String Methods Pedagogy Handbook

Jessica Joyner Date: October 10, 2017

This is a pedagogical handbook to assist in teaching a future strings

class. Each topic below includes a definition and five teaching
methods I could use to teach the topic.

Violin and Viola Set-Up

Definition: The violin and viola should be set on the left shoulder slightly angled
toward the front with the left jaw resting on the chin rest and the head tilted toward the
instrument. The instrument should be parallel to the floor and the nose, scroll, and
fingerboard should form a line.

1. Have students stand with their feet shoulder width apart and shift their weight
between their feet. Then ask students to find the middle so their weight is equal when in
standing position.
2. To put instruments on the shoulder, have students hold their instruments parallel to
the floor in front of them. Have students lift their instruments in the air and slowly bring
it to their left shoulder and not turning their head toward it. They should use their right
hand to feel their jaw bone and then place it on the shoulder rest.
3. If students are slouching in their chairs, ask them to “grow an inch.” This will help
students sit up straight with their instruments.
4. Ask students to take their right index finger and find the button of their instrument
and use their left hand to hold the bout. Have students lift their instruments above their
shoulders and place them on their left shoulder, bringing the instrument to them, not
leaning or hunching toward the instrument.
5. Student’s left hand should be straight with their wrist and not against the neck of their
instrument. Ask students to pretend they have a mouse underneath the instruments’ neck
and tell them they can’t squish their mouse.

Cello Set-Up
Definition: The cello should be set at a height that when standing, the scroll is about
the same height as the player’s nose. The cello should be angled so that the knees are
resting just under the C-bouts of the instrument and the pegs just behind the left ear.

1. While standing, have students adjust their endpins so the scroll is at the same height
as their noses. With the end pin on the ground, ask students to sit on the front half of
their chairs with their backs straight so they are away from the chair. The end pin should
be directly in front of the student. Ask students to bring the instrument to them and
slightly to the left so the scroll is behind their left ear. Double check the height of the
endpin. Students’ knees should rest just below the C bouts on each side.
2. If students are slouching in their chairs, ask them to “grow an inch.” This will help
students sit up straight with their instruments.
3. Have students’ pretend they are holding a can of pop. This is their general left hand
shape with their thumb behind the second finger on the scroll.
4. Ask students to rest their hands at their sides with their instrument in playing
position. The teacher should be able to pull the cello away without resistance because
student’s knees should not grip the instrument.
5. Throughout class, ask cello players to shuffle their feet on the floor to double check
that their feet are flat on the floor and their heels are not rising up.

Double Bass Set-Up

Definition: It is recommended that students learn to play bass while sitting on a stool.
A one or two rung stool can be used. The height of the stool should be so that the
student’s left foot to be comfortably on a rung while the right foot be flat on the floor
with a slightly bent knee. The student should have their feet in this position with their
bass leaning into the left side of their stomach slightly, with the left knee behind the
instrument, which rests on the left thigh. The end pin should be at a height that the nut is
near the top of the player’s forehead while standing.

1. After students have their end pins at the correct height, ask students to hold their
instruments an arm’s length away in front of them while standing. Place students’ stools
behind them so one leg is pointing straight ahead and another is in line with the end pin.
Tell students to sit on the stool with right foot on the ground and the left foot on a rung of
the stool. Without moving their heads, students should bring their basses to them so that
it leans into the center of their body and rests on their left thigh.
2. If students are slouching in their chairs, ask them to “grow an inch.” This will help
students sit up straight with their instruments.
3. Frequently remind all students that they should be sitting on the front half of their
chairs/stools. Sitting too far to the edge can cause back and shoulder pain.
4. Have student’s quickly raise and lower both shoulders. This loosens the shoulders
and arms for better movement while playing.
5. Occasionally ask beginning bass players to lift both hands off their instrument to
make sure that the instrument is balanced and not dependent on the player’s left hand
gripping it.

