Violin Survival Kit

Violin Survival

Kit

Mr S Heron NEELB

Violin Survival Kit Scott Heron - NEELB

Contents Beginners:

Beginner Violin Shopping List

Quizlet

Violin Finger charts

Gettin the Know How to Practice

Music Theory Factsheet No.1

Puncture Repair Kit

The Smartie Game

Samurai Sword Bow

Bow Check List

Useful apps

Operation Bow

Listening Homework

Listening Homework Record Sheet Grade 1: Grade 1 Violin Shopping List The Low Down on the ABRSM grade exams A Guideline for Grade 1, ABRSM Violin Sight-Reading Grade 1 ABRSM Scale Flash Cards Grade 2: Grade 2 Violin Shopping List A Guideline for Grade 2, ABRSM Violin Sight-Reading Grade 2 ABRSM Scale Flash Cards Grade 3: Grade 3 Violin Shopping List A Guideline for Grade 3, ABRSM Violin Sight-Reading Grade 3 ABRSM Scale Flash Cards Advanced Violinists: Advanced Students - The Art of Practicing


Beginner Violin Shopping List Congratulations on having being selected to play the violin! Your teachers and I have noticed that you have musical ability. It will be interesting to see how your talent will blossom as I help you gain knowledge, technique and experience. A wonderful musician said to me once that playing an instrument is just like playing a Playstation game with infinite levels. The possibilities and opportunities are endless. The violin is used in lots of different styles of music, from classical, pop, rock, jazz, religious music, etc. A good example of a violinist doing this today is Vanessa-Mae. Watch her playing on YouTube. But remember, you only get out of it what you put into it. Your part of the bargain is to always do you best during the lessons and at home, as am I sure you will. You only get out of it what you put into it. The key to success in the violin is practice. Each week I will set you a homework. In order to complete this, I would recommend that you practice a minimum of 15 minutes, 4-6 days per week. Of course, if you practice more than that, you will make even faster progress. If you dont think you can do this it would be best to let me know and we can arrange to give the place to another student. You will most likely be in a class with other students. We will try as best as possible to progress together at the same pace. In order to do this it is important to have made an effort during the week to avoid anyone getting frustrated from being held back. If anyone has a problem please let me know and I am only too happy to help. Dont ever be afraid of making mistakes. That is how we learn. I will be giving you a green practice record. It is important for parents to fill in the amount of time spent practicing every day in the appropriate boxs and sign this at the end of the week (see Instrumental Tuition A Guide for Schools and Parents). As a reward for doing at least 6 days practice for 15 minutes per day and the form being filled in and signed I will reward each student with a sticker. When you are due to get your 10th sticker I will award you a really cool, special sticker! Please buy these 6 items: 1) Fiddle Time Joggers by Kathy and David Blackwell, and published by Oxford University

Press. This is a really fun book and includes a cd. 2) Strings in Step for Violin, Book 1, by Jan Dobbins and published by Oxford University Press.

It also includes a cd.


3) A block of violin rosin. This helps the hair to rub against the string and cause it to vibrate, making a lovely sound. A good make is Hindersine. I would recommend Hindersine 6V Violin Rosin.

4) An electronic metronome/chromatic tuner. This is an invaluable tool for developing a sense

of pulse, a skill which is vital for playing in any ensemble. There are many on the market. The one I would recommend is Boss TU-80 chromatic tuner. It is reasonably priced and relatively simple to use. It comes with a tone generator which can help you to work out if your strings are in tune or not. There are reviews and tutorials on YouTube. Alternatively, download a free metronome app.

5) A shoulder rest. There are many on the market. It is important to make sure that you chose

the correct size. I would recommend the Kun Mini collapsible violin shoulder rest (fits 1/16 size), retailing at around 22, or the Kun Junior collapsible violin shoulder rest (fits - ), retailing at around 30, depending on what size of violin your child is given. I like this type because it is comfortable and fully adjustable. Another option is to buy a medium sized sponge and attach it to the violin with an elastic band. I will show you how to do this.

6) It is not entirely necessary, but once you know what size of violin you have, it is often a good

idea to buy a spare set of strings so I can replace a broken one immediately. A bit like a spare tyre in a car. Astrea is a reasonably priced beginner string. Alternatively you can buy these as and when you need them, but you may be without a string for a week or so.

7) There are numerous places where you can buy the above. I would recommend

Amazon.co.uk. You might like to check out a local music store such as Matchetts Music in Belfast (028 9032 6695) or Nicholl Brothers in Ballymena (028 2564 9616).


QUIZLET quizlet.com is a superb website which specializes in flashcards. I use it for 2 different purposes: 1) LEARN ITALIAN MUSICAL TERMS

Amongst other categories it includes a list of the Italian terms that are necessary to learn for the ABRSM theory exams and are useful to help you understand the Italian words you may come across in sight reading part of the practical ABRSM grade exams. It is a tradition in music that many composers used Italian as their common language giving tempo or expression directions. You can use this in a number of ways:

play a quiz game

3 different memorization techniques

print out the complete list of terms

print out flash cards All of these are superb aids to memorization. If you come across an Italian word in your sight reading or in a piece you are working on or in an orchestra piece, check it out in quizlet and commit it to memory. As well as helping you to make an appropriate tempo choice, you are also learning a bit of Italian as well.

2) PRINT OUT SCALE FLASH CARDS

An effective way of helping you to memorize your scales for the ABRSM grade exams, and to increase your fluency, is to print off the scale cards that I have put onto quizlet. I have included grades 1-3 for violin, viola, cello and double bass. Just follow the simple instructions. Alternatively, use the cards included in this booklet. Start by applying Pritstick to the b ack of each card and glue together. You now have a pack of cards with a front describing the scale and a back telling you what grade they are. Shuffle them and pick up the top card. Turn it over and play the scale. If necessary use your scale book first, then try again from memory. Eventually try to avoid using the book at all. Once you have completed the first scale from memory, proceed to the next card and continue until you have completed all the cards. Do this once or twice every day, trying to increase your fluency. Perhaps start slowly using a metronome. Increase the pulse with every repetition until you can play at the required tempo. Picking a card at random replicates the exam scenario, as the examiner will not be ask you to play them in order. If you have an iphone or ipad you can also download the quizlet app. Have fun!


