Violin

Grade 4 pieces (2020-23)

PRACTICE TIPS 💡

1. A WARM-UP is essential to get your muscles moving and to mentally prepare you for playing.

2. HAVE A GOAL before you start your practice session. It could be as tiny as 1 or 2 bars or something that you feel you would like to accomplish.

3. ALWAYS play slowly and break down your music by identifying problems. It might be helpful to clap the rhythms first before playing.

4. RECORD YOURSELF for fun so you can listen back to your performance. You can set future goals once you have listened to your recording.

5. REWARD YOURSELF: play through your music at the end of your practice session with the tracks below.

HAVE FUN AND CHECK BACK AGAIN FOR NEW MATERIAL COMING SOON!

Ready, Steady , TAKE OFF!

These exercises are DESIGNED to warm up your left hand and to shift confidently. Leave your base in 1^st position and take off to 3^rd position! Imagine that you are on holiday and your left hand gently moves up on the fingerboard. Ready, steady, TAKE OFF! Try to find out how many holiday destinations are on your violin fingerboard. Good luck!

p.s. Don't forget to pack your thumb 😉

VIOLIN IS VERSATILE AND FUN!

HOW MANY DIFFERENT WAYS CAN YOU PLAY YOUR VIOLIN?

THIS VIDEO CERTAINLY PROVES THAT VIOLIN IS ONE OF THE MOST VERSATILE INSTRUMENTS. So many different strokes to try? It really does not matter what grade you are currently working on. Try some of these bow strokes for fun at home:)

Grade 4 PIECES - a selection

A1: Portsmouth: The sailor's dance known as HORNPIPE

🚢 TOP TIP from the professionals: PLAY SLOWLY AND BREAK IT DOWN!

This piece needs a good F major scale and arpeggio! Play the scale with C and F naturals by squeezing your 1st and 2nd fingers together on D and A strings and don't forget your low 1st fingers on A and E strings .
Bow division game : set your metronome for 60 and play your scale with crotchets, quavers and semiquavers. Now you have done the hard work, play along !

B1: Where is love

A beautiful arrangement of the world famous Oliver! musical. Do you know the original story of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens?

Listen to the song above before you start playing. Can you sing those lovely long phrases? It’s all about lightening your bow stokes and thinking of good bow division. Why don’t you shadow bow along to the song to check your long strokes?

C2: Quizas, quizas, quizas

Piano accompaniment only at moderate tempo

Piano accompaniment only at performance tempo

A very well-known song recorded by many artists. Are you ready to do your own research?

🎼Where is the song originally from?

🎼 What is the song about?

🎼 What other languages has the song been recorded in?

🎼Have you found your favourite yet?

🎻Use the play-alongs above to make your practice session even more fun. If you're performance ready, play for your family!

B2: ROMANCE - C. Dancla

Violin & piano

Piano only

This lovely piece requires a beautiful, smooth and singing sound. You also need to be careful of the dotted rhythms AND double -dotted rhythms!

Check out this fun piece/exercise on the G4 sight-reading page to practise your dotted rhythms by clicking a pen or clapping along: 'Concerto for Ballpoint Pen & Orchestra'.

Why not check out the Grade 4 Aural page here to brush up on your aural skills? : )

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