Practice checklists - Soundpost Studio

Comprehensive Beginner Violin Skills List

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Comments Skills Basic

Student Name

Basic Violin Skills

Proper bow hold, (try some bow exercises to test your comfort)
Correct posture (neck straight, and violin like a table)
Can you go from rest position to holding the violin on your shoulder without needing your hand?
Left Hand finger placement on the correct tapes, with good finger angles. (Typewriter fingers and keep your wrist straight!)
Playing open strings with full bow, keeping bow parallel to the bridge.
With tapes on your bow, dividing it into 3rds, play the twinkle rhythms, (like mississippi hot dog),using the full middle 3rd of the bow.
Then play this with a metronome at a slow tempo. Or find a youtube video of someone playing it and play along with them.
Reading music, can you recognise the notes on the A and E string? Match the finger on the string with the note on the page.
If you have accomplished all of this, look up a youtube video to teach you a rhythm you haven’t learned yet.

Select all the skills you worked on today!

Additional Comments

Which skills do you need to spend more time on? Which come easily? Do you have any questions or ideas on how to improve some skills?

For After-School Violin-Class, or anyone!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

What are your goals on the violin? (Long term or short term, you can choose what to think about today.)

It is good to remind yourself regularly, so that you can practice with that focus in mind. This is not necessary to answer every day, but whenever you feel like it.

the term, extra

What aspects of playing do you want to improve the most right now?

Do some arm circles and then write down how many you did in each direction.

Basics of music – check the first one you would like to work on today.

Note and Sight Reading
Playing by ear
Practice something you know

How relaxed were your arms and hands while playing? Were you holding onto any extra tension that you can let go of?

Selected Value: 0

0 is the most relaxed, because all the tension is gone.

Next steps:

Record yourself improvising
Record yourself playing a section of the piece you know
Play something by memory and watch yourself in the mirror for the correct form and technique.
Find a youtube video of someone playing the piece you are working on (easiest with the Suzuki pieces) and play along. Or just listen first for inspiration. You can record yourself playing along, so you can reveiw it in the next step.

Choose one each day, or more than one if you have time.

Listen back to your recordings after several days of practice and notice your improvement!

Do you have any comments, things you like, things you still want to improve? Listen as though you are the teacher and figure out what your next step is to improve your playing. And enjoy all your hard work you have done so far!

Questions

Did you come up with any unanswered questions that you want to remember to ask in class next time?

Name

First

Last

Leave your name and email if you want me to know, but this is mainly for your benefit so it is not necessary.

Email

Big Picture Check-In

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

What are your long-term musical goals?

What do you imagine doing with music in 5, 10 or 15 years? What role do you think music might have in your life? Would you like to be playing in orchestras? Getting together with friends to make music? Using your skills to compose pieces?

Of all the things you are working on this week, which is the most important to you in relation to your goals?

Are you focused on beautiful tone, ease with your left hand, being able to read music better, etc?

What areas are you focusing on for today's practice?

Basically, make your own practice checklist right here. Then, go and do it! And come back to finish the rest of the questions…. See you soon!!

Do for this

Reflect on your practice session. What progress did you make?

In what sections or aspects of playing feel easy to you?

What could you improve in your next practice session?

What areas still feel difficult? Do you have ideas about how you could turn these into “easy” sections? What can you learn from yourself in the sections you do well? Can you break down the harder parts into smaller sections or play them more slowly so that they feel easy?

Do you want to try that now, before you stop for the day?

If so, how did it go?

A simple general checklist for a practice session (all levels)

More of an after-practice diary entry..

Detailed Micro-Managed Practice checklist (geared towards older or more advanced students)

Very Beginning Practice Checklist