Violin and Viola Bow Hold

Definition: The student should hold the bow so that the thumb is bent and placed
between the frog and the grip. The index finger should lean into the stick and the pinky
should be curved on top of the stick near the end of the adjusting screw. The middle and
ring finger should curve over the stick with the tips near the eye on the frog.
1. Have students make a “bunny” with their thumb, middle and ring fingers with their
thumb just under the other two. Place this hand shape on the stick with the thumb
between the frog and grip and the middle and ring fingers resting on the stick near the
second knuckle. Then their bunny falls asleep or dies (depending on their age), so the
pointer finger leans into the stick. The pinky then curls up and the tip rests on the top of
the stick next to the screw.
2. Holding the bow in the left hand, have students let their right hand drop by their side
and relax. Without moving their right hand shape, have students place their right hand on
their bows. Next, change their fingers so they bend their thumbs, adjust the index finger
into the stick and curl their pinky on top of the bow.
3. Have students hold a pencil in their left hand at eye level. Next, students should hang
their right hand over the top of the pencil so the pencil is between the second the third
knuckles. Next have students curved their fourth finger so it rests on top of the pencil.
Finally, students lean their right hand toward the index finger and then remove their left
hand from the pencil.
4. Have students hold wooden dowels vertically with a good bow hold. Next, the
students can race up and down the stick, maintaining their bow hold, to compete against
other classmates. This game reinforces that the player must have a bent thumb on their
bow and that without it they lose dexterity.
5. Once students understand the basic mechanics of the bow hold, take wooden dowels
and balloons and have students try to keep the balloon balanced off the stick and/or off
the ground, while keeping a bow hold, for as long as they can. The important thing to
remember with this game is for students to keep their bow hold the entire time. If the
student loses their bow hold or drops their balloon, they are out.

Cello and Bass (French) Bow Hold

1. Holding the bow in the left hand with the hair facing away from the student, have the
student “hang” off the frog with their fingers, with the stick near the second knuckles of
the middle three fingers. Then have students place their thumb underneath, bent and
placed between the frog and the grip. Lastly, the index finger should lean into the stick
toward the tip of the bow.
2. Holding the bow in the left hand, have students let their right hand drop by their side
and relax. Without moving their relaxed right hand shape, have students place their right
hand on their bows. Next, adjust the thumb so it is bent underneath the stick between the
frog and grip and adjust the index finger so it is leaning into the stick toward the tip.
3. Once students understand the basic mechanics of the bow hold, take wooden dowels
and balloons and have students try to keep the balloon balanced off the stick and/or off
the ground, while keeping a bow hold, for as long as they can. The important thing to
remember with this game is for students to keep their bow hold the entire time. If the
student loses their bow hold or drops their balloon, they are out.
4. Have students hold wooden dowels vertically with a good bow hold. Next, the
students can race up and down the stick, maintaining their bow hold, to compete against
other classmates. This game reinforces that the player must have a bent thumb on their
bow and that without it they lose dexterity.
5. Students thumbs should be bent so they form a smile as opposed to being straight and
forming a frown.

Détaché
Definition: A standard bow stroke in which the bow simply moves back and forth, or
up and down, parallel to the bridge across the string with a slight break in the sound. An
up bow goes from frog to tip, while a down bow goes from tip to frog.

1. Before students use instruments, use wooden dowels and paper towel tubes to
demonstrate the bow stroke. The paper towel tube should be held near the left shoulder
for violins and violas and in front of cello and bass players. Using these instead of
instruments helps separate the left and right sides for the student until they have their
instrument set-up correct.
2. When students first start with bowing, explain the “box,” “big V,” and “little v.”
When students are at the frog of their bow, their arm and wrist should make a little v.
When they are in the middle of the bow, their arm should create a “box” because their
elbow is at a 90 degree angle and their bow should be a third side of the box as long as
the bow is parallel to the bow. At the tip, students’ arms should form a “big V.”
3. Have students pair up and one student bow while the other checks their bowing and
guides it so that it is parallel to the bridge.
4. For violin and viola, have students place their left index finger in their right elbow as
they bow so that they can feel the motion of their elbow and wrist while they bow and be
more aware of it as they bow, hopefully leading to less problems with moving the
shoulder as well.
5. Having cellists hold their bow in the left hand on the strings near the tip, cellists
move their right hand bow shape back and forth along the stick of the bow. This helps
students feel the proper motion of their hand, wrist and arm without the resistance of the
weight of the bow.

