I just finished another piece for beginning string orchestra. Right now, you can download this music FREE since I'm not famous. :) Y...
This etude for string orchestra is in the key of D and focuses on slurs on the D and A strings for violin, viola and cello and the D and G strings for bass.Includes al parts and score.For More Music ResourcesFollow My Store...
I'm always on the lookout for trinkets to use in my classes to help students learn position and to keep the class fun. I had a colleague on...
Fill up some spare time with this fun Orchestra Word Scramble! Featuring twelve vocabulary words for your Orchestra or General Music students! ...
Resources for an elementary orchestra classroom.
My beginners are learning to play in the key of G major and it can be a real struggle to get a good C natural with a high F sharp. We are learning 'Fiddles on Fire' where there are a lot of C naturals and they have been out of tune! I found some tiny fine-mist spray bottles at Hobby Lobby and quickly made labels to create 100% Genuine C# Repellent. I also bought some silly string and didn't have time to make labels, but I told students the silly string was the 'heavy duty' version of intonation repellent. Here's how it went in rehearsal....I told students I invented a new product that would cure their intonation struggles. C# repellent - (just tap water!) I tasked students with playing a few measures from Fiddles on Fire while making sure they played accurate C naturals in the passage. I sprayed students who felt they needed the repellent. My spray bottles had such a fine mist...I sprayed students if they wanted some on their left hand, or their face, or in their mouths if they wanted. I also used it as a room mist and sprayed it around the room...just to be sure we were all clear of C sharps. It helped students remember to watch for C naturals and listen to each other to match pitch. My students immediately played so much better in tune! I joked that I would have get out the 'heavy duty' intonation spray if things got really bad. I used silly string for my heavy duty spray - and students WANTED to get sprayed. I 'fixed' a few students and we laughed together and got back to work. It was a fun way to keep students motivated and help clear up intonation issues in our music.
Many method books have a limited rote section. This resource is to be used to supplement your current method book. This resource provides many exercises to help students gain confidence and develop important skills before diving into the method book. This book provides a strong foundation in basic rhythm - which will help students learn faster once they begin learning notes. I have used several different method books over my 11 years teaching orchestra. Some books have just a page or two dedicated to rote playing, while others have more. During the first weeks of playing it is essential to establish excellent technique. Playing by rote for several weeks will help students focus on maintaining proper playing position and solid intonation. A rote approach helps students develop good playing habits before having to add another skill such as note-reading. I believe students who start by rote are able to achieve better intonation, tone and position. These pages will help students establish a solid foundation in: * Basic rhythm/couning * Notes on the D string and A string (G string for basses) * Careful intonation * Tunnel fingers * Finger hops * Bow direction * Bow lifts * Tone * Bonus bass page to teach shifting on the G string 14 page rote unit with parts for violin, viola, cello and bass - 62 pages total. This resource does not include a teacher manual. For detailed lesson plans to help build proper position, check out my resource called 'The True Beginning: Before the Method Book."
This is a 43 page workbook designed to help beginning orchestra students in middle school/junior high to learn the clef, staff, and notes. Students learn how to draw notes and musical symbols and there are pages to teach notes on the D and A strings for violin, viola, cello and bass. You can print...
These books are designed to be used for beginning solo violin, viola, or cello, or for beginning string orchestra (or string quartet) with piano accompaniment. The parts are simple and well suited to beginning note readers. This is an exciting collection of hymns which note readers young and old can enjoy. Each book contains orchestra parts and additional solo arrangements for that instrument. Complete scores are also available for full string orchestra leaders. 20 hymns. The Piano Accompaniment book is necessary for accompanying solo instruments or orchestra.
This is a free resource to get your beginning string program off to a good and organized start. This has been principal approved and used for my beginning string orchestra. It is in word document form so that you can revise to your school orchestra needs. Also, cover makes a good poster to promot...
It's no secret; I am a fan of tech in education! Here are my favorite apps for beginning band and orchestra.