Gettin the Know How to Practice A TECHNIQUE FOR BEGINNERS

People often say practice makes perfect. Thats right, isnt it? Well, it depends on the quality of your practice. You want to aim to practise playing correctly more of the time, rather than practising your mistakes. Its common sense. The main problem that people experience is that they try to do too much at once, and end up doing everything poorly. With this new technique we focus on one thing at a time. We build each individual element and then move onto the next stage. Eventually you will be able to combine the different elements of the music and multitask successfully. You cant run before you can walk! Therefore, lets divide our practice into 5 stages:

1) Listen 2) Rhythm 3) Notes 4) Other Musical Elements 5) Play

STAGE 1 Listen to the CD If at all possible, listen to a recording of the piece you are playing. This is the fastest way to speed learn a new piece of music. Even without trying you will absorb lots of information about the rhythm, melody and how the different parts relate to one another, the tempo, dynamics etc.

STAGE 2 Rhythm is the Foundation of Music Step 1: Listen to a cd recording of the music you are playing and follow your written music at the same time by tracing it with your finger as it goes along. This will give you an idea of the overall shape of the piece of music. At this point you may have encountered some difficulties and have some questions. Points to look out for to help you answer your questions: 1) What is the time signature? Notes are often put into groups of 2, 3, or 4 and divided by bar

lines. 2) What are the different note values in the music? Are you familiar with them? 3) What are you like at changing from one note value to another whilst keeping a pulse with

your metronome? 4) Take note of any repeat signs or DC or Dal segno signs. Step 2: Then play the cd again for a second time and clap and count the rhythm out loud. If possible tap your toe lightly to the pulse so that you feel the heartbeat of the music. Using a metronome: You may find that the tempo of the cd is too fast. In this case, use a metronome. It you do not already have a metronome, buy one! Every musician worth his salt should have one. Set it to a slow tempo to give you time to get your brain around the rhythm and clap and count your way through. Once you feel you have mastered this, crank your metronome up a few notches and try again.


Ideally, aim to reach a little faster than the tempo of the cd. When you finally clap and count along to the cd, it will feel easy and relaxed. Happy days!

STAGE 3 Make sure you are familiar with the 3 note facts. Background: When you see a note in the music it tells you a number of things all at once. It describes how long the note lasts for and also what the note sounds like. When you play a stringed instrument like violin or cello there are also 3 other facts you will need to know: 1) The particular name of the note. 2) The finger you need to put down on the string to produce the sound. 3) What string your finger needs to be on to produce the sound. You need to know these 3 facts all at once. It seems impossible, but with practice, you will be able to do it. Flash cards are a great way to develop your fluency. Now for action! Step 1: Call out the names of the notes. (Do you know the lines & spaces? See Music Theory

handout No. 1) Step 2: Call out the finger that you need to use. (See the note charts) Step 3: Call out the name of the string you are playing on. Just do this once at the start of each

new change of string. Step 4: Repeat the above with the cd. If you find the cd is too fast for you to work this out in

time, use a metronome at a slower speed, and repeat, getting gradually faster each time. More experienced students: When you are confident with this you will be able to multi task and see these 3 elements at once. Bypass this procedure and instead look at the key signature and work out how this effects your fingering such as close and extended 2nd fingers for violin etc.

STAGE 4 Add other musical touches Now that you have mastered the rhythm, tuning and fluency, try adding other musical elements, in no particular order.

Perhaps start with some articulation.

Once you are confident with this, add some dynamics.

Then some expression etc. The important thing is that you focus on one thing at a time.

If at any stage you notice a tuning error, go back and patch it up. You will be able to multitask and balance theses different elements only if you have spent enough time working separately at each stage.

Try to get as many opportunities as possible to perform music. Put on a concert at school perhaps with others in your class. Enter yourself for a music festival. Enter yourself for exams. Go on a summer music course. Play in church. Perform for relatives at home.


When you are at home use your imagination and pretend you are playing in a big concert hall with an orchestra in front of lots of people. With experience you will feel more comfortable performing and perhaps even play better than you do on your own at home.

Try improvising to pop music, tv, etc.

Join an orchestra at school and/or the NEELB. You will make lots of friends, play great music, improve your playing, especially your sight reading, and get lots of opportunities to perform and travel.

This procedure may seem very slow and time consuming, but it really does work. In the long run it will save you time, and build really good foundations in your playing, in particular your tuning.

STAGE 5 Time to play your instrument, but focus on your tuning! Tuning is the number 1 difficulty in playing a stringed instrument. You will constantly need to pay attention to it.

To do this, play through the piece slowly, with a loose sense of the pulse.

Play with a lovely big tone.

Use chaos notes (check against the open string.)

Ideally ask your folks, relative or friend to play the piano or keyboard along with you to give yourself something to compare yourself to. Hopefully by this stage you will have memorised the tune of the piece.

Use a chromatic tuner.

If you suspect you have played a wrong note, or just played a note out of tune, go back and fix it and move on, like forward winding and rewinding a cd. Remember, you want to play correctly more of the time, not practise your mistakes.

You may notice little groups of 2 or 3 notes. I like to repeat these. As I play them more confidently, and accurately, I gradually get them faster and repeat them. Then I continue onto the next note or next group at a slow speed. Try joining the notes or groups of notes together, like pieces of a jigsaw.

Eventually, use your metronome. Put these small sections together to form larger sections. Eventually join these larger sections together until you can play all the way through in one go. Start slowly, and gradually get faster. When it is up to speed, play along with the backing track or ask someone to accompany you on the piano.

Initially keep your eyes on the music 99% of the time in order to keep track of where you are. If you need to, look quickly at your instrument for a split second, and back again to the music. Later on, if you have time, you can try to memorize the music and not look at it at all.

Aim to play a bit faster than the cd. When you play with the cd, it will seem slow and easy.

Nobody said this was going to necessarily be fun. You may be able to think of a million other things you would rather like to do, but your sacrifice will be worth it! Many other fine musicians before you have travelled the same road and are glad they made the sacrifice. It is a means to an end. There is no gain without pain.

Most of all, enjoy! Your effort in learning this new skill and honing your talent is well worth the effort. It will be a blessing to you and other people.


Music Theory Factsheet No. 1 Violin You are taking your first steps in learning to play the violin. In order to do this, you need to learn how to read music, and music has a language of its own! General information

An author writes books, but a composer writes music.

Instead of reading words, musicians read notes.

Here are the different parts of a note -

Each musical note tells you 2 things:

1) The duration of the note (i.e. how long a sound lasts for). 2) The pitch (or sound) of the note.

1. The duration of notes A note value refers to the duration of a note. Below is a list of some of the note values.

You can see how one note value derives from another by looking at the note pyramid.

Notice how you half each note value to get two of the next type.