Staccato
Definition: A short or stopped note, created by stopping the bow on the string, creating
more space between notes.

1. Have students place their bow on the string at the balance point and practice pinching
their stick toward the hair/string by pronating into the stick with their index finger. Have
students experiment by trying to pinch the bow using their other fingers. They will find
that it is easiest to do so with their index finger.
2. Use the analogy of the motion of turning a door knob to describe leaning the hand
into and away from the stick to start the staccato motion.
3. Ask students to place the bow on the string and pinch the bow into the string, or
“hook” it. Then ask students to pull the bow across the string. If the sound is too
scratchy, ask students to release some of the pressure on the bow but to still hook the bow
on the string.
4. Emphasis the silence between notes by asking students to play “loud rests” between
each note.
5. If students do not leave enough space between notes, ask them to rest between each
note at first and notice the silence between the notes. Explain that this silence should be
between their staccato notes whether or not there is actually a rest between them or not.
Gradually decrease the rest until it is only the appropriate space between notes.

Spiccato
Definition: A bowing style created by bouncing the bow at the bounce point in a
normal “up” and “down” bowing motion. Bow creates a “V” in the air.

1. Start with a brush stroke. Have students play on an open string normal bowing and
then ask them to lift their bow at the end of the stroke. Students can imagine a squared-
off “U” with the bottom being the part that touches the string. Begin at a slow tempo and
accelerate slowly.
2. Once students have a brush stroke well managed, ask students to imagine a “V” now
in the air rather than a square “U.” The bow is in the air slightly more than it is on the
string. Have students try this motion slowly on an open string. Increase the tempo as
students grasp the concept.
3. The bow should bounce on the string like a ball being dribbled between your hands.
(This analogy accounts for the bounce motion along with the V shape rather than going
straight up and down.)
4. Ask students to find the bounce point of their bow and bounce their bow straight up
and down on an open string. Have students slowly add bow direction to the bounces.
Once they have control of this, have students control the bounce more and more until it is
a good height and length for spiccato.
5. Once students have developed a basic spiccato stroke, ask students to play with a
light detaché stroke near the balance point of the bow. Next instruct students to lift the
bow at each end of the bow stroke by only bending their fingers and place the bow back
by flexing their fingers. Ask students to experiment with these finger lifts with different
bow lengths in between.

Louré
Definition: A bow stroke involving two or more notes under one bow direction linked
together with only a slight pause and/or articulation between them.

1. Ask students to start by playing two notes of the same pitch together as slurred
staccato. Then ask students to experiment with less articulation between the notes so that
the sound is more legato but there is still space between.
2. Have students pronate and release with their right hand as they are playing a long
bow stroke. As students’ develop this skill, instruct them to stop the bow quickly
between the release of one wave and the lean of the next.
3. Use the analogy of drawing waves with their right hand as they bow.
4. Have students play scales alternating different bow strokes, including louré.
5. Have students alternate between groups of pitches in slurred staccato and louré. Ask
students to find the differences between the two. The main differences they should find
is that louré requires less weight in the beginning and therefore less release of weight as
well compared to slurred staccato.

Slurred Staccato
Definition: Two notes of the same rhythmic value slurred with space between the
notes.

