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My Violin Music Packet

Name: ______
School: ______Elementary School

Please read these practice tips and violin care guide with a parent or guardian. Once you have read this page, please sign here:
______
parent/guardian signature
______
student signature
Practice Tips:

  1. Please be sure you have all materials when you practice. These materials include the violin, sponge, music stand, practice chart, pencil, and music book. Later this year, you will also need your bow, rosin, and a cleaning cloth when you practice. Please do not start playing with the bow until instructed to do so.
  1. Practice the same time every day—having a routine will help. You can also break up your practice times. Try practicing 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes after school, and 10 minutes before you go to bed.
  1. Find a quiet place to practice that is well lit.
  1. Think about the music you are playing—are you producing a beautiful tone? Also think about your posture and instrument position. Fix any mistakes early on so they don’t become bad habits!
  1. Try playing pieces in small sections; once a section is completed, go on to the next section.
  1. Perform for others—parents, grandparents, siblings, even pets!

How to Care for your Violin:

  1. Do not expose your instrument to extreme heat/coldness (do not leave it in the car!).
  1. Handle your instrument, bow, and case with care. Do not bump your instrument inside or
    outside of the case. Do not touch the bow hair or tap your bow against anything solid—it
    can break!
  1. Always wash your hands before you play.
  1. Remove your shoulder rest or sponge from your instrument before placing it in the case.
  1. Always check to make sure that your case is fully zippered or latched up before picking it up.
  1. NEVER do home repairs—always take it to a string music store or myself to repair it.
  2. Check your bridge often to make sure it is standing up straight. If it is not, let me or another
    string professional know so we can fix it.
  1. Do not let anyone else play your instrument.
  2. Always store your instrument in the case when you are not playing it.
  3. In crowded situations, put your instrument in a place where it won’t get stepped on.

HOW TO READ THE LESSON SCHEDULE

Below is a sample music lesson schedule, as well as instructions on how to check your lesson time each week.

Step 1) Check the dates on TOP of the lesson schedule first and find the correct date (otherwise, if you don't check the date, you may end up coming to your lesson at the wrong time)
Step 2) Scroll down and find your name. Look to the left of your name and find your lesson time.
Here is an example:Andrew's lesson time is at 8:00 on Friday March 15. Andrew's lesson time is at 8:20 on Friday March 22. Andrew's lesson time is at 8:50 on Friday March 29.
Question: What time will Hannah L have lessons on Friday March 15? ______What time will Hannah L have lessons on Friday March 22? ______What time will Hannah L have lessons on Friday March 29? ______

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History of The Violin!

European paintings showed pictures of instruments that were played with
a bow in 900 A.D.

Some of these instruments were the Rebec, the
lira di braccio, and the rabob.

The violin was created in Italy between 1495 and 1500.

Professional musicians taught violin lessons. People
played in public, at balls or dances, or for entertainment
(televisions were not around back then!)

Andrea Amati, Nicola Amati, Andrea Guarneri, and Antonio Stradivari were violin makers in the 1500s and 1600s. Their instruments are worth millions of dollars today!

Here is a list of some violin composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Fritz Kreisler, Niccolo Paganini, and Rodolphe Kreutzer

Here is a list of famous violinists: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Niccolo Paganini, Itzhak Perlman (still alive), Jascha Heifetz, Isaac Stern, Dorothy Delay, and Midori Goto (still alive).

For more information about the violin, you can visit these websites:

History of the Violin Family in Italy:

Famous Violin Composers:

An interview with famous violinist, Midori:

Parts Of The Violin!

Please study and locate these violin parts on your own violin until you can point to and name them by memory:

-Scroll
-Pegs
-Strings (G-D-A-E)
-Fingerboard
-Bridge
-Upper bouts
-Tail Piece
-Chin rest

Please study and locate these violin parts on your own violin until you can point to and name them by memory:

-Peg box
-Nut
-Neck
-Fine Tuners

-C bouts
-F Holes
-Sound post
-End button


How to hold the Violin

Taking the Violin Out of the case:

1. Lay the violin on the floor, not on a chair. Make sure the violin is
not upside-down!
2. Open your case by unfastening the snaps or using the zipper
Holding the Violin:

Step 1. After opening the case, put the sponge underneath the rubber

bands (or, if you have a shoulder rest, put that on the violin)
Step 2. Hold the violin by the upper bout with your left hand
Step 3. Stand up tall, with “smiling” feet. Then move your feet apart
so you feel like your body is balanced evenly on both legs
Step 4. Look to the left!
Step 5. Hold violin out in front of you (look at the back of it)
Step 6. Turn violin up and cover your left shoulder. Put chin down
on chin rest
Step 7.Try holding your violin WITHOUT using your hands!

Plucking the Violin:

1. Make a letter “C” with your right hand
thumb and pointer finger
2. Put your thumb on the bottom, right side of the fingerboard
3. Pluck the strings with your pointer finger OVER the fingerboard

Violin Strings (from lowest pitch to highest pitch):
G D A E (GOODDOGSALWAYSEAT)


DIRECTIONS:Using a PENCIL, please find and circle all the musical items listed below in the MUSIC TREASURE HUNT SONG on page 7. Once you have circled each item, please label each item.