Also notice that each note has an American name (fraction name) and a British name:

Note Pyramid

Note Rest British Name American Name

Duration (in counts)

Semi breve Whole note 4

Minim Half note 2

Crotchet Quarter note 1

Quaver Eighth note

Semi quaver Sixteenth note

2. Pitch When you open your music you will notice that the notes do not live in outer space, but they are placed on lines and spaces called the stave. This is where the notes live. Each note will have a different sound (or pitch) depending on where it lives on the stave.


Each line and space has a name, not like Jack or Daisy, but after a letter of the alphabet. Did you know that there are only 7 letters in the musical alphabet!

You can see why this is by looking at the piano keyboard:

Notice how, on the stave, as you go from each consecutive line to space, or space to line,

you go through the alphabet.

As you climb up the stave, you go up the alphabet, and vice versa as you go down. This is like climbing up or down rungs of a ladder.

In music you will soon come across scales. A scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending or descending order.

Remembering the names of the notes. Now we have a problem! With so many lines and spaces, how on earth will we remember all their names? 1 Rhymes One way is that we invent a rhyme, one to help us remember the lines, and a word for the spaces. The first letter of each word gives us the particular alphabetic letter name of the note: 5 Lines Football

Deserves Boy Good Every

4 Spaces

E C A F

Another way of remembering the names of the lines and spaces of the stave is to think of your hand as the stave. Each of your 5 fingers represents a line of the stave, and the gaps in between, the spaces:


2 Refer to the open strings Another quick way of working out the lines and spaces is to remember the open string notes of the violin:

Notice that they are all positioned on a space.

You can go up or down the alphabet from these notes, whichever is closest to the note you are looking for.

So, test yourself often, and in no time at all you will know the names of the notes automatically. What the mind repeats, it retains!


Puncture Repair Practice (PRP)

This is a technique to help with your tuning. The phrase Puncture Repair Practice or PRP for short, is an analogy I use to compare fixing your tuning on the spot with fixing a puncture immediately. Just say you were out for a drive with your folks and all of a sudden the car gets a puncture! You have two options: Option 1: Carry on driving, but risk shredding the tyre which would necessitate eventually buying a new tyre to replace it Or Option 2: Replace the tyre with your spare tyre, which takes longer, but means you can go to Kwik-Fit at a later stage and get it repaired for a fraction of the price. Remember, No one fits quicker than a Kwik-Fit fitter. Try saying that 10 times!!! The reason for this is a phenomenon called muscle memory. When you place your fingers on the fingerboard, your fingers remember where you placed them. You can use this to your advantage. If you make a mistake, that is OK, but make sure that you fix it immediately afterwards, without driving on. This way you will condition your hand to go to the correct place more of the time. It is slow, but works out better in the long run, building good foundations for your tuning. The alternative is false economy.


The Smartie Game

The purpose of the Smartie Game is to develop the ability to play correctly the first time you play something. This is after all what we hope to do when we are performing, whether in a concert or for an exam. First, go and buy a packet of Smarties, or perhaps ask your parents to buy them, telling them it is for educational reasons and that I said it will help your practice. Next, identify some aspect of the piece you are working on that is driving you round the bend. It could be a shift, bowing, a tricky fingering, tuning, articulation, etc. The main thing is to isolate 1 problem. The reason for this is that if you multi task, you can overload your brain, and end up not mastering anything properly. The aim is to play your chosen extract 4 times in a row correctly. Each time you play it correctly, you earn yourself a Smartie. Place each Smartie in front of you. If you can play the extract 4 times in a row correctly then you get to eat the Smarties. If you make a mistake, go back to the beginning and try again. This really heightens your concentration. If you run out of Smarties then you can use any 4 objects, coins for example. Just dont swallow them!


Samurai Sword Bow Hold In order to play dramatic accents try this exercise. It will get lots of bow speed into your accents. The Samurai were ancient Japanese warlords. They were famous for their incredibly sharp swords, which were like works of art. Think of your bow as a sword. Next, make sure you have lots of room and swipe your bow to the right. Your objective is to make a swiping sound, like a Samurai sword. Try swiping to the left now. Once you have achieved this, try playing accents on your instrument and use the same amount of bow speed. This will make them much more dramatic! Give yourself lots of space, in order to be safe, and have fun!


Bow Check List

In order to establish a good bow hold, I think it is a good idea to break it down into 7 stages and go through them consistently in order. This reinforces a correct bow hold and establishes it in your muscle memory. When you are practicing and stop for some reason, go through your check list. In one practice session you may repeat your check list several times. Step 1: Hold your hand out like a floppy paw. Make sure it is nice and relaxed. Your fingers

should be dangling down. Step 2: Pick up your bow with your left hand, pointing the frog to the right. Step 3: Move the bow into your hand so that your little finger is above the eye of the frog. Step 4: Move your hand down onto the bow until the bow is just above the first knuckle of

your index finger, from your finger tip. Step 5: Place the tip of your thumb just in front of the frog, on the wood. Step 6: Angle your hand to the left so that you lean on your first finger. This is called

pronation. Do this so much that your little finger sits on top of the stick. Step 7: Rest your bow on the string. Give the weight of the bow and your arm to the string. Learn this rhyme and say it often:

'Ev'ry time you stop and start go through your bow check list, it's really smart'.


Operation Bow

Have you ever played the board game Operation? It was one of my favorite games when I was a kid. For those of you that do not know, the object of the game is to extract random items that the patient has swallowed with a pair of tweezers. If the tweezers should happen to glance the side of the incision, the patient screams! It is really good fun! One of the most challenging aspects of playing the violin as a beginner, is only playing one string at a time, and avoiding glancing the other adjacent strings. You can practice this by playing long bow strokes from the heel of the bow to the tip repeatedly. Make sure that you watch where the bow meets the string. You will have to vary the height of your elbow on each string. Your elbow will be highest on the G string, and lowest on the E string. Use your imagination. If you glance an adjacent string, it is like touching the hole in your patients tummy and he shouts out. Have fun!


Listening Homework

You will often hear musicians say that one of the best ways to improve on your instrument is to listen to other musicians play. I would certainly agree with this. It helps to give you an impression of what your instrument is capable of. From an early age I was fascinated by watching musicians play. The visual side of learning music is for me even more stimulating. By watching you can learn so much about the technique required to get the most out of your instrument. If possible go and see a live concert, and watch really good professional musicians. Perhaps the greatest reason to watch musicians is that it can be really inspiring. I have often come from a concert and immediately taken my instrument out when I got home because I was so inspired and wanted to try out a new idea I had seen. Going to a live concert is not always possible. For that reason I would thoroughly recommend that you use YouTube. It is an amazing resource. For home work, I would like you to listen to a new piece of music for your instrument every week and answer there 3 questions. Write the answers on the following Listening Homework Record Sheet, and week by week you will surprise yourself as to how many pieces of music that you know. Question 1: What is the name of the performer? Question 2: What is the title of the music? Question 3: Who is the composer? As well as listening to Classical music, why dont you expand your horizons and listen to other types of music. Have you tried Vanessa Mae, The Turtle Island String Quartet, Darol Anger, Nigel Kennedy, Mark OConnor? It will launch you on a road of discovery that can shape the way that you develop as a musician. Happy listening.