For this fall, I played on the words "take part" as an opportunity to display instrument and bow parts. I don't mind puns when I can use them as a learning opportunity :) And a special thanks to my mom who came up with the phrase...I knew I wanted to do something with instrument parts, but couldn't think of a good back-to-school phrase. My mom and I used the overhead projector to trace the instruments onto poster board, and then I outlined them in permanent marker and filled them in with water colors. On the bulletin board itself, I stapled black yarn to connect each instrument part to its label. I really like how this one turned out! Now as students in all grade levels are walking to and from music class, they might pick up a few new vocabulary words and have a greater appreciation for all that orchestra students are learning about next door in orchestra. List of instrument parts (Google doc)
Learning how to properly hold a bow is crucial for beginners. It takes time, patience, attention to detail, and good fine motor skills. Students are more likely to focus on the details and work to master bow holds when it is FUN! Here are a few ways to make learning bow holds fun: 1. Have a 'Frog Appreciation Day.' My students learn bow holds using straws on the first day of school. Moving up to a real bow is a big deal! You can make it extra exciting by highlighting the day as a celebration. I designed a serious of 'Frog' posters and included them on a google slide presentation that helps teach students some bow basics: parts of the bow, how to care for a bow, bow hold, bow exercises, open string cycle. These slides contain a series of 6 activities students to celebrate 'Frog Appreciation Day.' You can download the presentation HERE ..adjust the wording on the slides to fit your own teaching style. You can use the images on the slides for a fun set of classroom posters. 2. Bow Hold Olympics String players have much to think about while playing. I've found it very helpful to isolate bow skills by having a 'Bow Hold Olympics' while students are learning to master bow holds. This involves one entire class period practicing only bow skills. I clean up all chairs and stands and students spread out to complete various Olympic events. The open space allows me to freely walk through the group and help students are need to make bow hold adjustments. You can design you own Olympic bowing events, or use my slides HERE. 8 total event challenges are included with descriptions on each slide - 22 slides total. Some challenges require teams for relay-type events while other events are individual.
Last year, I noticed I was getting in a bit of a 'warm-up rut.' I kept doing the same old warm-up routine and was needing some variety. ...
Tired of Twinkles? Here's a great first-ensemble piece for your beginners. This piece is very simple, grade .5 with the following skills: quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, Notes: D, E, F#, G, A. Violin and viola sections play in unison and cello/bass play in unison. This makes the piece quick to put together. Let students experiment and decide on dynamics. Parts included: Score, Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass. Listen here. TPT Link HERE
I just finished another piece for beginning string orchestra. Right now, you can download this music FREE since I'm not famous. :) Y...
D String Rock is a composition for beginning violin, viola and cello students that only utilizes 4 notes - D, E, Fsharp and G and is easy enough to be performed at your first concert. A great piece for introducing eighth notes, D String Rock is fun to play and students love to practice it at home. ...
I've been posting some ideas and things I do during the last couple of weeks of school. This is a final exam that I created for my beginning orchestra to go along with the SLO (Student Learning Objective) I have been working on all year. At the beginning of the school year, I gave students a pre-assessment on rhythm to determine their level of ability, then I divided the class into high level learners, middle-level, and lower-level learners. By the end of the school year, I wanted every student in my class to reach proficiency (writing, labeling, and performing) on whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, dotted quarters, and corresponding rests. This final exam helped me to determine their final level of proficiency. In one of my beginning classes, every student passed the test and I was feeling good, but then in my other beginning class, I had 4 or 5 students fail the test and I felt like I failed. I still need to work on differentiation to reach the kids who really struggle. Students worked on this exam while I held a playing test on the rhythms at the bottom of the page. For the playing test, I listened to each student individually and I let them choose 2 out of the 3 rhythms to perform. They were sight-reading these rhythms, but the last students to perform did have an advantage after hearing the rhythms performed previously. This is the 2nd page of the exam. I wanted to be sure that all beginning students knew these basics about fingering and they did very well.
