Parents/Guardians
Page
Page
Hello Parents/Guardians,
Below you will find most of the information you need to help you child at home. Please note, links for books, rosin and other items are located under the "Accessories Links" tab above.
Recap: Parent/Guardian Workshop 2024-25
Playing the Instrument
The importance of using a shoulder rest or similar (Violin and Viola):
The shoulder rests keep the instrument from slipping so the player is not holding up the instrument while also trying to play.
How to tighten and loosen the bow: “Righty tighty, lefty loosey”
Tighten the bow by turning the end screw clockwise
The center of the bow should retain a slight dip. If the bow stick starts to frown, you have gone too far!
Loosen the bow by turning the end screw counterclockwise.
The bow MUST be loosened before being put away. Not doing so places stress on the bow stick and it can crack or break.
If your child loosens it too much, the end screw will come out. This looks very dramatic, but nothing is broken. Just put it back in and retighten.
How to rosin the bow (If the bow makes no sound, it needs more rosin!)
How to hold the instrument and bow properly:
Straight left arm wrist
Do NOT use the wrist to hold up the violin or viola!
Relaxed shoulders and arms
Bodies should be allowed to move as needed and reach for notes, etc.
Rounded left hand and fingers.
Violin and viola will put their left thumb to the side of the instrument.
Cello and bass put their left thumb in the middle of the neck behind the fingers (like they are holding a cup).
Everyone should have space between their hand and the instrument.
Good posture
Sitting up straight with both feet on the floor.
Cellists should be far enough forward on the chair that the instrument rests against their body and not the chair.
The endpin should be raised high enough so that the instrument rests against their sternum and the lower tuning peg is behind their left ear.
If the endpin slips, an old belt or rope attached to their chair, or even a shoe can be used in a pinch.
Bassists should have their feet create a tripod with the endpin. The body of the bass leans against the belly and should be able to balance for a second or two. If this is not possible, adjust the height of the bass until it is. The left arm should NOT be used to hold it up.
Bow Grip: Ask your child to show you what we learned in class.
The bow is drawn perpendicularly across the strings in the empty space between the end of the fingerboard and the bridge.
It takes practice to keep it perpendicular and in one place.
Pushing too hard will make a crunch sound.
Pushing too lightly will make a whisper sound.
If no sound comes out, the bow needs rosin. Have them keep adding rosin and testing the bow until it does make a sound.
Note: Pizzicato - Pizz. for short (or plucking the string) happens over the fingerboard (don’t pull too hard!)
Left hand fingers - used to push down on the strings and create new notes.
Most students will be working on the D and A strings this year. The fifth graders may add the G string too.
Bass Notes Guide (more advanced, but has the notes they will need)
Fingers should push down on top of the string and on top of the tapes.
Like X marks the spot. (This is different from fretted instruments.)
By pushing down on the string, it shortens it and that creates a higher sound.
If the sound is fuzzy or a little off, it is usually because the finger has not pressed the string all the way down to the fingerboard.
This especially happens with cello and bass.
Keep your fingers rounded! I would rather have them make no sound while they develop finger strength than force it and learn bad habits.
Calluses and finger strength - need consistent practice to develop them.
Doesn’t have to be a lot and should not be a lot at first. Kids have tender, young skin! Good technique is better than good sound to start.
Short fingernails
It is really hard for students to press down the strings properly if their fingernails are in the way.
Only the fingers of the left hand need to be short (not the thumb).
Care of the Instruments: Treat them like BABIES!
Avoid hot/cold/dry/dogs/babies.
Hot and cold weather can make instruments crack.
PLEASE do not leave instruments in the car for long periods of time when it is either below 40 or above 70.
Do not store instruments next to a heat source.
If you have pets or young children in your home, instruments should be kept in their cases and out of reach.
Large instruments: GO SLOWLY
Especially through the doorways. It is inevitable that they will occasionally hit the doorframe, but there will be less/no damage if they are going slowly.
DO NOT TAKE INSTRUMENTS OUT ON THE BUS!
Tuning: There are many good videos on YouTube, BUT expect to break a string or two, or three, so make sure you have some extras on hand. How to Change a String
Also, the strings are metal so students should never be tuning without adult supervision at this stage.
The string could break unexpectedly and scratch their face, or hit an eye.
I can always help tune during the week and so can the other music teachers.
BOOKS: Everything you need to know is in there!
SEE BELOW FOR HOW TO ACCESS THE ONLINE ACTIVITIES FOR THE BOOK.
Please look over pages 2-3 for general information on the instrument and how to hold it.
Most pages have an explanation and/or diagram box at the top which explains how to execute the music on the page.
Adults can usually read the book’s explanations and figure out enough to help their child if they’re stuck.
If your child is confused, see if they can try to explain what we learned in class.
If they’re still confused, feel free to email me!
Practicing:
Ideal: 20 minutes per day/5 days per week.
Reality: 10-15 minutes per day at least 3 days per week.
Really busy weeks, try to have them play at least a few minutes on at least 3 days.
Helps build strength and calluses.
Some children will practice on their own with no prompting.
This is not typical!
Most children will need adult help in creating the time to practice each day.
They will also need encouragement to start, and also a window of time in which to dilly dally before they actually get started.
Usually starting is the hardest part. Once they start, the fussing stops.
Questions?
You may always email me! kiddn@cantonma.org
How to access the music book's online activities:
The books all have a student activation code on the first page of the book, along with the website address (https://www.essentialelementsinteractive.com). To access the online material, you must register as an INDIVIDUAL (not as a student).
Once you have access, I highly recommend clicking on the microphone icon and going to the "song list." There you can choose any song in the book and there are dropdown boxes to choose your child's instrument, select an accompaniment, and even for students to record themselves.