Listening Homework RECORD SHEET

Name of the performer Title of the music Name of the composer

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20


Grade 1 ABRSM Violin Shopping List Congratulations on having completed your previous books! You have probably been playing for a couple of years now, feeling a bit more confident than when you started and ready to have a go at the ABRSM grade 1 exam. It can sound a bit scary, but we have plenty of time. I would hope that we would not be sitting the exam for at least 1 year. Every journey starts with one step, so we will take it one step at a time and see how we get on, and have some fun along the way. Here is a shopping list of the 5 items you will need to get off to a good start: 1) Buy the Grade 1 ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) Violin Exam Pieces

Book. Make sure it is from the 2012-2015 syllabus, that it includes a score, violin part and a CD (it has a blue cover).

2) Buy the Grade 1 ABRSM Scales & Arpeggios Book from 2012 (green cover). 3) Buy the Grade 1-5 ABRSM Violin Specimen Sight-Reading Tests from 2012 (light blue cover). 4) Perhaps buy the Grade 1-3 ABRSM Specimen Aural Tests, New Edition from2011 (brown

and orange cover). Make sure it includes 2 cds. Your school will prepare you for this, but I would recommend doing work on this at home. For other alternatives see my handout The Low Down on the ABRSM Grade Exams.

5) If you do not already have it, please buy Fiddle Time Runners, written by Kathy & David

Blackwell & published by Oxford University Press. This follows on from the previous book you have been using, Fiddle Time Joggers.

Listen to all of the CDs and write down your favourite 2 pieces in each list, in order of preference. There are 3 lists, A, B, and C. As you will see from the index at the front of the book there are 6 pieces in each list to choose from. Once you have chosen we will discuss and make our final 3 choices, one piece from each list. Fill in the list below: List A 1 ___________________________________________________________ 2 ___________________________________________________________ List B 1 ___________________________________________________________ 2 ___________________________________________________________ List C 1 ___________________________________________________________ 2 ___________________________________________________________


Listen to them repeatedly, following your sheet music at the same time. Try to memorize the melody. How many little details in the music can you notice such as any crescendos and diminuendos, dynamics, unusual rhythms, staccato notes, legato notes, slurred notes, separate notes? The more of these little details that you can include when you come to perform, the better. The examiner will be looking out to see if you noticed them. It gives you such a sense of achievement to achieve your grade exams. It will be a lot of fun, but at times you may find it frustrating. At times like this you will need patience, perseverance, and discipline. You will get through. I have taught hundreds of students that have made the journey and were so glad that they did. I am really looking forward to starting this adventure with you!


THE LOW DOWN ON THE ABRSM GRADE EXAMS

There are 4 parts to the exam, which will occur in the order below. All 8 grades have the same format. Grade 1 would be the equivalent of a white belt in Karate, and Grade 8 would be a black belt! Part 1 There are 3 pieces, A, B, C. Each is worth a total of 30 marks. You will be accompanied by a pianist, who will most likely be provided by your school or possibly the Music Service, depending on availability. Make sure that each of your pieces has an accompaniment book. Most do, but occasionally they are sold separately. Also make sure that you use original sheet music, and not photocopies. After your performance your pianist will leave and you will proceed with the other 3 tests. Part 2 Scales & Arpeggios These are worth a total of 21 marks. They need to be performed from memory. You will not be allowed to bring your music with you into the exam. You will need to purchase the current scale book, from 2012. Part 3 Sight Reading These are worth a total of 21 marks. There are very specific requirements which you should be aware of for each grade, which will vary a little from one instrument to another. I would recommend that you pick up a free copy of the syllabus and familiarize yourself with it. I of course will endeavor to keep you on the right track with this. I would also recommend that you buy the support material Specimen Sight-Reading Tests, from 2012. This will give you test examples which are representative of the technical level in the exam and keep abreast of the recent technical requirements. Tips Check out www.quizlet.com. This will help you to understand the Italian words at the start of the music, which give you an indication as to the speed it goes. Do a search for whatever grade you are doing, eg, Grade 1 Italian Terms (no 25). It will give you a list of all the grade 1 Italian words that you need to learn and also some fun games to help you memorize them. Each student will be given a short interval of up to half a minute in which to look through and, if they wish, try out any part of the test before they are required to perform it for assessment. Part 4 Aural Tests These are worth a total of 18 marks. I will not be preparing you for this part of the exam. This is the responsibility of the school. You will probably only get a couple of rehearsals, but each school varies considerably. However, I would highly recommend that you are proactive and do some preparation for these at home. They can make the difference between you achieving a good mark and an excellent mark. There are a couple of ways of doing this:


a) If you have an iphone there is an app that you can buy which is called the ABRSM Aural

Trainer for Grades 1-3 it is 2.99. b) You can buy a resource from the ABRSM called Specimen Aural Tests New Edition from

2011 (brown and orange cover). Make sure that it includes 2 cds. c) Look up the NEELB website: www.neelb.org.uk. Click on Curriculum at the top of the page.

Click on Creative and Expressive, then Music on left of page. In Aural Tests you will find examples for each grade, with answers.

Tips Pick up a copy of the current 2012-2015 Bowed Strings Syllabus by the ABRSM. It has a blue cover. Information

The exam is marked out of a total of 150 marks. 100 marks to 119 marks is a pass. 120 marks to 129 marks is a merit. 130 or more is a distinction.

Your school will enter you for the exam and will notify you of the cost.

All monies should go to the school and not myself.

Schools will try to arrange a suitable exam date. It is Music Service policy that tutors do not enter students for grade exams.

You will hopefully have an opportunity to warm up and top and tail your pieces with your pianist in a warm up room prior to the exam.

The ABRSM has produced an excellent resource called These music exams - A guide to ABRSM exams for candidates, teachers and parents. It is free and can be obtained from most music shops, such as Matchetts Music in Belfast (028 9032 6695).

Marking scheme

Schedule of maximum marks for all grades: Pieces 1 ............................... 30 Pieces 2 ............................... 30 Pieces 3 ............................... 30 Scales and arpeggios ........... 21 Sight-reading ....................... 21 Aural tests ........................... 18 Total ................................ 150

All being well the school will hear the results within around 3 weeks approximately and you will be given a distinguished certificate with your name on it.


