The Secret to Perfect Bow Hold Thumbs!
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
This is going to change the way you start your beginners. Chances are, you’ve probably started bow hold on a pencil or some other object before introducing the actual bow. This is a crucial step in teaching bow hold … Read More
Teach bow hold exercises the smart way! You probably already teach bow hold exercises when you teach beginners, but do you know how crucial bow hold exercises are to the foundation of your students’ technique? I often find that … Read More
The nice thing about teaching strings is, unlike band instruments, all the instruments are the same… almost! The double bass is somewhat of an oddball, being played standing, only able to play two notes per string, and tuned in fourths … Read More
This handy reference for note-reading on violin, viola, cello and bass is great to have to reinforce music-reading skills! The worksheets present note-reading in a logical order to help reinforce note-reading and fingering on all strings, and help students see … Read More
Tightening and Loosening the Bow Properly…. Tired of bows that are too tight and students who forget to loosen their bows? These posters are great for teaching beginners, and will give your students a visual reminder every time they get … Read More
After the basics…. Once you’ve established the 6 Basic Finger Patterns for teaching strings, and how to name notes using the Note Circle, teaching students to play in different keys becomes easy. You don’t even have to teach them … Read More
Using just six finger patterns can greatly simplify how you teach violin, viola, cello and double bass and help you achieve more in less time. I first wrote about The Six Basic Finger Patterns back when I started this blog. Since … Read More
The set-up of a string orchestra can be a bit bewildering to beginners. One of the first things I do in September is use this handout with my beginning students to illustrate how a string orchestra is seated. Through this … Read More
In case you haven’t noticed yet, SmartMusicTeacher has a YouTube Channel with (at this moment) over 50 videos that are free for you to use with your violin, viola, cello and bass students. And boy, did the videos come … Read More
You’ve chosen to play a pretty huge instrument! Believe it or not, the double bass is actually not very hard to play. The most important part of playing the bass is to make sure you set yourself up properly with … Read More
So you’ve committed yourself to playing the world’s biggest instrument. How are you going to get around with it? More importantly, how are you going to carry it home? Watch this video to see how easy it is. … Read More
I’ve watched many a student struggle with packing and unpacking their cello, and carrying them in awkward positions. Packing a cello is actually very easy, and carrying it properly actually makes it feel really light. After watching this video, you … Read More
As a string teacher, or a bass student, have you ever been intimidated by packing a bass? Does it take you a while as you fuss over how it goes on and how to get it off? Do you find … Read More
How would you like to make teaching scales and fingering super easy? This lesson is going to transform how you teach scales and fingering to your string classroom, or your private violin, viola, cello or bass students. And it is … Read More
It is very common for string teachers, whether they be classroom teachers or private violin, viola and cello teachers, to start their students off playing by ear. This sets up a foundation for intonation and listening. Because playing a stringed … Read More
Here are two quick activities that help string students get to know the notes on their instrument right away…. 1. The Note Circle Becoming fluent in the notes can be awkward for students. This simple activity is fun and easy, … Read More
When starting a beginner on a stringed instrument, whether it be violin, viola, cello or bass, it is important to set them up for success. On a stringed instrument, this can be daunting, what with the bow, the instrument hold, … Read More