up straight!

(or Strings are great, sit up straight!)

“STAFF MEETINGS” – Pitch, Posture, Rhythm, Tempo

Use fingers/letters and SING everything e.g. au clair

 

BOW HOLD and BOWING

Right to tighten, left to loosen (bow and fine tuners)

Pussy cat’s PAWS, not pussy cat’s CLAWS (both hands)

Use a straw to learn bow hold – no witches’ claws

5,4,3,2,1 (Hold tightly and gradually loosen…..NOT ZERO!)

Around, around, around, on top BENT!

No banana thumbs – thumb knuckle down

Bunny’s ears – circle – Wiggle wiggle (rabbit’s nose) – aye-aye captain! Thumb under –      Ready, set FLOP. NO FOXES, because they eat BUNNIES!

Finger on elbow (“elbone”) – Open /Close; Oil the rusty gate. NO SCRIBBLING with the elbone. Finger on inside joint, open and close.

Set up and flagpole, vertical, horizontal, halfway, windscreen wipers

FLAGPOLE, Statue of LIBERTY (To adjust elbow to correct height)

Invisible shelf – (keep elbow up)

Sing the BOWING (Down / up) (e.g. Ode to Joy)

Sing the bow speeds (Fast / slow) (Whole / /half) (e.g. Twinkle)

Bow placement: “and the MORAL of the story is……The bow must ALWAYS be straight and parallel with the bridge”

Partners – hold elbow, grab screw, open/close – SWAP.

Cake-making skills – Cracking the egg: tap, tap, crack

Egg whisk (wrist) Spoon/cake (Elbow) NO Witches’ cauldron (whole arm)

VIBRATO egg. Rhythms: Ice-cream; pine-app-le; wat-er-mel-on

Anchor thumb; pull-away; Polish with Vibrato rhythms

SEE FEEL HEAR everything

 

TUNING

Unison ____tune____   ~~~~un-tune ~~~~~     ___tune_____

Chord __________             ~~~~~~~~~~                 __________

(Follow conductor’s hands)

READING: Use a HAND STAFF for 3 different clefs

Steps and skips on hand staff

EFG – 123; BCD – 123

 

Key signatures – using strings to help you remember

VIOLIN

 Use the open strings going UP to learn MAJOR KEYS with SHARPS:

G major has 1 sharp

D major has 2 sharps

A major has 3 sharps

E major has 4 sharps

 Use the LOW first fingers going DOWN to learn MAJOR KEYS with FLATS:

F major    has 1 flat

Bb major has 2 flats

Eb major has 3 flats

Ab major has 4 flats

 Use NORMAL 1st finger going UP to learn MINOR KEYS with SHARPS:

A minor   has NO sharps

E minor   has 1 sharp

B minor   has 2 sharps

F# minor has 3 sharps

 Use 3rd  finger going DOWN to learn MINOR KEYS with FLATS:

A minor has NO flats

D minor has 1 flat

G minor has 2 flats

C minor has 3 flats

 

HAND CLAPPING GAME:

EASY: Take a partner – Clap both hands with partner/in front

HARDER Lap, front right ,left

FATHER CHARLES GOES DOWN AND ENDS BATTLE

BATTLE ENDS AND DOWN GOES CHARLES ‘FATHER

C MAJ has NO #s – GMAJ has 1 # ; Teacher: what’s it called? F# etc

 

 

VIOLA – or convert to cello

Use the open strings going UP to learn MAJOR KEYS with SHARPS:

C major has NO sharps

G major has 1 sharp

D major has 2 sharps

A major has 3 sharps

 Use the LOW 2nd  fingers going DOWN to learn MAJOR KEYS with FLATS:

C major has no flats

F major has 1 flat

Bb major  has 2 flats

Eb major  has 3 flats

 Use  HIGH 2nd finger going UP to learn MINOR KEYS with SHARPS:

E minor has 1 sharp

B minor has 2 sharps

F# minor has 3 sharps

C# minor has 4 sharps

 Use 3rd finger going DOWN to learn MINOR KEYS with FLATS:

D minor has 1 flat

G minor has 2 flats

C minor has 3 flats

F minor has 4 flats

 

Extra notes_

 

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v POSSIBLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TIPS:

NEVER make enemies of the grounds staff or Admin staff in a school. You will NEVER
get anything done!! Make the time to say hello and get to know them by name.
Your job is INSTANTLY easier.

v There’s no such thing as a stupid question when you’re learning – email me if you
need to ask!