An Aid to Sight Reading for Grade One Violin (ABRSM) Crucial information for students and parents

A phrase I hear a lot in my job as a string teacher, in connection with sight reading is; I wish I could have had another go at it, I would have nailed it! The sad fact is that in the Associated Board exams (ABRSM), you only get 1 shot at it. Therefore it is important that you are fully prepared. How Best To Prepare Recommendation:

Purchase Specimen Sight-Reading Tests (ABRSM, 2012 edition). Available for Grades 1-5, this book which has a light blue cover gives examples of sight reading appropriate to the level expected in the exam. It takes account of the revised requirements. You can purchase this book for around 5 from a number of sources such as Amazon or local music stores such as Matchetts Music in Belfast (028 9032 6695).

Pick up a free copy of the syllabus for sight-reading and familiarize yourself with it. Sight-reading requirements:

The sight reading component is worth a total of 21 marks out of a total of 150 marks for the entire exam.

There are very specific requirements which you should be aware of for each grade, which will vary a little from one instrument to another.

Guidelines for Grade One

The current syllabus gives us the following guidelines:

Pulse A four-bar piece in 4/4 or 3/4, or a six-bar piece in 2/4.

Notes/Pitches In D or A major.

Position/String In 1st position with no use of the G string.

Bowing All notes separately bowed.

Dynamics Simple dynamics (f, mf, p).

Note values The only note values used will be minims, crotchets, and quavers.

Rests The only rests will be crotchet rests.


Further guidelines: The sight-reading tests are without accompaniment. Candidates will be given a short interval of up to half a minute in which to look through and, if they wish, try out any part of the test before they are required to perform it for assessment. (Syllabus, page 7.) Sight-reading relies on two elements: 1 Observation When I think of observation I immediately associate this trait with the famous London detective, Sherlock Holmes. He was remarkable because he noticed little details that other people missed. Imagine that you are Sherlock Holmes looking for clues in the music that the examiner has given you that will help you to play it the way the composer intended it. It is helpful to be systematic when approaching sight reading and to think of the building blocks of music, such as the notes, rhythm, articulation, tempo and dynamics. Notes Look at the key signature. Remember that the sight reading will only be in one

key, D or A major. It is helpful to play this scale before you play the extract in order to familiarize yourself with the finger patterns you will use. The really good news is that you only use extended 2nd finger on any of the 3 strings (remember you dont play on the G string), never close 2nd finger!

Rhythm/Tempo The extract will only include rhythms made up out of quavers, crotchets, minims

and crotchet rests. Look over some of the examples in Specimen Sight Reading Tests to test that this is true. A useful exercise to help you gain confidence and fluency at changing from one note value to another is to set your metronome to crotchet = 90, establishing a pulse. Then ask someone to randomly call out a new note value. Can you change fluently from one note value to another smoothly, without hesitation?

Examine the Time Signature. Remember it will only be in one of three time

signatures: 2/4, 3/4, or 4/4. In order to work out what tempo or speed the music is to be played at it is

necessary to observe the tempo marking at the start of the extract. It may be in English, but it may also be in Italian. It is therefore necessary for you to learn the list of grade 1 Italian terms that are required for the grade 1 theory exam. A list of these can be found at www.quizlet.com. This is a superb site. Do a search for whatever Grade you are doing, eg, Grade 1 Italian Terms (no25). It will give you a list of all the Grade 1 Italian words that you need to learn and also some fun games to help you memorize them. Quizlet is primarily a flashcard website, so it gives you the option to make your own flashcards. You may get an extract which is marked Andante. Because you have learnt the words in Quizlet you know that Andante means at a walking pace. But how fast is that? You need to how many beats per minute this is (BPM). You can find a comprehensive table at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo. It tells us that Andante is 76 - 108 BPM.


Use your metronome to hear the pulse. In time, you will get an accurate impression of the tempo of these terms. Make sure that you choose a realistic tempo. If the speed indicated is too fast for you, it would be better to play it a little slower, to give yourself more thinking time, than to play too quickly and sacrifice the fluency and detail.

Other Musical Elements The good news is that for grade 1 you do not need to consider articulation. For

grade 2 you will need to look out for slurs. Articulation/ Dynamics There are only 3 dynamic markings for grade 1; p (piano) = softly, mf (mezzo

forte) = moderately loud, f (forte) = loud. Some examples maintain the same dynamic all the way through. Some extracts vary the dynamics. The golden rule is to exaggerate the dynamics. Make it crystal clear to the examiner that you have noticed the dynamic changes. Also, ask yourself how wide is your dynamic range? Practice playing at each dynamic level. Make your pianos quieter and your fortes louder. Be more extreme.

2 Execution

Once you pop, you cant stop!

The golden rule of sight reading is Once you start you cant stop. Just think of the old TV ad for the crisps called Pringles. Fluency is vitally important. The examiner will be expecting you to play from the beginning to the end without stopping, all the time maintaining a regular pulse. Do not be tempted to stop and fix any mistake that you may make. The examiner will not be impressed, because in order to do this, you will be interrupting the pulse.

You will get up to half a minute to prepare yourself before you have to play use this time wisely.

Go over the above 5 musical building blocks in order.

Do this consistently with each sight reading extract that you practice at home. In time you will get faster and better skilled.

One of the best ways to improve your sight reading is to play in an orchestra.

I hope that this has been helpful for you any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask me. I hope that your sight-reading just gets better and better!

Mr. Heron


D major scale, slurred bows

(crotchet = 52)

Grade 1 ABRSM Violin Scale Flash

Cards

E minor arpeggio, separate bows

only (quaver = 104)


Cards

E minor natural scale, separate

bows (crotchet = 52)


Cards

E minor natural scale, slurred bows

(crotchet = 52)


Cards

G major arpeggio, separate bows only

(quaver = 104)


Cards

A major arpeggio, separate bows only

(quaver = 104)


Cards


A major scale, separate bows (crotchet = 52)


Cards

A major scale, slurred bows

(crotchet = 52)


Cards

D major arpeggio, separate bows only

(quaver = 104)


Cards

D major scale, separate bows (crotchet = 52)


Cards

G major scale, separate bows (crotchet = 52)


Cards

G major scale, slurred bows

(crotchet = 52)


Cards


Grade 2 ABRSM Violin Shopping List Congratulations on having completed your grade 1 exam! You can now see that with regular practice over the course of over a year or so you can really make excellent progress. It is now time to jump to the next stepping stone and start work for your grade 2 exam. I would hope that we would be sitting the exam in approximately 1 year. Here is a shopping list of the 6 items you will need to get off to a good start:

1) Buy the Grade 2 ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) Violin Exam Pieces Book. Make sure it is from the 2012-2015 syllabus, that it includes a score, violin part and a CD (it has a blue cover).

