Weekly Practice Spots for the week of December 11th-15th for ALL INSTRUMENTS

Announcements:

We will be learning how to tune this week! Yay!

I will give you information about orchestra caroling the last week of school before break.

Please Practice the following:

Scales: G major, C major, F major, Bb major, D minor, A minor, E minor. You will receive a new scale sheet next week.

Tuning: Remember that you turn your tuner to the right to raise the pitch, and to the left to lower it. DON'T USE THE PEGS!!!

In our Christmas Carol Packets:

Jolly Old St. Nicholas

-Practice all three parts

-In parts two and three, work on your G string notes

Up On the Housetop

-Practice all three parts. Make sure that your B naturals and F#s are high enough

-In part three measure 14, make sure you play G#, low 1 on the G string

Good King Wenceslaus

-Watch the Key Signature. You have C naturals. That means low 2 on the A string for upper strings, 2nd finger for cellos, and 2nd position for basses

-Practice ALL THREE PARTS!

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

You start on a pickup, which is up bow.

Watch the Key Signature. You have C naturals. That means low 2 on the A string for upper strings, 2nd finger for cellos, and 2nd position for basses

In part two, make sure you practice the D#. It is a low 1 on the D string for upper strings, a backward extension for cellos and in 1/2 position for basses. Be sure you know the difference between how to finger D natural, D sharp and E natural.

Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella

The time signature is 3/8. this means there are3 beats ina measure and the 8th note gets the beat. So, quarter notes are worth 2beats, and dotted quarter notes are worth 3.

TheKey Signature is G major, with C naturals!

All instruments need to practice the melody slowly so you get all the notes

Basses-Watch your shifting, You are in 2nd and 3rd position a lot!

Parts two and three have a lot of G major arpeggios. Those notes are G B and D

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Practice all three parts.

You start on a pick-up, which is up bow

The Time signature is 3/4, the key signature is G major. C naturals!

Road Map: Play from the beginning to the first ending. Repeat to the beginning and take the second ending. Play the second half of the song and then repeat back to the beginning and end at the first ending (D.C. al fine means to go back to the beginning and play to the end of the first half)

Lo, How a Rose

New Key signature: F major!

This has a Bb in it! You play it just like D# and G#, it is a low 1 on the A string, a backward extension for cellos on the A and 1/2 position for the basses. You have NO sharps in this piece. This means that 2nd finger is low for upper strings, that you use 2nd finger for cellos and basses on the D, A and G strings

The Coventry Carol

New Key Signature: Bb major!

You now have two flats: Bb and Eb. These are played with low 1s on the A and D strings. Eb is the same note as D#, just with a different name. You play it the same was as D#.

You have accidentals in the piece: F# is now an accidental!

I would take this piece very slowly and check that each note is in the correct position and in tune. Almost all of the finger patterns in this piece will be unfamiliar to you. When we learn the Bb major scale in class, practice it!!!!!