The Best Bow Holds and Playing Positions of Gardner School students!

This week I have 3 practice recommendations:

1) Practice Bow Holds! The bow is held with the right hand (regardless of being "lefty" or "righty") The thumb is bent on the silver part of the bow's frog, the middle and ring finger hang over the frog, and the pinky is on top! 

2)Violinists can also practice playing position (see photos below- make sure that the violin is over their shoulder and not on their chest!) To get into playing position, have your violinist show you our "violin statue-" remind them by saying "out, upside down, on your head, over your shoulder" or click here to see how! or this video of violin statue (the first video)

 3) and practice our first rhythm: "Mississippi stop stop" on the E string. Make sure your violinist always starts with a down bow- bowing "down up down up down up." A good way to start learning this rhythm is to say "Mississippi" and they just play the "down up part," like this (the second video)  

The Best Bowholds of Drummond Montessori's Pre-Twinklers!

Welcome to our blog for parents of Pre-Twinklers!

Hello parents!

Thank you for visiting this new blog. I (Ashley Trumbo, instructor and co-director of Music House) will be posting on this blog to update you on your child's progress in their Pre-Twinkle class.

If you don't already know, "Pre-Twinkle" means before "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" which is the first song in Suzuki Book 1. In Pre-Twinkle Violin class, we aim to prepare your little violinist to learn this first Suzuki Song, Twinkle Twinkle, as well as each of the 5 "Twinkle Variations." (The first 5 songs on the Suzuki CD are all of the Twinkle Variations. We call them "Mississippi Stop Stop," "Ice Cream 'sh' Cone," "Down Pony Up Pony," "Strawberry Blueberry," and "Mississippi is a River.")

Here is how we prepare them:

• Ear-training: 
• It is important that children listen to music before learning to play a musical instrument. 
• We teach students to sing the lyrics to each of the Suzuki book 1 songs, preparing their ears for learning these songs later
• Students learn to recognize high and low sounds, rhythms (the first 5 twinkle variation rhythms above,) as well as songs 
• Learning Postures
• Students practice holding the bow and bowing rhythms on their shoulder, box violin, or in the air.
• Students practice holding their violin over their shoulder
• Students practice doing both of the above while standing with their feet in "playing position" pose (shoulder width apart, with the right foot slightly behind the left)
• See pages 16-19 in Suzuki Book 1 to learn more about posture
• Learning Pre-Twinkle Songs and Rhythms
• Students learn to play the following 5 rhythms on the E and A string:
• Mississippi Stop Stop
• Ice Cream 'sh' Cone
• Down Pony Up Pony
• Strawberry Blueberry
• Mississippi is a River
• Students learn to play "The Flower Song" and "Monkey Song-" 2 songs that prepare students to learn Twinkle Twinkle by introducing them to all of the notes in Twinkle, the bowings, and the first Twinkle Variation rhythm. 

Here is what you can do to help your budding violinist at home:

• Listen to the CD everyday! Inactive and active listening is recommended!
• Ideas for Inactive listening: play while driving in the car or taking a bath!
• Ideas for Active Listening: Play CD while singing along (See the lyrics here!) 
• Have your violinist show you something they learned in class, have them take a bow afterward and then clap for them!

Please subscribe to the blog so you can see all of the ways your child is learning all of the above! And comment, email, or call if you have any questions!