2) Buy the Grade 2 ABRSM Scales & Arpeggios Book from 2012 (green cover).

3) Buy the Grade 1-5 ABRSM Violin Specimen Sight-Reading Tests from 2012 (light blue cover). You may already have this for grade 1.

4) Perhaps buy the Grade 1-3 ABRSM Specimen Aural Tests, New Edition from2011 (brown and orange cover). Make sure it includes 2 cds. Your school will prepare you for this, but I would recommend doing work on this at home. For other alternatives see my handout The Low Down on the ABRSM Grade Exams.

5) If you do not already have it, please buy Fiddle Time Runners, written by Kathy & David Blackwell & published by Oxford University Press. This follows on from the previous book you have been using, Fiddle Time Joggers.

6) A Tuneful Introduction to Third Position by Neil MacKay, published by Stainer & Bell. Listen to all of the CDs and write down your favourite 2 pieces in each list, in order of preference. There are 3 lists, A, B, and C. As you will see from the index at the front of the book there are 6 pieces in each list to choose from. Once you have chosen we will discuss and make our final 3 choices, one piece from each list. Fill in the list below: List A 1 ___________________________________________________________ 2 ___________________________________________________________ List B 1 ___________________________________________________________ 2 ___________________________________________________________ List C 1 ___________________________________________________________ 2 ___________________________________________________________ Listen to them repeatedly, following your sheet music at the same time.


Try to memorize the melody. How many little details in the music can you notice such as any crescendos and diminuendos, dynamics, unusual rhythms, staccato notes, legato notes, slurred notes, separate notes? The more of these little details that you can include when you come to perform, the better. The examiner will be looking out to see if you noticed them. It gives you such a sense of achievement to achieve your grade exams. It will be a lot of fun, but at times you may find it frustrating. At times like this you will need patience, perseverance, and discipline. You will get through. I have taught hundreds of students that have made the journey all the way to grade 8 and were so glad that they did. I am really looking forward to continuing this adventure with you!


An Aid to Sight Reading for Grade Two Violin (ABRSM) Crucial information for students and parents






Guidelines for Grade Two


Pulse An eight-bar piece in 4/4 or 3/4, or a six-bar piece in 2/4.

Notes/Pitches In D, A & G major & E natural minor.

Position/String In 1st position, now using G string.

Bowing All notes separately bowed, or with simple 2-note slurs.

Dynamics Simple dynamics (p, mp, mf, f) and hairpins (cresc/dim)

Note values The only note values used will be minims, crotchets, and quavers.

Rests The only rests will be crotchet rests, with the addition of dotted minim and minim rests.


Further guidelines: The sight-reading tests are without accompaniment. Candidates will be given a short interval of up to half a minute in which to look through and, if they wish, try out any part of the test before they are required to perform it for assessment. (Syllabus, page 7.) Sight-reading relies on two elements: 1 Observation When I think of observation I immediately associate this trait with the famous London detective, Sherlock Holmes. He was remarkable because he noticed little details that other people missed. Imagine that you are Sherlock Holmes looking for clues in the music that the examiner has given you that will help you to play it the way the composer intended it. It is helpful to be systematic when approaching sight reading and to think of the building blocks of music, such as the notes, rhythm, articulation, tempo and dynamics. Notes Look at the key signature. Remember that the sight reading will only be in one

key, D, A or G major or E natural minor. It is helpful to play these scales before you play the extract in order to familiarize yourself with the finger patterns you will use. The really good news is that you only use extended 2nd finger on any of the 4 strings, never close 2nd finger, but now you may be expected to play on the G string.

Rhythm/Tempo The extract will only include rhythms made up out of quavers, crotchets and

minims and there may be crotchet and now minim and dotted minim rests. Look over some of the examples in Specimen Sight Reading Tests to test that this is true. A useful exercise to help you gain confidence and fluency at changing from one note value to another is to set your metronome to crotchet = 90, establishing a pulse. Then ask someone to randomly call out a new note value. Can you change fluently from one note value to another smoothly, without hesitation? Examine the Time Signature. Remember it will only be in one of three time signatures: 2/4, 3/4, or 4/4, the same as Grade 1.

In order to work out what tempo or speed the music is to be played at it is

necessary to observe the tempo marking at the start of the extract. It may be in English, but it may also be in Italian. It is therefore necessary for you to learn the list of grade 1 Italian terms that are required for the grade 1 theory exam. A list of these can be found at www.quizlet.com. This is a superb site. Do a search for whatever Grade you are doing, eg, Grade 1 Italian Terms (no25). It will give you a list of all the Grade 1 Italian words that you need to learn and also some fun games to help you memorize them. Quizlet is primarily a flashcard website, so it gives you the option to make your own flashcards. You may get an extract which is marked Andante. Because you have learnt the words in Quizlet you know that Andante means at a walking pace. But how fast is that? You need to know how many beats per minute this is (BPM). You can find a comprehensive table at


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo. It tells us that Andante is 76 - 108 BPM. Use your metronome to hear the pulse. In time, you will get an accurate impression of the tempo of these terms. Make sure that you choose a realistic tempo. If the speed indicated is too fast for you, it would be better to play it a little slower, to give yourself more thinking time, than to play too quickly and sacrifice the fluency and detail.

Articulation/ Dynamics All notes separately bowed or now with simple 2-note slurs. For Grade 1 they only used 3 dynamic markings for grade 1; p (piano) = softly, mf

(mezzo forte) = moderately loud, f (forte) = loud. For grade 1 they have added mp (mezzo piano) = moderately soft; hairpins (cresc/dim). Some examples maintain the same dynamic all the way through. Some extracts vary the dynamics. The golden rule is to exaggerate the dynamic changes. Also, ask yourself how wide is your dynamic range? Practice playing at each dynamic level. Make your pianos quieter and your fortes louder. Be more extreme.

2 Execution



You will get up to half a minute to prepare yourself before you have to play use this time wisely.


Do this consistently with each sight reading extract that you practice at home. In time you will get faster and better skilled.



