WEEK 7: Twinkle Superstars

If your name is on this list, it means that you were able to play Twinkle Variation A with no mistakes today! Bravo!!

If your name is not on this list, you'll get another chance to be on the list next week. Practice carefully!

TWINKLE SUPERSTARS

C Class

Noah	Eckstein
Marco	Giovanitti
Nash	Kendall
Caleb	Smith
Robbie	Stoltzfus
Anna	Velez
Gretchen	Velez
Niki	Weeter

D Class

Austin	Armstrong
Cade	Deraud
Emily	Masters
Jaden	Rose
Sam	Steppy

E Class
everyone in this class was able to play ALL of the variations today. WOW!

Dylan	Deraud
Lexus	Estes
Antonio	Giovanitti
Marley	Kendall
Lydia	Masters
Luke	Smith

If you are not on this list yet, you need to spend some serious time with the videos below. Become an expert at the first Twinkle variation so you can be added to the list!



above: the beginning of the first Twinkle Variation, for practicing along with.
below: three Variations with stops and reminders, for practicing along with.



Here are all of the variations, with no interruptions. Don't try to play along with this if it feels too fast - listening carefully is excellent practice too.

WEEK 6: Making a square

Can you see the square that Nash is making with his arm and his bow?
Make one with your arm!

WEEK 6: review, more Twinkle Variations

NOTES FOR EVERYONE

1. Listen to your CD every day. Listening is a form of practicing. You would never try to learn a language without listening to it, would you? Music is a language. Listen and watch these Twinkle Variations as well - this violinist is using an electric violin:



2. If you have a specific problem that's keeping you from practicing successfully, please email me about it. I can probably help. (christineauger@gmail.com)

3. Here are the notes for all of the Twinkle Variations:
REMINDER OF HOW TO PLAY THE NOTES FOR THIS SONG:

• A = no fingers on the A string
• E = no fingers on the E string
• F# = left thumb in the thumbnest, place first finger (index finger) on the E string directly across from thumb.
• B = same as F# but on the A string
• C# = two fingers on the A string
• D = three fingers on the A string

4. Review should take up 15-20 minutes of your daily practice time. Become an expert at what you already know. Spend 5 minutes on "new" things.

NOTES FOR EACH GROUP
(SCROLL DOWN TO FIND YOUR CLASS)

A/B Class
Caleb I will bring you a new pinkinest and shoulder rest, with receipt. We worked on letting someone help – while he was holding the bow, I held the bow screw and moved the bow up and down on the string. We did track 3 on the CD (E string) alternating between him doing it all himself and him letting me help. It was difficult for him to let someone help; please practice this daily with him at home. Dirty Doggie Scrub Scrub: start with a down-bow every time. Sit on mom's lap and have her scrub with you, or do it in the tub! Have fun with it. dirty doggie scrub scrub put him in the tub-tub rub a dub a dub dub dirty doggie scrub scrub	Briden Excellent playing today! He followed directions incredibly well and was very attentive and careful with his playing. Practice tracks 3 and 4 with the CD. If those become easy, add track 5.
Both Kids Watch the videos I've posted below in the sections for the other classes. The more you start thinking/listening/watching in preparation for what you'll be learning soon, the easier it'll be to do it when you're ready. Online Superstar Challenge! Whoever can play along with track 4 on the CD with a beautiful bow hold, great violin position, and beautiful tone will get to be videotaped next week and added to the website as an Online Superstar! (no one was really 100% ready for this today (although Briden was very close!!), so we'll try again next week!)

C Class
review Review of "old" material should take up 15 minutes of your daily practice time. Become an expert at what you already know. Spend 5 minutes on "new" things.	new
naming parts of your violin bow hold violin hold Twinkle beginning (practice along with video below) Twinkle - whole thing	following nonverbal instructions while playing the first Twinkle Variation. (louder/softer, play/don't play). You guys did a fantastic job with this. Practice along with the two videos posted below - they will help you tremendously if you use them. If you are feeling secure with the first Twinkle Variation, try the others that are demonstrated in the second video.
above: the beginning of the first Twinkle Variation, for practicing along with. below: three Variations with stops and reminders, for practicing along with.

D Class
review Review of "old" material should take up 15 minutes of your daily practice time. Become an expert at what you already know. Spend 5 minutes on "new" things.	new
Twinkle Variations: taka taka stop stop Practice along with the videos you see below. Copy these examples as exactly as you can.	Twinkle Variations: down-wiggle, up-wiggle caterpillar caterpillar
above: the beginning of the first Twinkle Variation, for practicing along with. below: three Variations with stops and reminders, for practicing along with.

E Class
review Review of "old" material should take up 15 minutes of your daily practice time. Become an expert at what you already know. Spend 5 minutes on "new" things.	new
Twinkle Variations: taka taka stop stop down-wiggle, up-wiggle caterpillar caterpilla	Twinkle Variations: Doctor... Suzuki... said never... be lazy... just practice... and practice... till mama... goes crazy... (in the video she calls this one "happy... I'm happy..." - it's the same thing) Marley and Lexus: practice lightning bows with Song of the Wind. Marley, learn the harmony part to Song of the Wind.
above: the beginning of the first Twinkle Variation, for practicing along with. below: three Variations with stops and reminders, for practicing along with.