Looking for a fun way to help your beginning orchestra students practice note identification? These color by note sheets are the perfect way to keep young orchestra students engaged while practicing some of their very first notes. Spiderman Color by Note Print + GO worksheets includes the open D and open A for violin, viola, cello and bass (Treble, Alto, and Bass Clefs). An easy no prep, print and go, activity for review, reinforcement, or substitute plans! Resource includes a color by note sheet for each instrument-Violin, Viola, Cello and Bass using Open D and Open A. *This is a DIGITAL FILE. No physical item will be shipped to you. *This download is for personal use only. Commercial use and distribution is prohibited. *Instantly download DIGITAL PDF file once payment is confirmed with ETSY. Because there are no refunds, cancellations, or exchanges (due to the nature of the product), please ask questions before purchasing and let me know if there is a problem with the file. I will do my best to correct the problem. Your feedback/rating is always greatly appreciated!
When I was little, I lived in Terrington St. Clement in England and I have fond memories of gathering with all of the students at my little school and singing songs together. My favorite song was 'Lord of the Dance' - which is the same tune as 'Simple Gifts.' That is why I picked that tune for some easy beginning orchestra arrangements. I just completed 2 versions - one is easy, and the other is even easier. Last week, I had my advanced orchestra sightread this little piece, and it sounded pretty good - it worked really well for a sight-reading activity. You can find the score and parts for these arrangements totally FREE at my website: www.orchestraclassroom.com. Here is a sample of the 'harder' version: And this is the really simplified version:
One of the unique things about teaching orchestra is that you create your own curriculum. This is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because you can tailor your lessons and assessments to your teaching style and your program needs. A curse because it takes A LOT of time to develop. That is why I am sharing my Beginning Orchestra curriculum with you! Of course, we perform separate repertoire at concerts, but I structure the flow of the year around getting through Book 1, so my musicians are ready for Book 2 the following year. BONUS: Your principal will LOVE the clarity and student-ownership of this assessment curriculum! This curriculum includes: Instructions for creating my Karate-Style "Bow Belts" progress-tracking materials. How I run my weekly playing quizzes. Which songs I have carefully selected to provide an overview of the techniques to be mastered in Essential Elements Book 1 over the course of the year. My separation of these songs into Karate-Style Levels for students to earn "Bow Belts." ***My favorite resource for Virtual Learning Playing Quizzes is FlipGrid!
It's no secret; I am a fan of tech in education! Here are my favorite apps for beginning band and orchestra.
Beginners can play in tune. Really...they can. And they WANT to play in tune. No one wants to sound bad. I learned this while studying the Suzuki method as my son (age 4) began his violin lessons. He was taught to place his fingers perfectly and he wasn't to pull his bow until his fingers were set. That means, we had to pause after every 'tukka tukka stop stop' to place the next note before pulling the bow again. With this careful practice, my son never had the chance to play out of tune. Soon enough, he developed the muscle memory to land his fingers in tune add we no longer had to pause between pitch changes. In a beginning orchestra setting, we may not be able to physically check and move each student's finger to the right place, but we can use tapes for a guide. Students in a classroom are older, anyway...and they need to learn how to monitor their own playing. When students are struggling to get pitches in tune, I have found it helpful to step back and use the Suzuki strategy. Set. pull, listen. Does it match - is it in tune? Recently, I did a warm-up with my beginning orchestra class and it helped their overall intonation so much that I started doing it with all of my groups. We often warm-up with finger patterns and scales...this is just a new way to approach the patterns. We drilled only 3 notes at a time. In my experience, students are most often out of tune when playing half steps. This little drill helped students fix those intervals and they performed with better intonation through the entire rehearsal after playing it. I don't have students read the sheet music for warm ups because I want all of their focus to be on their fingers, half steps, intonation, tone, bow placement. etc. They easily pick up on this simple warm-up by rote. The other thing I have learned about beginners and intonation is that they sound a lot better when I tune them! This is pretty obvious, but I used to not tune them very carefully. I have 50 students to tune in each of my beginning class, so I'm in a hurry...I tune them all in 5 minutes or less. With tuner blaring, I used to tune via pizzicato. Then, after nagging my class to fix their intonation, I noticed that their D's and A's didn't match...and I had tuned them! I learned that I am not very good at tuning accurately when I use pizz. Now, I tune every kid's instrument using my bow...and wow...what a difference. You students just might be playing better than you think. Every now and then, I even tune my advanced class...just to make sure their instruments are perfectly in tune before we focus a rehearsal on intonation.