Mr. Heron


Bb major arpeggio, separate bows only, (two octaves, quaver = 116)

Grade 2 ABRSM Violin Scale Flash Cards

Bb major scale, separate bows (two octaves, crotchet = 58)


Bb major scale, slurred bows (two octaves, quaver = 116)


C major arpeggio, separate bows only (one quaver, quaver = 116)


C major scale, separate bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


C major scale, slurred bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


D minor arpeggio, separate bows (one octave, quaver = 116)


D minor harmonic scale, separate bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


D minor harmonic scale, slurred bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


D minor melodic scale, separate bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)



D minor melodic scale, slurred bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


D minor natural scale, separate bows (two octaves, crotchet = 58)


D minor natural scale, slurred bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


F major arpeggio, separate bows only (one octave, quaver = 116)


F Major scale, separate bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


F major scale, slurred bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


G major arpeggio, separate bows (2 octaves, quaver = 116)


G major scale, separate bows (two octaves, crotchet = 58)


G major scale, slurred bows (two octaves, crotchet = 58)


G minor arpeggio, separate bows (one octave, quaver = 116)



G minor harmonic scale, separate bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


G minor harmonic scale, slurred bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


G minor melodic scale, separate bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


G minor melodic scale, slurred bows (one octave, crotchet = 58)


G minor natural scale, separate bows (two octaves, crotchet = 58)


G minor natural scale, slurred bows (two octaves, crotchet = 58)


A major arpeggio, separate bows only (two octaves, quaver = 116)


A major scale, separate bows (two octaves, crotchet = 58)


A major scale, slurred bows (two octaves, crotchet = 58)



Grade 3 ABRSM Violin Shopping List Congratulations on having completed your grade 2 exam! You can now see that with regular practice over the course of over a year or so, you can really make excellent progress. It is now time to jump to the next stepping stone and start work for your grade 3 exam. I would hope that we would not be sitting the exam in approximately 1 year. Here is a shopping list of the 5 items you will need to get off to a good start: 1) Buy the Grade 3 ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) Violin Exam Pieces

Book. Make sure it is from the 2012-2015 syllabus, that it includes a score, violin part and a CD (it has a blue cover).

2) Buy the Grade 3 ABRSM Scales & Arpeggios Book from 2012 green cover). 3) Buy the Grade 1-5 ABRSM Violin Specimen Sight-Reading Tests from 2012 (light blue cover).

You may already have this for grade 1 & 2. 4) Perhaps buy the Grade 1-3 ABRSM Specimen Aural Tests, New Edition from2011 (brown

and orange cover). Make sure it includes 2 cds. Your school will prepare you for this, but I would recommend doing work on this at home. For other alternatives see my handout The Low Down on the ABRSM Grade Exams.

5) If you do not already have it, please buy Fiddle Time Sprinters, written by Kathy & David

Blackwell & published by Oxford University Press. This follows on from the previous book you have been using, Fiddle Time Runners.

Listen to all of the CDs and write down your favourite 2 pieces in each list, in order of preference. There are 3 lists, A, B, and C. As you will see from the index at the front of the book there are 6 pieces in each list to choose from. Once you have chosen we will discuss and make our final 3 choices, one piece from each list. Fill in the list below: List A 1 ___________________________________________________________ 2 ___________________________________________________________ List B 1 ___________________________________________________________ 2 ___________________________________________________________ List C 1 ___________________________________________________________ 2 ___________________________________________________________ Listen to them repeatedly, following your sheet music at the same time.


Try to memorize the melody. How many little details in the music can you notice such as any crescendos and diminuendos, dynamics, unusual rhythms, staccato notes, legato notes, slurred notes, separate notes? The more of these little details that you can include when you come to perform, the better. The examiner will be looking out to see if you noticed them. It gives you such a sense of achievement to achieve your grade exams. It will be a lot of fun, but at times you may find it frustrating. At times like this you will need patience, perseverance, and discipline. You will get through. I have taught hundreds of students that have made the journey and were so glad that they did. I am really looking forward to starting this adventure with you!


An Aid to Sight Reading for Grade Three Violin (ABRSM) Crucial information for students and parents






Guidelines for Grade Three


Pulse An eight-bar piece in 4/4 or 3/4, or a six-bar piece in 2/4.

Notes/Pitches In D, A & G, C, F, Bb majors, & A, D, G & E natural minors. Occasional accidentals (within minor keys only).

Position/String Further use of 1st position, with use of the G string.

Bowing All notes separately bowed, or with simple two-note slurs. Increasing use of slurs.

Dynamics Simple dynamics (p, mp, mf, f), and hairpins (cresc./dim.). Increasing use of dynamics.

Note values The only note values used will be minims, crotchets, quavers, now with dotted rhythms, semiquavers. Ties may be encountered.

Rests The only rests will be crotchet rests, with the addition of dotted minim, and minim rests. Increasing use of rests.

Articulation Pizzicato (at end of piece only) and staccato may be included.


Further guidelines: The sight-reading tests are without accompaniment. Candidates will be given a short interval of up to half a minute in which to look through and, if they wish, try out any part of the test before they are required to perform it for assessment. (Syllabus, page 7.) Sight-reading relies on two elements: 1) Observation When I think of observation I immediately associate this trait with the famous London detective, Sherlock Holmes. He was remarkable because he noticed little details that other people missed. Imagine that you are Sherlock Holmes looking for clues in the music that the examiner has given you that will help you to play it the way the composer intended it. It is helpful to be systematic when approaching sight reading and to think of the building blocks of music, such as the notes, rhythm, articulation, tempo and dynamics. Notes Look at the key signature. Remember that the sight reading will only be in one of

these keys, D, A, or G major, or E natural minor. It is helpful to play these scales before you play the extract in order to familiarize yourself with the finger patterns you will use. The really good news is that you only use extended 2nd finger on any of the 4 strings, never close 2nd finger, but now you may be expected to play on the G string.

Rhythm/Tempo The extract will only include rhythms made up out of quavers, crotchets, and

minims, and there may be crotchet and now minim and dotted minim rests. Look over some of the examples in Specimen Sight Reading Tests to test that this is true. A useful exercise to help you gain confidence and fluency at changing from one note value to another is to set your metronome to crotchet=90, establishing a pulse. Then ask someone to randomly call out a new note value. Can you change fluently from one note value to another smoothly, without hesitation? Examine the Time Signature. Remember it will only be in one of three time signatures: 2/4, 3/4, or 4/4, the same as grade 1.

