The First Weeks of Beginning Violin Class!

Welcome to the violin blog for this 2016-2017 school year! We are looking forward to sharing all that our violinists are learning this year. They are already moving so quickly!

So far, violinists are learning how to hold the bow and the violin. This takes a lot of practice and you would be surprised at how much hard work it takes for little fingers to grip the bow in just the right way: bent thumb, pinky on top, fingers hanging over the edge. Here are our Pritzker and Skinner beginning students with big smiles and beautiful bow holds. This week, students should practice their bow holds- practice getting into bow hold, put it back down and shake it out, and then do it again. Or have your violinist sing our song "up like a rocket" for you while practicing their bow hold!

Students have also been learning about what it means to be respectful. In violin class, not only are we working hard to grow beautiful musicians, but we are also working to build character by teaching students about the respect of their violin, their classmates, their classroom and their teacher. We learn that the violin is a very special object that needs a lot of care. Our violins are either in the case, in playing position while we are playing our violin, or in rest position like this (under the bow arm or the right arm!)
We sing "Rest position, feet in line, scroll out front that's mighty fine, check your bridge 'cause it should be, peeking out at you and me, now it's time to take a bow, hi toes hi toes hi toes now"- Have your violinist sing this to you at home in their best rest position!