Etling's Solo Time for Strings emphasizes individual skill and accomplishment to prepare students to be a solid participant in a string orchestra. Focus is put on reading and playing melodies - the method introduces Twinkle immediately at the beginning of Book 1 and progresses to Vivaldi by Book 5. Enjoyable and challenging solos are used to teach technique and illustrate theory throughout the series. While intended for use in a string orchestra, this method is also excellent for individual study.For Cello, Book 1. Published by Alfred Music.Difficulty: Apprentice Rating 1
Beginning Orchestra is HARD to teach (but LOTS of fun). This bundle includes resources I actually use each year to increase the "fun factor" of teaching Beginning Orchestra, and decrease the "stress factor." Included in this bundle: Orchestra Warm Up Routines Packet (Lucky you! This also has my Intermediate and Advanced Orchestra Tuning and Warm Up Routines!) Beginning Orchestra D Major Scale Note Races Living Room Orchestra Concert Assignment Beginning Orchestra Instrument Selection Form How to have AWESOME Violin/Viola Positioning (10-Minute VIDEO LESSON!) 4 Ways to Make a Beautiful Bow Hand (15-Minute VIDEO LESSON)
Do you know what we need more of in this world? Very easy beginning orchestra music. Real music beginners can play that is easier than grade 1. Music with simple rhythms and only a few note choices. I just finished NIGHT QUEST. This piece features very simple rhythms and uses only 6 notes: D, E, F# G, A, B . It's quick for beginners to learn because of the repeating phrases between the violin/viola and cello/bass part. Students and learn similar sections in unison, then put it all together. Here's the audio file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d14ImMYZ_KebR7hDXDq8nQNdJ4yHCHwI/view?usp=sharing
It's no secret; I am a fan of tech in education! Here are my favorite apps for beginning band and orchestra.
Bow games are a big part of my daily routine in beginning orchestra and I have students do bow games every day for many months. That means that I need to keep bow games interesting so that students don't get bored with doing them. At the start of the year, students are in a new school as 7th graders and they tend to be extra quiet and a little reserved. I want them to bond in my class and start making friends in orchestra as soon as possible. This is one bow game that really helps students have fun together and start opening up. It may be a little roudy for some teachers out there, but I absolutely love it and my students beg to play it over and over. It's great for making your orchestra class FUN! First, I give every student a penny and I have them balance it on their bent thumb. The whole point of this exercise is for students to focus on their thumb as they hold the bow and help them remember that the thumb must stay bent. I have students do all of the regular bow exercises with the penny on their thumb...stir the mush, circle face, arm wave (you can read about all of those on my previous post about bow games). Students try to do all of the exercises without dropping the penny and they start getting just a tad competitive to see who can keep the penny on their thumb the longest. When we get to the elevator bow exercise (holding the bow horizonally and moving it up and down), students put the penny on top of their hand. This is so important for the students to know...that they must keep fingers bent while hold the bow so that the hand is flat! Now to my favorite part. We play a game called Sabotage. When the weather is good, we go outside and spread out. Each student balances the penny and they all run about with their bow and penny and try to knock the penny off of other people's thumbs. The rules are that students may not use their left hand and they must maintain a proper bow hold the entire time. When the penny falls off, they are out and must stand on the side to watch. We play until there is one person left and then the students all beg to do it again. If it's too crazy, you could make another rule...no running. Students really bond during this game and it gets the class lively and fun. So far, I have never had a bow break or anything. I have also used Sabotage as a small classroom game. It works in Minute to Win It as 4 to 6 students compete against each other for one minute.
