WEEK 2: Playing Along With the CD

LISTENING

If you don't have a violin yet and are taking this class, you can still get your brain in gear by spending time listening to the CD EVERY DAY. Dr. Suzuki used to say, "only practice on the days that you eat."

Listening to the CD is considered part of practice, and you can do this passively (for example, put the CD on during dinner time, or while you're cleaning up your room, or while you're in the car).

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR VIOLIN

Please make sure you are prepared for next Monday's class by arriving with a properly-sized violin, shoulder rest, bow, case, rosin (those things should all come together if you're renting), and the book we are using in class, Step by Step 1A by Kerstin Wartberg. This book comes with a CD, which you will use for daily listening and practice.

You can practice a correct bow hold using a pencil or pen. Continue practicing the non-instrument exercises from last week. Listen to the CD daily.

IF YOU HAVE YOUR VIOLIN

Become an expert at the things we did in class today:

• Make a bow bunny and transfer it to the bow. Check to make sure your thumb is round, pinky is on its tip, and bunny "teeth" are flopping over the bow stick. Does your hand look like these pictures?

This guy is a little verbose, but he's thorough. Parents, please watch this so you can help your student attain a solid bow hold. We are using the "Suzuki bow hold" he mentions.

• Set Up Your Violin on your shoulder. Make sure your shoulder rest is properly attached first. Use the video below as a reference for whether or not you are holding your violin up properly. Notice how this student has his nose pointed towards the scroll. The violin strings are parallel to the ground. The violin is out to the side and on his shoulder. He is able to hold it up with just the weight of his head.

• With your wonderful bow hold and with your violin up on your shoulder properly, now you can try "Fly in the Air and Land Like a Bird". To do this, raise your bow up above the violin strings, then "land" near the bridge silently. Land at the tip, near the frog, and in the middle of the bow. Every time you land, make sure your bow is parallel to the bridge, and about 1 inch away from the bridge. Use these photos as a reference:

• Teeter Totters: by moving your right elbow up and down, you can make your bow teeter-totter it's way across the strings. Swing from the E string (elbow down) all the way over to the G string (elbow up by your ear). Do this 3 or 4 times.
• With your bow on the E string, play along with track 3 on your CD. At the end of the song, you can hear the piano saying "then you tuck and bow"... when you hear that, tuck your violin into rest position and take a bow.
  
• With your bow on the A string, play along with track 4 on your CD. Tuck and bow at the end.
  
• Starting on E and then teeter-tottering over to A (and back to E again), play along with track 5 on your CD. Tuck and bow at the end.