WEEK 5: listening, review, Twinkle Variations

NOTES FOR EVERYONE

1. Listen to your CD every day. We like to listen to it in the car, while we're doing other homework, or sometimes while we're eating.

2. If you are having trouble keeping up in class, you need to be spending more time at home practicing what you know. This is just like learning a language - if you don't spend time listening to it and repeating it, you won't learn it very quickly and you'll probably get frustrated and discouraged. You can expect successful results if you're putting in the time at home.

3. If you have a specific problem that's keeping you from practicing successfully, please email me about it. I might be able to help. (christineauger@gmail.com)

4. Review of "old" material should take up 80% of your practice time. Become an expert at what you already know.

NOTES FOR EACH GROUP
(SCROLL DOWN TO FIND YOUR CLASS)

A/B Class
Caleb I gave him a pinkinest today and asked him to keep it on his bow and keep his pinky finger in it. We worked on letting someone help – while he was holding the bow, I held the bow screw and moved the bow up and down on the string. We did track 3 on the CD (E string) alternating between him doing it all himself and him letting me help. It was difficult for him to let someone help; please practice this daily with him at home.	Briden Excellent playing today! He followed directions incredibly well and was very attentive and careful with his playing. We talked about keeping a mouse hole open when he holds his bow. See picture for example of a nice round thumb and mouse hole. Practice tracks 3 and 4 with the CD. If those become easy, add track 5.
Caleb demonstrates holding a violin with just his head. He held it while I counted to ten, then kept on holding it! He could have kept it there all day!	Briden demonstrates a lovely round bow thumb with a hole for a mouse to go through!
Both Kids Online Superstar Challenge! Whoever can play along with track 4 on the CD with a beautiful bow hold, great violin position, and beautiful tone will get to be videotaped next week and added to the website as an Online Superstar!

C1/C2/C3 Class
REVIEW track 3 on CD track 4 on CD track 5 on CD track 7 on CD Playing notes on the A string: D (3 fingers), C-sharp (2 fingers), B (1 finger) beginning of Twinkle: A E F# E	NEW First section of Twinkle Variation 1: A E F# E D C# B A Practice this slowly.
Keep left wrist straight (not touching violin) When using left hand fingers, make sure you know which to use First finger = index finger Second finger = middle finger Third finger = ring finger
Online Superstar Challenge! Whoever can play along with TWINKLE VARIATION 1 (taka taka stop stop) on the CD with a beautiful bow hold, great violin position, and beautiful tone will get to be videotaped next week and added to the website as an Online Superstar!

D Class
REVIEW track 3 on CD track 4 on CD track 5 on CD track 7 on CD Playing notes on the A string: D (3 fingers), C-sharp (2 fingers), B (1 finger) beginning of Twinkle: A E F# E	NEW All of Twinkle Variation 1: Practice this slowly. Each box above is a "taka taka stop stop".
Keep left wrist straight (not touching violin) Start each "taka taka stop stop" with a down-bow. Don't be sloppy about this! When using left hand fingers, make sure you know which to use First finger = index finger Second finger = middle finger Third finger = ring finger	A = no fingers on the A string E = no fingers on the E string F# = one finger on the E string, across from thumb D = 3 fingers on the A string C# = 2 fingers on the A string B = 1 finger on the A string
Online Superstar Challenge! Whoever can play along with TWINKLE VARIATION 1 (taka taka stop stop) on the CD with a beautiful bow hold, great violin position, and beautiful tone will get to be videotaped next week and added to the website as an Online Superstar!

Luke demonstrates the first Twinkle Variation (taka taka stop stop). Use this video to practice along with.

E Class
REVIEW Playing notes on the A string: D (3 fingers), C-sharp (2 fingers), B (1 finger) beginning of Twinkle: A E F# E Note review A = no fingers on the A string E = no fingers on the E string F# = one finger on the E string, across from thumb D = 3 fingers on the A string C# = 2 fingers on the A string B = 1 finger on the A string All of first Twinkle Variation (taka taka stop stop):	NEW Twinkle Variation: Down Wiggle, Up Wiggle watch, listen, and practice along with the video of Marley and Lexus that is posted below.
Keep left wrist straight (not touching violin) When using left hand fingers, make sure you know which to use First finger = index finger Second finger = middle finger Third finger = ring finger
Online Superstar Challenge! Whoever can play ANY TWINKLE VARIATION with a beautiful bow hold, great violin position, and beautiful tone will get to be videotaped next week and added to the website as an Online Superstar!

How To Help Your Child At Home

Click on the images below for larger, easy-to-read versions.

