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**NEW this week (June 8th)- Our end of the year concert would have been this Monday, June 8th, so our assignment this week is to perform a concert for someone in your life (your family at home, you neighbor across the street, a virtual performance for someone you can't be with right now etc....). You can play "We Will Rock You", "Fiddler's Hoedown, a few Suzuki book songs or any other old favorites that you feel great about! Send me a recording of the performance or a picture of you in your concert outfit, with your instrument!
*June 1st-
-Give someone in your life a (real or virtual) HUG and tell them you love them.
-REVIEW WEEK- this is the week to go back through all of our assignments and make sure you have tried them all! I will still take any last minute photo challenge pictures, practice videos or requests for help on any assignment that you are struggling with.
*May 25th: "Be the teacher" assignment. We are approaching the end of the year, so I always think it is a nice time to look back at how far we have come over the year. One way to remember everything you have learned, is to become the teacher and try and teach it to someone else! See below for directions:
be the teacher assignment .pdf*May 18th: Note reading practice! Use the worksheet and game below to review your note reading skills! Then "quiz" yourself with the "Words" worksheet and see how many words you can correctly decode!
be the teacher assignment .pdfLines and spaces pdf.pdfNote Names Review worksheet- Find and print the correct clef for your instrument for a great review of your lines and spaces!
Find your instrument and print the correct playing cards to make your own note-reading matching game to sharpen your skills!
Notereading Matching Game.pdf...any finally: see if you can 'decode' the 8 words for your instrument on each worksheet. If you do it correctly, each sentence will form a separate word!
note reading WORDS #1 pdf.pdfNote reading words #2.pdf*May 11th: Using your scales to help practice your Suzuki Songs! Click the "Suzuki Book" tab to find a series of videos I have made for you to play along to see how you can use your scales to practice different skills and techniques needed for your Suzuki songs. (If you need a review of your scales, check out the scales posted below from last week!)
*Don't forget to continue working on our "Recruitment Assignment" (See the Orchestra home page for directions). All submissions should be submitted to spitalierel@victorschools.org no later than May 15th. Thank you to all who have submitted videos already! They are awesome!!! I can't wait to see the rest!
MAY 4th: SCALES! Please click on the file to the right to expand. Scroll to find your instrument and print the correct page.
Scales are a great warm up for every day practice! Some things to focus on when playing scales include:
-being exactly in tune (check your key signature at the start of the scale and your finger spacing)
-steady tempo (use a metronome and be sure not to speed up or slow down)
-memorized (can you play without looking at the music or your fingers?)
-Once your scales are memorized, you can use them to work on more tricky techniques in your songs, such as...
-4th finger intonation or tunnels
-slurred bows
-staccato bows
-dynamics (loud vs soft volume)
-change the rhythms (whole notes, half notes, 8th notes, run pony, Mississippi hot dog etc...). Are there any hard rhythms in your current or preview songs? Play each note of the scale using that rhythm! Set your metronome and make sure you stay steady too.
4th grade scales.pdf*April 27th: Check the "Orchestra" homepage for directions for our "Recruitment Assignment". Because we are all home, the teacher's aren't able to do our recruitment like usual and we need your help! You will have the next 3 weeks to make a video or write something to share with the 3rd graders telling them why you love being part of the Victor music program. All submissions should be submitted to spitalierel@victorschools.org no later than May 15th.
*April 20th: Check out the SUZUKI BOOK page for lots of great updates. Find your instrument and pick a video/song that makes sense for what you are working on right now! Check out videos for your "polished" songs and try to play along. Feel free to watch videos of songs you haven't gotten to yet as a great preview for what's to come for you. You can also check out Mrs. Lowe's pages under the "Primary" tab for some great reveiw! Don't forget to send me videos and emails of your work!
Violin duets #1 - Score.pdf**April 6th: DUETS! This week, please click on the correct part (violin, viola or bass clef) to print 4 duets. Your job will be to learn both the top (melody) and bottom (harmony) lines and then play a duet with someone!
Use your 6 steps to figure out your notes, rhythms, bowings etc...
