Students Only section

For Current Students

Here are some practice materials and guides. Please let me know what else would be helpful to put up here, and ask for any explanations that you need!

Big Picture Practice Form (to get you thinking!)

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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?
Are you focused on beautiful tone, ease with your left hand, being able to read music better, etc?
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!!
In what sections or aspects of playing feel easy to you?
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?
If so, how did it go?
Beginners Skills List
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Basic Violin Skills
Select all the skills you worked on today!
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?
First week or two of practice – checklist and demo videos:
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Date / Time
Selected Value: 0
Check the box of what you would like to do, and get a helpful reminder just below!
Now on to the violin
Bow on the violin exercises
Mississippi Hot Dog Practice
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Listen to the first piece

You should be able to find it on itunes, or other music apps, (the official Suzuki recordings of the Book 1 pieces), or you can find many people playing it on youtube, like this guy:

Improvise your own piece

Using everything you have learned so far. Even just open strings, pizzicato, or bowing on the bridge can be part of your piece. You can also sing while you play, (my kids liked to do this, and it is a great way to develop a natural relationship with playing the violin.)