In order to work out what tempo or speed the music is to be played at it is

necessary to observe the tempo marking at the start of the extract. It may be in English, but it may also be in Italian. It is therefore necessary for you to learn the list of grade 1 Italian terms that are required for the grade 1 theory exam. A list of these can be found at www.quizlet.com. This is a superb site. Do a search for whatever Grade you are doing e.g. Grade 1 Italian Terms (no25). It will give you a list of all the Grade 1 Italian words that you need to learn and also some fun games to help you memorize them. Quizlet is primarily a flashcard website, so it gives you the option to make your own flashcards. You may get an extract which is marked Andante. Because you have learnt the words in Quizlet you know that Andante means at a walking pace. But how fast is that? You need to know how many beats for minute this is (BPM). You can find a comprehensive table at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo. It tells us that Andante is 76-108 BPM. Use


your metronome to hear the pulse. In time, you will get an accurate impression of the tempo of these terms. Make sure that you choose a realistic tempo. If the speed indicated is too fast for you, it would be better to play it a little slower, to give yourself more thinking time, than to play too quickly and sacrifice the fluency and detail.

Articulation/ Dynamics All notes separately bowed, or now with simple two-note slurs. For Grade 1 they only used 3 dynamic markings for grade 1; p (piano) = softly, mf

(mezzo forte) = moderately loud, f (forte) = loud. For grade 2 they have added mp (mezzo piano) = moderately soft; hairpins (cresc./dim.). Some examples maintain the same dynamic all the way through. Some extracts vary the dynamics. The golden rule is to exaggerate the dynamics. Make it crystal clear to the examiner that you have noticed the dynamic changes. Also, ask yourself how wide is your dynamic range? Practice playing at each dynamic level. Make your pianos quieter and your fortes louder. Be more extreme.

2) Execution



You will get up to half a minute to prepare yourself before you have to play -use this time wisely.


Do this consistently with each sight-reading extract that you practice at home. In time you will get faster and better skilled.



Mr. Heron


E major arpeggio, slurred bows (one octave, dotted crotchet = 40)


E major scale, separate bows (one octave, crotchet = 63)


E major scale, slurred bows (one octave, crotchet = 63)


Eb major arpeggio, separate bows (one octave, dotted crotchet = 40)


Eb major arpeggio, slurred bows (one octave, dotted crotchet = 40)


Eb major scale, separate bows (one octave, crotchet = 63)


Eb major scale, slurred bows (one octave, crotchet = 63)


A minor arpeggio, separate bows (two octaves, dotted crotchet = 40)


A minor arpeggio, slurred bows (two octaves, dotted crotchet = 40)


A minor harmonic minor scale, separate bows (two octaves,

crotchet = 63)



D major arpeggio, slurred bows (two octaves, dotted crotchet = 40)


D major scale, separate bows (two octaves, crotchet = 63)


D major scale, slurred bows (two octaves, crotchet = 63)


D minor arpeggio, separate bows (two octaves, dotted crotchet = 40)


D minor arpeggio, slurred bows (two octaves, dotted crotchet = 40)


D minor harmonic minor scale, separate bows

(two octaves, crotchet = 63)


D minor harmonic minor scale, slurred bows



D minor melodic minor scale, separate bows (two octaves,

crotchet = 63)


D minor melodic minor scale, slurred bows



E major arpeggio, separate bows, dotted crotchet = 40



Ab major arpeggio, separate bows (one octave, dotted crotchet = 40)


Ab major arpeggio, slurred bows (one octave, dotted crotchet = 40)


Ab major scale, separate bows (one octave, crotchet = 63)


Ab major scale, slurred bows (one octave, crotchet = 63)


Bb major arpeggio, separate bows (two octaves, dotted crotchet = 40)


Bb major arpeggio, slurred bows (two octaves, dotted crotchet = 40)


Bb major scale, separate bows (two octaves, crotchet = 63)


Bb major scale, slurred bows (two octaves, crotchet = 63)


Chromatic scale, starting on D (one octave, crotchet = 63,

separate bows only)


D major arpeggio, separate bows (two octaves, dotted crotchet = 40)



A minor harmonic minor scale, slurred bows (two octaves,

crotchet = 63)


A minor melodic minor scale, separate bows (two octaves,

crotchet = 63)


A minor melodic minor scale, slurred bows (two octaves,

crotchet = 63)



Advanced Students The Art of Practising

Tuning is the number 1 difficulty in playing the violin! The general principle is try to practice playing (percentage wise) more correctly, rather than your mistakes. If you make a tuning mistake or play a wrong note, stop and fix it, and then move on. Dont be tempted to play too fast. Go slowly enough so that you can catch any mistake you may make. It is like putting a bandage on it. In time, with consistent correct repetition you will train yourself to play more in tune, more of the time, as your muscles remember where they were placed. It is a scientific fact! When you start practicing in this way it feels like you are moving really slowly, but be patient. You will get faster at it and build really good foundations for your tuning. You are going through the gradual process of sharpening your ear. You cant run before you can walk!

Practice Formula Stage 1 If you have a cd recording of the music you are practicing, listen to it repeatedly in order to get the tune into your ear. Ask yourself do you know it well enough to be able to sing it? Your knowledge needs to be 100%. If possible, follow the score at the same time as listening to reinforce your learning. A good knowledge of the melody will help you to detect any wrong notes or tuning mistakes all the quicker. Stage 2 Now work through the whole piece of music very slowly on your violin, one note at a time, all the way through. Use a loose sense of rhythm. Listen very carefully to your tuning. Play with a full, sustained, solid, boring tone, so that you can hear what you are playing clearly. You are going through the process of sharpening your ear. How quickly can you detect tuning anomalies and fix them on the spot? Professional players do not play in tune all of the time, but they are ultra-fast at detecting faults and adjusting before anyone else has time to register them. Your ear is like the navigation computer of a guided missile, guiding your finger towards the target.


Go back and forward over any shifts along the way. Practice the chaos notes to realign you in whatever position you are in to avoid drifting out of the centre of the tonality. Use Spocks. Compare your tuning to the piano or keyboard. Practice bar by bar, phrase by phrase, until you have covered the entire piece. Gradually join the bars and phrases together, like putting pieces of a jigsaw together. Once you have decided on the fingering, be consistent. Every piece has one or two tricky bits, which I circle in the part as DANGER areas. Go over and over theses bars until they are fluent. Stage 3 You now need to increase your fluency. The best tool for this is a metronome. Initially set it to a relatively slow tempo. Work through the piece in sections at this speed. Gradually connect the sections and aim to go from start to finish continually without any stops. Once you feel confident at this tempo, increase the tempo by increments of 10 until you are playing faster than the correct tempo of the piece. When you play the correct tempo, it will feel relaxed, and even slow! You will achieve a real sense of control as you reinforce your muscle memory. Stage 4 Eventually add other aspects of the music such as articulation, dynamics, expression, etc, one by one. Layering your practice like this enables you to simultaneously combine the musical elements in conjunction with the other, making it possible to multitask successfully.

Violin Survival Kit

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Transcript of Violin Survival Kit