BeginningStrings:TheFirstTwoYearsAreCri5cal!!!

BobPhillips,DirectorofStringPublica5ons,AlfredMusic

Handoutsatphillipsfiddlers.com

Bob’sBackground

1.  Taughtelementary,ms/hsstringsfor28years.

2.Beginning(5thgrade)classesaslargeas160.3.90%-100%reten5onby7thgrade.4.Resultedinana5onallyknownHSorchestraandfiddleprogram.

WhatIstheMission?TogetstudentstofallinLOVEwithmusicandwanttoCONTINUE!!!(forever)

EverythingshouldservethatMISSION.Youcan’tteach(IMPACT)anemptychair.“Iftheydon’tLOOKgoodandSOUNDgoodnothingelsemaeers.”–BobCulver

WhyDoKidsJoinOrchestra!1.  Aleader(YOU)standsupandsays“followme”and

itlooksFUN!!!(REALLYFun!!!)

2.TheywanttoplayaTUNE!!!3.TheyfallinlovewiththeSOUNDoftheinstrument.4.TheywanttofindoutiftheymightbeGOODatthis.5.TheywanttobepartofSOMETHING.(biggerthanthemselves)

WhyDoKidsStayInOrchestra?1. Iamfeelingsuccessful.(ISOUNDgood)

2. Iamlearning/progressing.(IamIMPROVING)

3. Ihavefriendsinorchestra.(It’sSOCIAL)

4. Thegroupisgood.(TheySOUNDgood)

5. Ilikeit.(It’sFUN!!!)

WhyDoKidsDropOut?1. Idon’tsoundgood.(TONEandRHYTHM)2. Iamnotsuccessful.(TECHNIQUE)

3. TheclassisbeingtaughtbynoteandIamstrugglingwithREADING.4.Myfriendsaredroppingout.(it’snotSOCIAL)

WhatAboutBooks?1. They’reaTOOL,notareligion.ChooseacomprehensivebooktoenhanceyourCURRICULUM.(ASTA)

WhatAboutBooks?2.VIDEOisthemessagesojumpinanduseit.Videocanbeavirtualprivatelessonteacher,latestarthelper,orswitchinstrumenthelper.3.AUDIOcanbethekeytogreatintona5onandrhythm.Givethemthecontextimmediately.Makemusicasquicklyasyoucan.4.ONLINEvideo/audio/resourcesaretheBEST!

SuccessfulRecrui5ng1. ATTITUDEdevelopment(you/El.musicteachers/department,staff,admin).2.Agreat(well-planned)recrui5ngDEMO.

3.GuidetheirCHOICES(handsonwithinstruments).

4.CreateaDECISIONmakingmoment.5.FOLLOWUP,followup,followup.Neversaydie.

SuccessfulSet-Up:HoldingtheInstrument

SuccessfulSet-UpHoldingtheBow:

1. WhentostartBOWING?(pizz.vsarcostart)

2. FINGERfunc5on

3. ReleaseofTENSION(usinghands)

4. FLUIDarms,wrists,fingers

SuccessfulSet-UpHoldingtheBow

Bass-German

Violin/ViolaCello/Bass-French

BowHandsWeLikeVIOLIN

CELLO

BASS

BowHandsProblems

VIOLIN/VIOLA

CELLO/BASS(Fr)

BASS(Gr)

PlacingtheBow(BowingLanes)

SoundInnova5onsOnline– Alfred.com/sionline

MovingtheBow

Tone–VariablesofSoundYourLEFTHandIsWhatYouKnow,YourRIGHTHandIsWhoYouAre!

BowingLanesBowWeightBowSpeedMezzo-ForteMedium-HeavyMedium-Slow

Forte HeavySlow

PianoLightFast

Mezzo-PianoMedium-LightMedium-Fast

PianissimoVery-LightVery-Fast

For5ssimoVery-HeavyVery-Slow

FormingtheLeo-Hand1.  Establishfingerpaeerns–physical2.  Establishfingerpaeerns–aural3.  Mentallymapthefingerboard4.  Learntoreadfingerpaeerns

TeachingAurally(byRote)WhatAretheBenefitsofGoingfromSoundtoSight?

1.ThisisthefastestwaytoENGAGEstudents–itkeepsyoufocusedonthemandmoreimportantlytheyarefocusedonyou,yourmodeling,andteaching.

2.ThisisthebestwaytodeveloptheirAURALskillswhichleadstomusicianship.

3.ItseparatesPLAYINGskillsfromREADINGskillsandmakesliteracyeasier.TheyneedtohaveaREASONtowanttobecomeliterate.Wouldyouteacha1yearoldhowtotalkviareading?4.Orff,Kodaly,Suzuki,Roland,Culver,Gordon,Froseth,etc.gotitRIGHT.5.Literacyisameanstoanend.IftheycanreadShakespearebutdon’tunderstanditwhocares.Wedon’twantmusicaltypists,wewantcreators.

