GENERAL MUSIC PERIODS 2, 3, 6:
COMPOSER: Chopin PRELUDE #7 "Funny Version" from the album "Beethoven's Wig" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beethoven
OBJECTIVE: RECORDER BEGINNING SONGS
1. QUOTE AUTHOR:John Cage/Discussed about how it is important to be open to new ideas
2. Composer Report Chopin: Passed out composer report forms and then we wrote down some general composer information (name, dates, country of origin) and then started to write down names of music examples heard in class/to
be continued tomorrow
3. WARM-UP: (FOLLOWING THE CONDUCTOR SILENT DIRECTIONS)
4. Review of songs previously played using fingers T1, T12, T123/fingerings that move by step/skip
a. SONG "Lucern to Weggis": A song from Switzerland. In it there is a short INTERLUDE (a short connecting passage) where the instruments stop and then return to the melody
b. Start more new songs continuing to use all first 3 fingers on the recorder. (Adding: "James' Lot")
GENERAL MUSIC PERIOD 6:
Same as periods 2,3 except to start composer report today and period 6 asked to hear the "Storm" written by Beethoven in his 6th Symphony so I showed them the video (see link from Friday, September 17th)
BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5:
OBJECTIVE: PIZZICATO TYPES/NOTE READING QUARTERS and OPEN STRINGS
1. CYCLE OF STRINGS: Left hand pizzicato is practiced 4x on each string starting (Use 3rd and 4th fingers)
2. Review left pizzicato technique on "Batman"
3. Right hand pizzicato is introduced: two types "traditional" and "non-traditional"
a. Traditional: Right thumb sits in corner of fingerboard (near the right side of the bridge when looking at the violin in the holding position). Right index (pointer) finger plucks the string by first depressing then pulling it. Finger plucks string from over the fingerboard not where the bow goes.
.....RULE: NEVER PLUCK WHERE YOU BOW and NEVER BOW WHERE YOU PLUCK"
b. Non-Traditional: First, hold the violin in "guitar position" placing fingers of the right hand (except the thumb) against the fingerboard as a support. The right thumb plucks the strings over the finger board, again using the process of depressing first then pulling the string./Next, redo except hold the violin at the jaw instead of in "guitar" position.
c. Different types of pizzicato are used in violin playing. It all depends on what music is being played (music style, ease of technical facility for different musical passages, etc.).
3. SONG "Batman": Students will use the "non-traditional" right hand pizzicato to replay "Batman."
a. I use this "non-traditional" right pizzicato form now because it gets the right arm near to the position of where we will place it (the arm) when using the bow (a bow preparation exercise).
4. "Batman" sheet music passed out in black and white. Students to add in the color of notes. "G" string is BLUE, "D" string is RED, "A" string is YELLOW, and "E" string is GREEN. (To work on tomorrow or for those who want to take it home, they can start on it early.)
ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4:
OBJECTIVE: Preparation for Harvest Day performance on October 28th/Hoedown music
1. TUNE
2. "Hoedown": Class plays entirely to format: INTRO/ "A" 2x / "B" 2x / "A" 2x / CODA
....a. Practice the coordination of the cello/piano part with the violin part (violins play 4 notes to every 1 note of the
cello/piano in section "B" for example)
....b. Articulation (and accenting certain notes) practiced within the violins so that everyone is playing at the same
speed during the fast passages
....c. Practice for continuity (play from beginning to end without stopping even if mistakes are made)
....d. Review fast "spiccato" bowing: be sure to start these passages down bow (to allow gravity to play the up bow part),
keep the right "pinky" finger off the bow (to isolate the right wrist movement) , and only use a small portion of
the bow in the middle
WORKING ON ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL SCALE PASSAGES ON TUESDAY (WE WERE TO DO THIS TODAY BUT THE "HOEDOWN" MUSIC WAS COMING TOGETHER SO WELL THAT I WANTED TO STAY ON IT A LITTLE LONGER THAN I HAD
PLANNED)