At some point, practically every violin student asks, "how long will it take me to finish Suzuki Book 1?". There's never an exact answer to this question, because it depends a lot on the individual, but here is an excellent way to make an estimate:


The note below is geared towards Suzuki parents who are attending lessons with their kids, but you can tweak these great ideas to suit your situation. Click on the image to open up a large, easily-readable version.

WEEK 4: review, introduction of A string notes for some

Everyone: put your name on EVERYTHING. Today there was a missing shoulder rest and a report of missing rosin - it'll be easy to reunite you with your stuff in the future if it's all labeled with your name or initials.

We are starting to branch into differently-paced groups now, so I will post specific instructions for each class.

B CLASS Listen to the CD every day.
REVIEW	NEW
Violin hold: head, ear, shoulder	Play taka taka stop stop on open A or E while the CD is playing Twinkle Variation A
Bow hold: Up Like a Rocket, Noble Duke of York	Sing the notes to Twinkle while moving body up and down with the pitch (see video I emailed to you)
	Play open E Twinkle along with the CD (track 10)

C CLASS Listen to the CD every day Always start with a down-bow Straight wrists Correct bow holds
REVIEW	NEW
Violin hold: head, ear, shoulder Can you go from rest position to playing position in 5 seconds? How about 3? 1?	Play open E Twinkle along with the CD (track 10)
Bow hold: Up Like a Rocket Noble Duke of York check for curved pinky and round thumb. If in doubt, refer to earlier blog post with photo examples.	Listen to track 6 extra closely every day – I call this song Polar Bear and we will start learning it next week. Try singing along with it.
Taka Taka Stop Stop on E (track 3)
Taka Taka Stop Stop on A (track 4)
Taka Taka Stop Stop on E & A (track 5)
Taka Taka Stop Stop on E & F# (track 7)
Special notes: Some students still do not have shoulder rests, or all four fine tuners in working condition. Please resolve these issues – these students are not able to fully participate in class otherwise and are bound to become frustrated. Violin is hard enough without these extra challenges! There are three students (in this class of 14) who have only recently acquired violins. These kids have been asked to work extra-extra hard this week so that they can catch up with the rest of the class.

D CLASS Listen to the CD every day Always start with a down-bow Straight wrists!
REVIEW	NEW
Violin hold: head, ear, shoulder Can you go from rest position to playing position in 5 seconds? How about 3? 1?	Play open E Twinkle along with the CD (track 10)
	Repeat all previously learned pieces every day.
Bow hold: Up Like a Rocket Noble Duke of York check for curved pinky and round thumb. If in doubt, refer to earlier blog post with photo examples.	Listen to track 6 extra closely every day. When you play it, does it sound like the CD? You will have an easy time figuring out just where to put your fingers if you listen to the CD daily. This song is written down on page 16/17 of your book, and a preparation for it “Rhythm With Three Fingers (Plucked)” is on page 14/15.
Taka Taka Stop Stop on E (track 3)
Taka Taka Stop Stop on A (track 4)
Taka Taka Stop Stop on E & A (track 5)
Taka Taka Stop Stop on E & F# (track 7)
Special notes: Some students still do not have shoulder rests, or all four fine tuners in working condition, or all four strings! Please resolve these issues – these students are not able to fully participate in class otherwise and are bound to become frustrated. Violin is hard enough without these extra challenges! Violins need to be maintained in playable, tuneable condition. Email me with any questions. There are a few students and (in this class of 8) who have only recently acquired violins. These kids have been asked to work extra-extra hard this week so that they can catch up with the rest of the class.

E CLASS Listen to the CD every day Twinkle Variations Here are the notes you played today. Each box represents a rhythm, like “taka taka stop stop” or “down wiggle up wiggle”. A E F# E D C# B A E D C# B E D C# B A E F# E D C# B A
REVIEW	NEW
Taka Taka Stop Stop on E (track 3)	Play open E Twinkle along with the CD (track 10)
Taka Taka Stop Stop on E & A (track 5)	Repeat all previously learned pieces/exercises every day. There are some bow hold and posture issues that need to be refined in this group.
Taka Taka Stop Stop on E & F# (track 7)
Taka Taka Stop Stop on E (track 3)	Getting from E to D (3 fingers on the A string) quickly and effectively. Practice this with track 8 on your CD (page 16/17 of your book).
	Twinkle Variation: taka taka stop stop – we played through the whole variation 7 times in class today during “Find the Rosin”. Keep practicing this so you can make it even stronger.
	Twinkle Variation: down wiggle, up wiggle – we played through this once. Listen to it on the CD and try to play along with it. Tracks 15-18.
	Twinkle Variation: caterpillar caterpillar – we played through this once. Listen to it on the CD and try to play along with it. Tracks 23-26.
Special notes: Short nails please, at least on your left hand! I will bring nail clippers to class next Monday for anyone who needs a chop-job manicure, but I recommend that you do it yourself. I'm not known for my fingernail artistry. Straight wrists are necessary if you want to play in tune. Watch out for this when you practice. Marley and Lexus – I will have Twinkle Harmony parts for you to play while everyone else is Twinkling. :)