Renowned pedagogue Shirley Givens' series for beginning violinists is widely respected for its clear, child-friendly format, and its sensible progression through techniques. There are lots of pictures, fun and familiar songs, and even pages for coloring! Ms.Givens uses a "Movable Do" system to teach pitch relationships and good intonation. Recommended for very young children. Book 2C, Meet Vibby Vibrato, teaches vibrato step-by-step with many songs and exercises. First, posture and violin hold are reviewed. Vibrato is begun in 4th Position; next, the student moves to 3rd Position with the help of a partner. Finally, vibrato is learned in 1st Position - again, first with a partner. The Violinland character "Vibby Vibrato" is the cheerful guide through the many fun violin exercises and songs. The young violinist earns a Vibrato Certificate at the end of the book. "Young children love the violin! It is small and huggable – and it makes sounds! How to nurture this initial enthusiasm for the instrument and to transform it into a deeper love of music is the object of my books." "Don't be misled by the seeming simplicity of the material! The books are written from a child's point of view while incorporating the most exacting standards of modern violin technique. But there are other important features of the books that contribute to their uniqueness: *The young student is encouraged to participate actively in his own learning by developing his own imagination. *There is discovery and improvisation. No imitation or copying from CDs. *Training the child's own pitch awareness from the start assures early in-tune playing. *Note reading and harmonic awareness from the beginning cultivate musical literacy for a lifetime. *A wonderful rhythmic foundation is established through body movement" - Shirley Givens
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This week, I created this document and had students self-assess their abilities. These are the things I want my students to master right aw...
Bow games are a big part of my daily routine in beginning orchestra and I have students do bow games every day for many months. That means that I need to keep bow games interesting so that students don't get bored with doing them. At the start of the year, students are in a new school as 7th graders and they tend to be extra quiet and a little reserved. I want them to bond in my class and start making friends in orchestra as soon as possible. This is one bow game that really helps students have fun together and start opening up. It may be a little roudy for some teachers out there, but I absolutely love it and my students beg to play it over and over. It's great for making your orchestra class FUN! First, I give every student a penny and I have them balance it on their bent thumb. The whole point of this exercise is for students to focus on their thumb as they hold the bow and help them remember that the thumb must stay bent. I have students do all of the regular bow exercises with the penny on their thumb...stir the mush, circle face, arm wave (you can read about all of those on my previous post about bow games). Students try to do all of the exercises without dropping the penny and they start getting just a tad competitive to see who can keep the penny on their thumb the longest. When we get to the elevator bow exercise (holding the bow horizonally and moving it up and down), students put the penny on top of their hand. This is so important for the students to know...that they must keep fingers bent while hold the bow so that the hand is flat! Now to my favorite part. We play a game called Sabotage. When the weather is good, we go outside and spread out. Each student balances the penny and they all run about with their bow and penny and try to knock the penny off of other people's thumbs. The rules are that students may not use their left hand and they must maintain a proper bow hold the entire time. When the penny falls off, they are out and must stand on the side to watch. We play until there is one person left and then the students all beg to do it again. If it's too crazy, you could make another rule...no running. Students really bond during this game and it gets the class lively and fun. So far, I have never had a bow break or anything. I have also used Sabotage as a small classroom game. It works in Minute to Win It as 4 to 6 students compete against each other for one minute.
This downloadable, printable template is perfect to take to your child's music lesson to write down everything that is covered in the lesson as well as what needs to be covered in practice at home. Inspired by the notes my childhood violin teacher used to send home from my lessons, I've also included a daily practice check-off log to help remember which days your student practiced. The PDF is seven pages - the practice log of each sheet begins on a different day so you can choose the one that coordinates with your lesson day. The design is intentionally created in black and white to allow for lower cost/ease of black-and-white only printing, but we recommend printing on colored paper to make things fun for your student! Print single side or front and back, punch holes and pop them in a 3-ring binder or print a bunch and have them spiral bound at a local print shop/office supply store, and you'll have your own personal lesson/practice journal. Please note this is a digital product only. Sheet is identical to the photo shown except the words "In Theory Music" and "This space is blank. Purchase to remove watermark." are not included on the actual product. Returns & refunds are not accepted for this product. We appreciate your business!
