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GETTING TO KNOW THE �VIOLIN

BASICS & PREPARATIONS

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PARTS OF THE VIOLIN

  • It is important to be familiar with all parts of your instrument. However, When teaching about it to your students, be clear about the parts they will use the most.

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IMPORTANT PARTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONALITY

  • Scroll
  • Tuning pegs (do not touch)
  • Fingerboard
  • Neck
  • Bridge
  • Fine tuner/adjuster (do not touch)
  • Tailpiece
  • Chin rest
  • F-holes
  • Body

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CAUTION!!!

  • Aside from the body of the instrument itself, everything on the violin/viola is held by tension
  • It is very important that the bridge remains in the same place
  • The tailpiece should also NOT be moved
  • Beginner students should not touch or move either the tuning pegs or the fine tuners

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STEPS TO PREPPING THE INSTRUMENT

  • Necessary materials:
  • Finger tapes
  • High dots
  • Foam
  • Rubber bands

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STEP 1: TUNING

  • String should remain in the following order: G, D, A, E
  • G is the lowest/thickest
  • E is the highest/thinnest
  • Only experienced strings players should tune the strings. Kids should not turn the pegs or tuners.

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THE 4TH FINGER TAPE

  • Even though some people prefer to place 4 finger tapes right away, the reality is that students will not use their 4th finger until later on. My suggestion? Only use 3

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THE SHOULDER REST

  • The simplest and most economical way to build a shoulder rest is with a thick foam and a rubber band.
  • Get away from fancy shoulder rests.
  • New students need to understand relaxation and freedom of movement. A simple foam will provide them with that

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LET’S WATCH

  • https://youtu.be/aSW2gr0Ampo

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RECAP

  • Parts of the violin
  • Tuning the strings
  • Changing a string
  • Placing finger tapes
  • Setting up a shoulder rest

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THE BOW

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PREPPING THE BOW

  • Necessary materials:
  • Electric tape

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THE PINKY HOUSE

  • One of the most challenging parts of learning the violin is the bow hold. Helping a student understand how to hold this so called “stick” in a relaxed manner can present many challenges. The pinky house is one of the tools used to help the students feel the placement of the 4th finger.

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LET’S WATCH

  • https://youtu.be/HPzJXxSWME8

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MAKING THE PINKY HOUSE

  1. Cut 2 to 3 inch of scotch tape/electric tape
  2. Fold in half (sticky part outwards)
  3. Wrap around pinky forming a circle
  4. Fold sticky side in on itself
  5. Place the pinky house at the back of the frog
  6. Cut another 2 inch portion and split it in half
  7. Reinforce by placing one half around the inside of the frog and the other on the outside (leave some overhang at the top to hold it all together)
  8. Smooch the remaining tape down into the center of the pinky house

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