You can use technology to play a live duet with someone who is not at home with you. You can use 'acapella' or a similar app to virtually 'play' a duet with someone who is not at home or even to create a duet with yourself! The songs get progressively trickier, so start at the beginning and see how many you can figure out!
All three parts are exactly the same. So if there is someone you want to create music with who can read music, but maybe not the same clef as you, feel free to print out the correct part for that person so you can play together!
Don't forget to send me a video of your work!
You can also use this assignment to check off a box or two on your PRACTICE BINGO worksheet too =D
Viola duets #1 - Score.pdfBass clef duets #1 - Score.pdfPractice Bingo.pdf*March 30th-PRACTICE BINGO! Please click on the Bingo Board and print out your own copy to practice with at home! Color in each box as you complete the practice game/idea in each. Please send me an email letting me know when you have completed a BINGO row and I'll add your name to the "Bingo Wall of Fame" on the orchestra home page!
This game will hopefully provide you with some fun ideas to keep your fingers moving and share your music! Happy practicing!
Ensemble Music:
**Check out the practice videos for "Super String Samba" and "New World Symphony Theme" below.
Please click on the buttons to listen to and play along with our concert music. Some practice tips include:
-follow your part and clap your rhythm
-air bow
-sing your part- letter names and finger numbers
-Check your key signature! What finger pattern do you need on each string?
Keep practicing "Fiddler's Hoedown" and "We Will Rock You" (we will hopefully perform these at our next concert) and please begin working on "New World Symphony Theme". You should already have both songs in your folder, but please email me if you are missing anything. Thank you!
Lesson Assignment Sheet:
Please click on the box to the right to expand the view of our first practice sheet. From there, you should be able to print a hard copy for yourself.
Keep scrolling for some tips and tricks to help guide your home practicing!
Presto lesson assigngment.xlsxLesson Music- Suzuki book and Essential Elements
As we practice at home, it is important to keep on working on the skills that make us outstanding musicians. Below are tips for keeping our skills sharp as well as guidelines for independent learning on our instrument.
PRACTICE! Picking up our instrument every day will continue to improve our skills as musicians.
Keep a routine: Keeping a consistent routine in anything we do will make improvements, this goes for not only practicing but how we practice too.
Here are some tips:
Do a good warm-up: D and G scales, a REVIEW "polished" songs from your Suzuki book
Practice playing your scales from memory- be sure to go in alphabetical order and apply the correct flats and sharps. Think of memorizing scales like a spelling test, a little a week will help make you successful. Review the scales you memorize every time you practice, have a family member test you!
Practicing your Suzuki book music:
check out Mrs. Lowe's "Primary Suzuki Strings" for your instrument on the drop down menu for some great review or introduction to some of the early songs in the Suzuki book
LISTEN to the recordings. Click on the "Suzuki Book" link on the drop down menu to find listening links.
Try to play along with the recordings.
Focus on getting all the notes correct and comfortable under your fingers.
If you need help with fingerings, look at the fingering chart at the back of your Essential Elements book.
Be sure to keep a steady beat and count all of the rhythms. You know how much each symbol is worth- count them out! Do not guess!
Look for slurs, dynamics, staccato, accents, and all other markings and practice doing them for a noticeable sound.
Record yourself and send it to Mrs. Spitaliere for feedback at spitalierel@victorschools.org. I will email you back with specific areas for you to focus on, and some corrections of notes, rhythms, articulations, etc.
Practice sight reading skills. You can use this link to create examples to practice at home. Set them to your level of solo. https://www.sightreadingfactory.com/ Instructions on how to set it up for your instrument and level are linked below.
Essential Elements Book- Pages 1-25 should be a nice review for you. Go ahead and challenge yourself to work ahead from page 26 on!
Have a goal in mind as you practice. Some possible goals include:
rhythm- long/short notes, correct counting
bowing- slurs, bow lifts, accents, staccato etc...
intonation- how in tune your fingers are? Where are the half steps?
Key signature- what finger pattern do you need?
correct notes-write in any needed letter or number reminders reminders
check your posture- play in front of a mirror! Are you sitting/standing tall with feet on the floor? Relaxed shoulders? Straight wrists and round fingers?
check your bow hold- pinky and thumbs the correct shape and location on the bow
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