1. Have students slur two notes on one string. Next have students stop the bow in
between these notes without changing bows. Finally, ask students to “hook” the bow on
each note to ensure the short staccato articulation on each note.
2. Ask students to play one staccato note and freeze. Then instruct students to play a
different staccato note using the same bow direction. Gradually increase the speed of this
and decrease the amount of time in between, while still leaving space between the notes.
3. Ask students to practice pinching the bow stick to the hair and then pulling the bow
in different areas of the bow. Tell students their goal should be to have an equal sound in
all parts of the bow in either bow direction.
4. Ask students to recall playing a loud rest in between notes when they learned staccato
notes. Emphasize that this silence between notes is still needed in staccato no matter if
the staccato notes are slurred or separate bows.
5. Once students can play two staccato notes in the same bow direction, challenge them
so see how many they can play under one bow.

Retake
Definition: Also referred to as a bow “lift,” the retake moves the bow so that the bow
is contacting the string in a new place, usually to prepare for the next passage. This often
means returning to the frog so the point of contact is near the frog, but can also be a
movement so the bow starts at the tip before a long up bow.

1. Have students make counter-clockwise circular motions in the air with their bow,
using where they would normally play on the string as the bottom of the circle. This
helps the students understand to complete the bow stroke as they lift the bow, rather than
lifting the bow directly up off the string.
2. Every time students lift their bow, remind them to set the bow before starting the new
note. This prevents the bow from bouncing on the string on the new bow direction
because it did not have contact with the string before it was moved.
3. Ask students to imagine how birds land and get their footing before running around
on the ground. This is like how the bow has to be set on the string before it is pulled in
order to avoid “crash landings” and bounce the bow on and off the string as the bow is
being pulled.
4. Once students have the basic motion of retakes, have students retake their bow to
start a pick-up note as an up bow. This is a good time to explain to students that not all
up bows have to start at the tip and have them experiment with short pick up notes
starting at the frog.
5. With instruments in playing position, have students create the counter-clockwise
motion described in number 1 and playing on the string at the bottom of the motion. This
means the motion will not be continuous as they have to set their bow before playing.
Ask students to experiment with retaking their bow and playing different lengths of notes
or changing the size of the circular motion. Eventually the circle in the air should be
short and relatively quick.

Hooked Bow
Definition: Two notes tied together, using the same bow direction, the first longer in
rhythmic value than the second.

1. Have students play the value of a half note, stopping at the end and saving some bow.
Then have students play a quarter note value with the remainder of the bow. Ask
students to take note of the silence in the space between the notes. Slowly decrease the
amount of time stopped between the notes, but still make sure there is space between the
notes.
2. Emphasis the silence between notes by asking students to play “loud rests” between
each note.
3. After students get the rhythmic concept of hooked bowing, ask them to hook their
bow on the second note.
4. If students have trouble with the feeling of the bowing, ask students to close their
eyes while you play the rhythm on an open string then ask students to try the hooked
bowing again on their own. This will help students to feel the rhythm in their bodies
before they attempt to play it.
5. Once students have the concept of the bowing on the string, ask them to play a scale
with the bowing.

Slur
Definition: Two notes tied together using the same bow direction.

1. Ask students to pull their bows in one direction while trilling. This helps students
understand the concept of playing multiple notes with the left hand while only using one
bow direction.
2. Have students use half of their bow for one note, stop, and then change notes and use
the rest of the bow. Slowly decrease the amount of time between these actions until the
bow is in one steady motion.
3. Instruct students to imagine the bow being divided into two, three, or four sections
(depending on the number of notes in the slur) and change their left hand when the bow
reaches the dividing points. This can also be done by taping the stick of the bow at the
half way point and/or in quarters.
4. Tell students that their right hand and left hand are having an argument. While the
left hand thinks it is playing eighth notes or quarter notes, the right hand is convinced it is
playing quarter notes or half notes.
5. If students have already been taught hooked bows, begin by having students using
hooked bows in a pattern with two notes. Next tell them to not stop their bow in between
the notes. Finally, ask students to make the left hand notes equal in length while the right
hand continues with the length it was going.

