What we are working on

4th Grade While the Smart Violin Books can stay at home, I have been working on the 6 steps to getting started with children on pages 4 and 5. Next week we will work on the Exercise in A major on page 6 (I have not been using these drier names with the children). Feel free to use the printed music yourself at home to support your child.

If your child tends to get anxious, you or your child's violin teacher could go ahead a little bit in the book (adult playing or singing, child playing out of imitation) so your child feels more comfortable in class. If your child tends to get bored easily, I'd recommend avoiding moving ahead in the book; instead your child could try to figure out other songs by ear or work on other material provided by a private teacher.

It is not so essential that the students play exactly what is written in the 6 steps to getting started. They are typical of call and response games we are playing. I play. Students play back. Eager student volunteers come up to play; other students play back. I have been impressed with how many 4th graders are willing to play alone in front of the class (because it is in the form of a game, of course, this helps make it fun rather than feel like a child is being put on the spot).

I have no problem with you or a teacher working on reading the music notes with your child at home. Learning to play the violin is challenging enough, learning to play in a group can be more challenging (but also very fun as your children have demonstrated), and learning to play the violin and read music in a group setting can be even more challenging. We will start doing the work of note reading (and having students bring books to school) in the new year.

5th & 6th grade

In Strings Extraordinaire, we are working on Harvest Reel, Tumba, and Goblin Walk. Have students pay particular attention to dynamics in Goblin Walk. I have hopes of finding an excuse for us to perform Goblin Walk around Halloween time. Even if we cannot, I have some ideas to make it very interesting in class (and allow our students to really work on expressive playing and dynamics).

Goblin Walk is the first piece we have taken on in which the B parts require left hand fingering rather than just open strings. Students or their teachers are welcome to write fingerings into their books if this helps them; this is why we are having students purchase and keep the books. If a child needs additional help, I would be willing to help during a recess time on Thursday or Friday. Have the child contact me.

We will play every song in the book. It may help some 5th graders and 6th graders to look ahead in the book with a parent or teacher. For some students--especially ones who tend to get bored rather than anxious--this would likely be the wrong thing to do. They would do well to practice other material such as

A) How to improvise over an A 12 bar blues. The blues scale. At some future assembly, we will have a blues jam along with the guitar students, and any students who want to will be allowed to solo. Cellists and violists could also learn to improvise bass lines. (Students will also be allowed to solo on other instruments such as trumpet or baritone at this assembly and could work on this with a teacher).

B) other material provided by their private or group teacher.

In class, we will work on figuring out Irish tunes by ear. This is something that will be hard to practice at home. It is challenging for the students; my intention is to give them a little of this challenge each class. I want them to develop both their note reading skills and their ability to play by ear. I remain convinced that it is possible to do both (though it can take many years to become proficient at both).

7th & 8th grade

We have introduced the C chord. Some students seem ready to learn many chords and are figuring out their own songs (which is wonderful). I will try to balance songs to meet the 7th and 8th graders with songs we are learning as a service to the younger children.

Next Wednesday, we will perform Skip to My Lou (in D) and If You're Happy and You Know it (in G, it uses the C chord we just learned) for the nursery children.

We will also continue to work on the 12 bar blues in A until all students feel solid on playing rhythm. When that occurs (which will be soon), we will work on improvising melodies and bass lines.

Rise Up Singing continues to be hard to acquire (at least at a discount price). I will keep you posted.