TeachingAurally(ByRote)Strategies

1.  MODEL,MODEL,MODEL.Useyourvoiceandinstrumentasmuchaspossible.

2.  UseTUNEStoteach.Breakthemdown,memorize,keepplayingthem.

3.  Startwithpizz.andaddthebowinsmallbursts.ThequickeryougetthemusingthebowthequickertheygetexcitedaboutSOUND.

TeachingAurally(Rhythm)

1. MOVINGtomusic.

TeachingAurally(Rhythm)

1. ECHOINGrhythmicsyllablesornumbers.

2. ECHOINGrhythms,bowings,andar5cula5ons.

TeachingAurally(ByRote)Tunes/Music

1.  TUNES–noteata5me,paeerns(BoilThemCabbageDown).

2.  CHORDS-I,IV,Vbyear.

3.  BASSlines–fromthechords.

4.  HARMONYparts–usingchordtones.

5.  TRANSPOSING–startonanewnote.

GoingfromRotetoNoteTeachingLITERACY

1.  Canstartanywherefrom1stdayto2ndyear,aslongasthefocusisonSOUNDS/TUNES(auralskills).2.PROCESS-byeartorotenota5ontorhythmicnota5ontopitchednota5onusingflashcards.3.LEARNthetunes/exercisesbyearthenbynote.

RhythmFlashCards1.  Echoresponseseeingcards(syllables)

2.  Ready,now,look,andsay(syllables)3.  Ready,now,look,andplay(instruments)4.  Non-stop(instruments)

Flashcard1Flashcard2

Flashcard3Flashcard4

BridgingtheGaptoPitchedNota5onEachLeeerisaFlashcard

D E F# G

A B C# D

1.  Pluck/bowthepitchasfastasyoucan.Pluck/bowbythecountof??2.  Pluck/bowthepitchin5me.Ready,now,look,andplay3.  Echomyrhythmonthispitch.1+,2+,3,4

Flashcard1Flashcard2Flashcard3Flashcard4

Flashcard5Flashcard6Flashcard7Flashcard8

LearnTunesWithRoteNota5on

F#F#F#F# G–G–

F#F#F#F#

E–E–

F#F#F#F#

G–G–

F#F#EE D–D–

1.  Byearfirst,thenbyflashcards.2.  Mixuptheorderofthecardstomakesuretheyarereading.

Flashcard1Flashcard2

Flashcard3Flashcard4

Flashcard5Flashcard6

Flashcard7Flashcard8

LearnTunesWithRoteNota5on

F#F#F#F# G–G–

F#F#F#F#

E–E–

1.  Addrhythmandpitches

Flashcard1Flashcard2

Flashcard3Flashcard4

LearningTradi5onalNota5on

Flashcard1–DFlashcard2–EFlashcard3–F#Flashcard4-G

Flashcard5– AFlashcard6– BFlashcard7– C#Flashcard8-D

LearningDScalePitches–Findthenotein4,3,2,1beats.

LearningTradi5onalNota5onLearningDScalePitches– Readingtetra-chordpaeerns.

Flashcard1-DTetra-chord Flashcard2-ATetra-chord

LearningTradi5onalNota5onRotetoNoteTunes–Readingtunespreviouslylearnedbyearinsequencethenoutoforder.

BoilThemCabbageDown

Flashcard1Flashcard2Flashcard3Flashcard4

Flashcard5Flashcard6Flashcard7Flashcard8

LearningTradi5onalNota5onLearningSymbols

Flashcard1Flashcard2Flashcard3Flashcard4Sharp FlatQuarterNoteQuarterRest

a b

f

g

n p +

q Flashcard5Flashcard6Flashcard7Flashcard8Forte NaturalPianoLeoHandPizz.

LearningTradi5onalNota5onReadingtheTunes

RepertoireLearnbyReadingorAurally

1.  Playunisontuneswithaccompaniment–audio,piano,guitar.

2.  Playduetsandtrios.

3.  Playstringorchestrarepertoiretheycanplayandsoundgoodon.

4.  Everythingcan’tbeachallenge/techniquebuilder.Challengetheminclass.

5.  Playsometunesfrommemory.

6.  Everyconcertneedstohavesome“goosebump”moments.

7.  Perform,perform,perform–createopportuni5es.

DevelopingCrea5vity1.  Developbyearusingrhythms,pitches,paeerns/riffs.2.  Useliteracyasamemoryaidandfortheorypostaural.

TEACHlikesomeoneleothegateopen