Tremolo
Definition: The same note repeated in rapid succession, created on string instruments
by very small, quick bowings using the middle to upper half of the bow.

1. Have students place their bow in the upper half of their bow. Instruct them to wave
their hand using their wrist, quickly moving back and forth using one or two inches of the
bow. Ask students to experiment using different dynamics and tremolo speeds using this
technique.
2. Model for students a loud tremolo bowing by keeping the arm, wrist and hand in a
straight line and moving the bow quickly back and forth. Have students imitate while the
teacher checks their right arm for the correct position and a good speed.
3. Once students know both of the above, ask them how they think they would attempt a
forte-piano tremolo. Model for students the initial quick pull of the bow and the
following “hand waving” tremolo and ask students to imitate and practice it on their own.
4. Have students play scales with tremolo bowings. This can be with the entire scale as
one type of tremolo or alternating arm and hand tremolo.
5. For forte piano tremolos, use the analogy of cartoons where the large weight drops
really quickly and then stops right above the characters head until the character looks up
and sees it. This is what the weight of their hand should do. In the initial pull of the bow,
students should use a lot of bow weight and speed, and then once the bow is to the tip
they should release almost all of the weight they were using to create the piano tremolo.

Sul Tasto
Definition: A style of bowing in which the bow is placed over the fingerboard and
played very lightly.

1. Remind students of the bowing lanes they were taught for dynamics. Add 2 lanes
over the fingerboard for sul tasto bowing, one on the end of the fingerboard and another
farther up.
2. Have students experiment with bowing over the fingerboard with different bow
weights and speeds and attempting to play loudly while bowing over the fingerboard.
Students will find that sul tasto bowing must be done with quiet dynamics.
3. Have students experiment with bowing on all of the hair on the bow above the
fingerboard or with the bow at an angle and only using the edge of the hairs over the
fingerboard. Ask students which sound seems to fit the desired dynamic and sound of sul
tasto bowing. They should discover that to match the desired sound they should use flat
bow hair.
4. Tell students that they should use almost no weight in sul tasto bowing. Bowing
should be almost like a feather cutting through air; there is only enough resistance to keep
the bow on the string.
5. Challenge students to be as soft as they can using sul tasto bowing, while maintaining
good sound production.

Sul Ponticello
Definition: A bowing style in which the player bows very close to the bridge and even
slightly over the bridge. Bow hair is placed flat on the string either slightly touching the
bridge or close next to the bridge.
Players should use very little bow weight and quick bow speed to produce the desired
effect.

1. Ask students to recall the lane analogy used to describe dynamics. Add another lane
close to the bridge. This lane is used for sul ponticello bowing.
2. Demonstrate sul ponticello sound for students. Have students experiment with
different bow weights and speed until they discover that they must use very little weight
and a lot of bow speed to produce the sound.
3. Have students compare and contrast sul tasto bowing with sul ponticello. Point out
that the main difference between them is the bow placement in relation to the bridge and
fingerboard. Both use flat bow hair with little bow weight and quick bow speed.
4. Have students alternate between the sul ponticello lane and the other bowing lanes.
Ask students what they must change in their bow speed, weight, and placement, as they
change lanes.
5. Explain to students that in order to be successful with sul ponticello bowing, they
need ALL of the “ingredients” in the recipe. If they leave out using any one aspect (flat
bow hair, faster bow speed, little bow weight, and bow next to the bridge), they will not
have sul ponticello bowing.

Collé
Definition: Translates to “to stick.” Bow stroke that starts with player pronating into
the bow and then releasing the extra weight quickly after the bow change.

