Hi Matthew!
Please see the notes below from this weeks lesson. Happy practicing and great work!
Sharps – Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle
Bow exercises
Finger taps
- keep working on your finger taps.
- try to get 5 taps in a row of each pattern at a faster speed
Open strings – slurred string crossings
- C string – frog stays close tot eh body and the tip points away
- starting down bow. 2 beats on first string, 2 beats on second string, 4 beats on the string you land on for the up bow
- use the whole bow, make string changes/crossings smooth
- no breaks from one bow – keep the sound continuous
- keep all fingers on the bow
- remember to drop the elbow at the frog
- Down bow = pull bow
- Up bow = push bow
D major + G major + C major
- find the pitch before starting: check the fourth finger with the string below it
- practice with drone
- add the bow to the scales.
- one note per bow. whole bow per note: from the tip to the frog and back :)
- keep a good bow angle
- sink into the string with left arm. don’t squeeze with the finger
- try not to slant the fingers on the A string.
- Keep the thumb under the secon finger, think of making a C shape with the hand, very rounded
- use the open strings to anticipate the next note. prepare with the left arm.
Twinkle plucked
- release left hand fingers from the string straight up in the air, not slanted. Don’t lift them too high or you will lose the sense of where the pitch is.
- use the whole arm to sink into the string, not individual hands and fingers
Tucka tucka stop stop
- make sure push and pull sounds are the same
- start in the middle of the bow. 4 fast notes, and two slower notes.
- half way between the bridge and the end of the fingerboard
- practice bowing pattern on open A and D strings first
- add to twinkle. Every note gets 1x the bowing pattern
- remember to get the bow arm UP and elbow UP for the A string (but the pinky down)
- practice in front of a mirror so you can see what the bow is doing
French Folk Song
- practice checking D and G (fourth finger with the open string). Stop on the 4th finger and pluck the string below it to check intonation
- Make sure we are moving the hand as a unit. Use the ARM to adjust the angle, not the hand.
- Raise the fingers straight into the air. Try not to lift them sideways.