Start off your school year without a hitch! Get this complete set of beginning orchestra worksheets to have your students developing their aural skills, learning about their instruments, musical notation, and vocabulary right away. This bundle includes all of our must-have beginner resources. What we’ve bundled: All instrument (violin, viola, cello, bass) Note-Naming Flashcards All instrument (violin, viola, cello, bass) Note-Naming Worksheets Pre-Book Orchestra Introduction Worksheets Beginner Orchestra Vocabulary Slides Ear Training with Intervals for Orchestra
Etling's Solo Time for Strings emphasizes individual skill and accomplishment to prepare students to be a solid participant in a string orchestra. Focus is put on reading and playing melodies - the method introduces Twinkle immediately at the beginning of Book 1 and progresses to Vivaldi by Book 5. Enjoyable and challenging solos are used to teach technique and illustrate theory throughout the series. While intended for use in a string orchestra, this method is also excellent for individual study.For Viola, Book 1. Published by Alfred Music.Difficulty: 1Click here to learn more about the Apprentice and ASTA Sheet Music Difficulty Ratings.
The sunny, Latin style shines brightly in this all-pizzicato piece. Easy rhythms on the D and A strings, back-and-forth melodies, and breezy tunes that pass between the sections make this a fantastic and fun selection that your ensemble will love to play. Also a great way to introduce simple dynamics, repeats, and mult
For printable student worksheets see this site: http://myorch.org/taxonomy/term/141 http://www.antioch34.com/webpages/dband/index.cfm?subpage=1173506 VIOLIN SCALES Botero: Still Life With Violin VIOLIN FINGERING CHART VIOLA SCALES The Viola Player by Thomas Hart Benton VIOLA FINGERING CHART http://www.get-tuned.com/viola.php Degas; The Violist (L'Altiste), 1880 CELLO SCALES Modigliani: The Cellist II CELLO FINGERING CHART http://ishideas.blogspot.com/2010/09/cello-playing-for-beginners-brief.html DOUBLE BASS SCALES http://electricdaybook.blogspot.com/ Louis Marcoussis: Interior with a Double Bass 1929 DOUBLE BASS FINGERING CHART http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-52761/Double-bass-and-bow Woman with a Double Bass by Suzanne Valadon, 1908 GUITAR SCALES "The Guitar Player " by Vermeer GUITAR CHORD CHART http://www.flupe.com/lessons/freeLessons/01_foundationLessons/ L02_MajorScale_1/major_scale_01.htm http://www.guitar-skill-builder.com/guitar-fretboard.html FLUTE SCALES "The Young Flute Player" by Judith Leyster FLUTE FINGERING CHART Bb CLARINET SCALES Pablo Picasso: Still Life with a Clarinet on a Table, 1911 Bb CLARINET FINGERING CHART SAXOPHONE SCALES Adolphe Sax: inventor of the Saxophone (1814-1894) SAXOPHONE FINGERING CHART Bb TRUMPET SCALES Michelangelo: Angels and Trumpets Bb TRUMPET FINGERING CHART TROMBONE-BARITONE SCALES TROMBONE SLIDE POSITION CHART BARITONE FINGERING CHART PERCUSSION SCALES TRANSPOSITION http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/madduci/3A/3A.htm TRANSPOSITION CHART A POEM ABOUT DOUBLE BASS INSTRUMENTS http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/stevereads/2010/05/people-of-note/ The men who have the saddest faces Are those who play the Double Basses Though deep in misery their cup They have to take it standing up, And sawing on a clothesline string They grunt and groan like anything. The orchestra’s last-line defense They also see the audience And, spying in the distant offing, They spot the man who does the coughing – The school girl in expectant dither – The wife who dragged her husband with her – The novice groping in a maze – The critic whittling out a phrase – And those who sleep – and those who snore Which makes them groan and grunt some more.
I posted earlier about a new book I was working on this summer called 'The True Beginning: Before the Method Book.' This turned out to be a huge and very time consuming project. I thought perhaps I could cover everything in 40 pages or so, but my final book is 97 pages! I am happy with how it has turned out and I hope it will be beneficial for teachers who would like some tips on helping beginners establish great postion and proper playing habits. The book contains 10 lessons to be taught before students begin their method books. Included are worksheets, techniques, tips, and music to help students learn playing position, bow hold, and left hand technique. I am especially excited about the 3 new beginning pieces that are included in the book that each contain 3 levels of ability. I believe these pieces will really help beginners stay motivated and have fun at the early stages of their skill development. You can purchase .pdf download of the book --or-- a .pdf PLUS a spiral bound hard copy at my store - www.orchestraclassroom.com Here are some sample pages:
