Weekly String Lesson Assignments

Weeks #1 through Week #30

Keep your musical adventure fun and practice consistently!

Practice your weekly assignment 15 minutes a day/5 days a week

Using these materials:

(Keep all your music at home – there will be copies for you to use at school.)

• Essential Elements:2000 method book 1
  • Used Week #1 through Week #30 of lessons
  • Keep-up with practicing your method book assignments.
    • We may not get to it each week because of concert preparations.
  • Essential Elements:2000 was given to you in May or June.
  • When assigned, please “read to remember” the important musical information in the dark orange boxes.
• Flash Cards
  • Divide your flash cards into 8 notes.
  • Learn our 8 notes by sight.
• Practice Packet (a hand-out, used for orchestra rehearsals)
  • You will receive this packet in the fall.
  • With this packet, you will also receive your lesson schedule and other important information regarding lessons, rehearsals and performances.
  • Mark all concert dates and performances on your family calendars.

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Week #1: Learning the notes D and A

• Learn/Practice: Essential Elements:2000 lines 2-9
  • Using pizzicato = to pluck the strings (no bows)
• Expectations:
  • open your instrument case correctly
  • learn our 3 instrument positions
  • read, play and learn the new notes D and A
    • memorize all note names and locations on the music staff
    • use your flash cards for reinforcement
  • REMEMBER that: You are your own “best teacher!”

Week #2: Learning the notes F# and G

• Learn/Practice: Essential Elements:2000 lines 10-12
  • colored tapes (yellow, red and green) will be put on your instrument for correct finger placement
• Review: Essential Elements:2000 lines 2-9
• Expectations:
  • demonstrate our 3 instrument positions
  • read, play and learn the new notes F# and G
    • review the notes D and A
    • memorize all note names and locations on the music staff
    • use your flashcards for reinforcement
  • REMEMBER that: You are your own “best teacher!”

Week #3: Introducing the bow & Learning the note E

• Learn/Practice: Essential Elements:2000 lines 13-16
• Review: Essential Elements:2000 lines 10-12
• Expectations:
  • Introduction to the bow = arco
    • learn how to hold the bow safely (very important)
      • rest position “standing” and
      • rest positing “sitting”
    • tighten the bow hair when playing and loosen the bow hair when finished

• rosin the bow (north to south)
• use our correct bow hold – ALWAYS!
• read, play and review the notes D, E, F#, G and A
  • memorize all note names and locations on the music staff
  • use your flashcards for reinforcement
• REMEMBER that: You are your own “best teacher!”

Week #4: Using the bow safely & Learning the notes C# and high D

• Learn/Practice: Essential Elements:2000 lines 23-26
• Review: Essential Elements:2000 lines 10-16
• Expectations:
  • hold the bow correctly – ALWAYS check your bow hold
  • tighten the bow when in use & loosen the bow when you put it away
  • read, play and review all notes learned D, E, F#, G, A, C# and high D
    • memorize all note names and locations on the music staff
    • use your flashcards for reinforcement
  • REMEMBER that: You are your own “best teacher!”

Week #5: Using the bow, Learning the note B & Previewing our concert pieces

• Learn/Practice: Essential Elements:2000 lines 28-32
• Review: Essential Elements:2000 lines 23-26
• Introducing: Happy Dance (located in the Practice Packet)
• Expectations:
  • hold the bow safely at our rest positions
  • rosin the bow
  • hold the bow correctly
  • read, play and review the notes D, E, F#, G A, B, C# and high D
    • memorize all note names and locations on the music staff
    • use your flashcards for reinforcement
  • REMEMBER that: You are your own “best teacher!”

Week #6: Using the bow & Learning our concert pieces

• Learn/Practice: Happy Dance (located in the Practice Packet)
• Review: EE:2000 lines 31-32
• Introducing: Ode to Joy (located in the Practice Packet)
• Expectations:
  • hold the bow safely at our rest positions
  • rosin the bow
  • hold the bow correctly
  • read, play and review the 8 notes we have learned so far
    • memorize all note names and locations on the music staff
    • use your flashcards for reinforcement
  • REMEMBER that: You are your own “best teacher!”

Week #7:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 47-48
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #8:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 49-53
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #9:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 54-60
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #10:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 61-65
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #11:

• Review: EE:2000 54-65
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #12:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 66-71
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #13:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 72-76
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #14:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 77-81
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #15: (around mid-January)

• Review: EE:2000 54-65
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash card.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #16:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 83-85
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #17:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 87-88
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #18:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 90-91
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #19:

• Review: EE:2000 lines 54-65
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #20:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 93-96
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #21:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 97-99
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #22:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 100-102
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #23:

• Review: EE:2000 lines 54-65
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #24:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 109-112
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #25:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 113-115
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #26:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 review 54-65
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #27:

• Learn/Review: EE:2000 lines 122-124
  
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #28:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 54-65
  
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #29:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 126-129
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!

Week #30:

• Learn/Practice: EE:2000 lines 130-134
• Practice our concert music.
• Review your flash cards.
• Check your bow hold!