2/12/13

No playing when teacher is talking!

Always keep twinkles in the yard otherwise they will sound like sloppy spaghetti.
Bow circles 9 a day on E string.

"Song of the Wind" find the 3 circles at the pauses.

"I am a Child of God"
Hold "God" and "Here" for 3 counts.  "Dear" and "Way" for 4 counts.  Practice the song in halves.  Five or less mistakes.

"Oh Come Little Children"--no violin this week.

Learn the words, but work totally on the bowing.   Practice bowing in the air and then on the tp whisper tube.  It starts with an up bow.

Thanks Tiff!

Lesson from Today

Hi T:

I realized that I wrote down meticulously all the directions from last week and then I lost the paper. This week I wrote it in my notebook and I'm posting it now so we don't lose them.

Grasshopper fingers 9 times daily.  Finger three jumping from A string to E string.
Bow Circles 9 times daily.

"I am a Child of God." phrase ending on an upbow, roll to "And he."

Thanks!  I'm setting an alarm on my phone for next week!

1/8/2013 Lesson

Thank you for the lesson today! S was so excited to play "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" and "Song of the Wind" for you today. She was really sad when her E string suddenly decided it had had enough.  I'm on the look out for a place to purchase strings (the places are  surprisingly few and far between--an hour drive/subway ride and no parking).   It is one of my main goals for the week.  

New Rule for the New Year

If someone is talking the other person does not play.  Student talking = teaching not playing. Teacher talking = student not playing.

Goals of the week:

1. Straight wrist!

2. Hover fingers. Helicopter right above string so you can play faster in the future. 10 "old grey mare is dead" phrases, specifically practicing hover fingers. Flying fingers take more time to move and look sloppy.

3.  10 no-muddy-tips per day, bow circles on A string.  Start at the bottom of the sticker on the bow and make sure the tip of the bow does not end up "in the mud."

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! :)