Example:

Musical Items to find and label in the Music Treasure Hunt Song:
1 bar line 1 measure 1 quarter rest 1 double bar line 1 treble clef

Important Music Vocabulary to know before playing the next piece:

  • Music Staff
  • Treble Clef =The

  • Bar Line
  • Measure


  • Quarter Rest


  • Double Bar Line = The end of the song

ASSIGNMENT 5: MUSIC TREASURE HUNT SONG

DIRECTIONS:Using a PENCIL, please find and circle all the musical items listed on page 6 in the MUSIC TREASURE HUNT SONG. Once you have circled each item, please label each item.

______E____________A______A__A__A__A______
D D D

______E__E______A______A__A______

G G G

Trivia: This piece has TWO lines of music. Each line is labeled with a number 1
or a number 2.

BONUS QUESTIONS: How many lines does a music staff have? ______
How many measures does this piece have? ______

Please practice this piece daily at home. The goal is to have fun, perform the correct notes, and be able to perform this piece with the correct posture.

Tips for playing this piece successfully:
1) Be sure to practice every day
2) Be sure you are holding your violin correctly (see page 4)
3) Pluck once for each string name/letter that is seen
example: A A A=pluck the A string 3 times
4) Sing before you play OR clap/tap the song before you play

Open String Fun!

______E__E__E____________A__A__A______A__A______A__A__A______
D D

______E__E______ ______A__A______A______
D D D D D
G G G

Please practice this piece daily at home.


Tips for playing this piece:

OR = Eighth notes (played twice as fast)

Practice saying the new eighth note rhythm pattern like this: G G G G
"Run po-ny Run"

OR 1 2 and 3 (4)

Open String Fun 2

______E______E______A_____A______A______A__A___A____A______

D D D D

______E___E______A______A______A__A______
D D D D
G G G G

1 2 and 3 (4)


Practice placing your CURVED (bent knuckles) left hand fingers down on the D string. Remember to keep your palm straight so you don't squish your ______and hold your left hand fingers over the D string!: favorite animal
Playing with finger Tapes On The D String:
______
D This note is your open D string. It looks like this: ___________
______
______
______
D
D1 This note is played with your pointer finger on the
1st finger tape (the one that is closest to the scroll). ___________
It looks like this: ______
______
______
______
D2 Keep 1 down on 1st finger tape and put middle finger
on the nextfinger tape. It looks like this: ___________
______
______
______
____D2_____


D3 Keep 1 and 2 down and put ring finger on the next tape ___________
(the onethat is closest to the bridge). It looks like this: ______
______
______
______


Congratulations! Now you are ready to play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the violin!
*Don't be afraid to try the bonus once you feel like a pro playing it on the D string*

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Words: Mary had a/ Little lamb/ Little lamb/ Little lamb/ Mary had a/ little lamb whose/ Fleece was white as/
Snow

____________A__A______D2______D2_D2_D2______D2______
D

____________D2______D2_D2_D2_D2______D2______

D D

Remember: A=the A string (the same one that you played in Open String Fun)
Check: Is your left palm straight? Are your fingers curved on the finger tapes?
If so, good job!

BONUS: Did you know you can also place your fingers down on other strings? (examples: A1, A2, A3 OR E1, E2, E3). Try playing these pitches to see what they sound like. Then, see if you are able to play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the A string (hint: it startswith these 3 notes= "A2 A1 A")!

Tip: Practice playing A to D3. Be sure to hold D3 above the D string to get ready to play!
__________
Playing with finger Tapes On The A String: ______

A1 This note is played with your pointer finger on the __________
1st finger tapeon the A string (the one that is closest __________
to the scroll). It looks like this: ______

Also notice in the piece below that some fingerings are marked a different way.
Examples:
1) Measure 3= D2 and 2 are the SAME note!
2) Measure 4= 1 and 1... are they A1 or D1?

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star-on D/A Strings

Words: Twinkle Twinkle/ Little Star/ How I wonder/ What you are/ Up above the/ world so high/ Like a
diamond/ In the sky/ Twinkle Twinkle/ Little Star/ How I wonder/ What you are

____________A__A______A______D2__2______
D D D

____________A__A______A__A______2__2______2__2______

____________A__A______A______2__2______
D D D

The Bow

Please study and locate these violin
bow parts on your own bow until
you can point to and name them by
memory.

(Image is taken from:

Holding The Bow

Step 1. Hold bow upside-down (bow stick facing towards the floor)
with left hand
Step 2. Curve tips of right hand pointer around the
bow grip, and middle and ring fingers next to
the frog above the ferrule
Step 3. Bend thumb and place it across from middle
finger, beneath the bow grip


Step 4. Curve pinky on top of the end of the bow stick
on its tip.

Bow Games

Windshield Wipers

Elevator/Rocket ship


Please remember to practice this piece every day!

__________
Playing with finger Tapes On The G String: ______

G1 This note is played with your pointer finger on the __________
1st finger tapeon the G string (the one that is closest __________
to the scroll). It looks like this: ______

___

Repeat Sign: =Go back to the beginning and play ___

until "End."

Ode to Joy-on G/D/A Strings
____________________A__A______

_D2__2______D2______2______
D D D D

______END____________A__A______

_D2__2______D2______2______
D D D D

____________

______D2______D2____D2______D2___D2______
D D D ___

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