Thanks!

Warm Ups

Down bow, stop drop, and up bow practice. Ten of those
Bread song to see if all the bowing is correct.

Twinkles, each one once.
Lightly Row, twice.

Jingle Bells--do each part 10 times.

1. E-E-3-1-A (Jingle all the way) the last bit of the song.  Sing it first with violin rest position.

2. Try singing the song with the regular words and finish with E-E-3-1-A.

3. Break it up into small bits.  2-E Down-up; 2-E-A.  Down-up-down.

Try tightening the sting if you've added a lot of rosin to the bow--it will clarify the tone.

Put a new sticker for finger 1.  Make sure not to take the bow off the string during the song.

Lightly Row, Week 3, 9/19

Popcorn/Ice Cream--Review More this week emphasizing the need for the stop drop part.

Divide Lightly Row into different segments.  Segment 1 (ladybug) keep the bow going up for a note and down for a note. Make sure the second part is played with a down bow (starting on the A string).

Make a garden of flowers with all the times that she plays each portion of lightly row so that there are different colored flowers on the paper that represent the different sections of lightly row.


Focus of the Week
Straight wrist.  Keep the slippery slide.
Try using a ruler and a rubber band for a few minutes to keep her wrist straight.
Stand in front of a mirror with perfect posture.
Make sure the thumb is in the sweet spot.
Thumbelina is shy and does not holler over the side of the violin.
Thimble on thumb draw awareness.
Draw a happy face on the side of the hand so when it is facing her her hand is properly posed, when it is facing away the hand is crooked.
Try it with no bow just focusing on the violin hand and sing as though she were playing.

Left hand contact points

Whenever Sara plays, her left hand needs to be set in place before she begins moving her bow at all...there are two contact points;
1-on the left hand index finger between the first and second joints
2-on the left hand thumb, not on the tip but above the third joint
In between these two contact points, there should be a space, or as shown in this picture, a "worm hole."

It might be fun to have Sara paint a pencil green or put googly eyes on the pencil to make a worm or a snake.  Then, any time she is playing, Mom can let the worm/snake crawl up and check on the hole.  It should always be present, otherwise the left hand is collapsing and playing in tune will be very difficult.

Practice Pets

Play the bread song in the whisper tube with every rhythm variation you know.  Left elbow must be above left toe. Bow hold must be correct. stickers on bow must be hidden in the whisper tube (don't play in the tip of frog area of the bow) every day for 10 days and you earn me!

Play down-iddy-up-iddy rhythm on A string.  Stop and drop, the on E string. Make sure the "stop and drop" is quiet and clean. Ten times a day for four days and earn me.

Play "I'm A Little Monkey" with table top fingers, in tune for five times a day then you can have me! Oh, I love Sarah!

Do the "The Wheels on the Bus" song with a perfect bow hold: bent thumb, round fingers, pinky on tip, gentle grip, not tight. Must be done S L O W L Y. Be sure to do the wipers, the people, the doors, the wheels, the windows. If done SLOWLY every day for ten days, you earn me!  Practice Pet says, "Wow, Sarah is sure getting better at violin! :D

Put your violin up in perfect posture and hold it there for an entire Twinkle (turn on the CD). Feet must be in play position; eyes looking at the strings, bow resting on E string on the bottom sticker. Left hand in first position without Thumbelina screaming, left hand is a slippery slide wrist, left elbow is over left toe.  Do this every day for five days and you earn me! :)

I'm a Little Monkey

Do I need to correct her when she doesn't get the note just right?


I'll make sure she puts her left hand more toward the scrolls in the way you told me.  This was pre-lesson.

2/21/2012

Review
"I'm a Little Monkey"-- make sure the fingers are on the tapes.
I'm a little monkey
Climbing up the ladder.
Climbing way up high to
Get a pink banana.

New addition
I'm a little monkey
Climbing down the ladder.
Climbing to the ground to
Eat my pink banana.

First time through just hold up proper fingers.
Second time through pluck the strings.
Third time play with bow.

Fred Song
1. Open E-string.
2. Put down the first finger.
3. Open E-string.

Process of Putting the Violin Up to Your Face
Remove steps one and two. Start at step 3.

Lesson 7 & 8

Lesson 7 Notes

"Wheels on the Bus."

very tiny very tiny

Five steps to the proper bow hold (as seen in the video you posted).

Make sure a pen can fit between the thumb and index finger while holding neck of violin.

Keep the wrist straight.

Tap on the tapes with fingers bent like table tops.

Lesson 8 Notes

Since S has been having a  little trouble with her bow hold, we put a heart sticker on her bow the top facing the way she should hold her thumb.  We also put one on her thumb facing the direction she should hold her bow, but it came off right away.  It has made a great difference in the way she holds her bow and she now holds it correctly most of the time. :)

"I'm a Little Monkey" (the video below--thanks--really helpful--I do the plucking)

I'm a little monkey. [A string no finger]

Climbing up a ladder." [finger closest to the scrolls--finger 1--B natural]

Climbing way up high to [finger 2--C Sharp]

Pick a pink banana [finger 3--D natural]

Fingers are table top, Thumbelina peeks shyly over the side, wrist is straight.

Thumbelina

We drew a face on her thumb.  She doesn't want any one to see her mouth or she'll scream. So the thumb only stays a little above the neck of the violin.

Ice Cream and Popcorn

Ice Cream . . . and Popcorn. . . and Ice Cream. . . and Popcorn . . . and Ice Cream . . . and Popcorn . . . and Ice Cream . . . and Popcorn . . . and

Scrubbing Game

(like in the videos you posted-thank you again).

down itty up itty

tuckatucka stop stop

pop corn and ice cream

Get a red permanent marker and mark the E string about an inch diameter line 1/2 inch on the string above the bridge. The rules are:

1. Take your time to say "Ready? Play." Make sure she is really ready to play.

2. Only play between the stickers on your bow.

3. Only play on the marked spot on the E string the "highway"--no other strings should be heard.

4. Feet in play position

5. Start on bottom sticker of the bow.

6. Straight wrist holding the neck of the violin.

7. Play only one of the rhythms--three times perfectly means a goody.

I'm a Little Monkey

Practice Help: Ice Cream and Popcorn

Practice Help: Down Iddy Up Iddy

Practice Help: Tucka Tucka Stop Stop

Practice help: Very Tiny

Bridge Rocks

Help tuning your violin

http://www.get-tuned.com/online_violin_tuner.php

Go to this link to get the pitches for each of the four violin strings.  When tuning with the violin on your knee, turn the peg up towards the ceiling to raise the pitch, or down towards the body of the violin (and towards your knee) to lower the pitch.

Left hand finger placement for "I'm a little Monkey"

Place fingers on the string on the inside corners.

Inside corners.

Fingers placed on strings on inside corners.

Only Thumbelina's eyes show, just the tip of the thumb...

Make sure fingers are "table top:" meaning bent and on their tips.

Fingers should not be collapsing like this...

Lesson 7

Wheels on the bus song. 

New Rhythm: very tiny, very tiny (in the sixteenth one-ee-and-a way)

5 step bow hold.

Neck Hold--Is this right?

Is this?

All the noise in the background is W laughing with the kids and playing trumpet with R. :)

Finger taps on the tape on the violin. Tape closest to the pegs is for finger one, next down the neck is 2 and then 3.  The pinky is not used at this time.