1. Have students experiment with pinching the bow into the string on each note.
Encourage students to use their hands and fingers to do the work.
2. Have students place the bow near the frog on an open string. Instruct students to pull
the bow in a down bow motion using only the motion of bending their fingers and pulling
the bow off the string. Then have students perform an up bow direction using only the
motion of flexing their fingers to “throw” the bow back toward the string. Have students
continue to do this exercise, maybe using a scale so it is not only open string.
3. Have students practice the stroke at the frog of the bow. Ask students to at first
practice the stroke by using all down bows and then by using all up bows. Once students
have mastered both using primarily the fingers, ask them to alternate up and down bows.
4. Demonstrate to students the similar sound between a loud pizzicato at the bridge and
the collé bow stroke. Have students try to imitate the pizzicato sound with their collé.
5. Have students experiment with the collé bow stroke using other contact points of the
bow and string in the lower half of the bow.

String Crossings
Definition: Changes of the bow angle to change strings, usually quickly or back and
forth between two strings.

1. Ask violin, viola and cello students to place their bow on the bridge at the balance
point. Basses should place their bow at the balance point on the normal contact point on
the strings. Ask them to rock their bow along the bridge so they gain an understanding of
the distance between string levels. Next ask students to try doing the same thing at
different parts of the bow.
2. Place rests between notes that involve string crossings. This allows students to
isolate the motion of the string crossing. Slowly decrease the length of time in between
notes until there is no stop between notes.
3. Have students place their bow on one string and call out string names for students to
switch their bows to as quickly as they can. Start with lots of space between string
changes and slowly increase the rate of the changes.
4. For quick string crossings, ask students to create the smallest angle they can between
strings to make quickly crossing strings easiest. Use a comparison to math where they
find the “least common denominator,” but in strings they use the “least common angle”
between the strings.
5. Use the analogy of a teeter-totter to describe the bow in string crossings. When you
are at the tip, the bow moves like the teeter-totter from one extreme to the other, while at
the frog or balance point it just barely moves, like it would if the wind were blowing it
while no one is around.

Hand Frames
Definition: The players’ left hand shapes that change the position of the half steps and
whole steps between fingers.
1. To teach cello backward extensions, ask students to use their right forearm as a
fingerboard and place their left hand in playing position on it. Extending backward
should be a pivot motion with their elbow so to make their first finger reach halfway
between the nut and the first finger position in first position.
2. For violins and violas to reach back from B on the A string to Bb, tell them to
“knuckle back” because it is only a motion of the first finger knuckles. This is one of
those terms that will remind students not to move the rest of their hand and they will
remember easily for the rest of their playing career.
3. For violins and smaller violas, half steps “kiss.” This is a reminder that fingers are
touching when they are only a half step apart. This works for violas as well, but the
spacing on larger violas is slightly farther apart so fingers are not quite touching.
4. To teach cello forward extensions, ask students to use their right forearm as a
fingerboard and place their left hand in playing position on it. Have students practice
opening and closing the distance between the first and second finger. The first finger
should pivot and the thumb should move with the second finger. Move this motion to the
string of the instrument. Then have students practice pizzicatoing the pitches of the first,
second and fourth finger. The first finger should not change while the second and fourth
finger should change by a half step.
5. Have students bow double stops with one string with fingers down and the other
string left open. For violins, violas, and cellos, students should place fingers on the
higher string and bow the next lowest open string as well. For bass, students should place
fingers on a lower string and bow the next highest string as well.

Shifting
Definition: Moving the left hand on the fingerboard away from first position so the
finger placement changes the succession of notes using the same fingers. Shifting can be
used to avoid string crossings, to extend range, and for ease of fingerings in a passage.

1. Ask students to find the harmonic to split the string in half with their fourth finger.
Have students alternate between an open string with their hand in first position and the
octave harmonic with their fourth finger. Once students can consistently find the
harmonic after moving from first position, challenge students to do the same thing and
find the harmonic with different fingers.
2. Challenge students to move up and down their fingerboards and see how many
harmonics they can find. Students should be able to find 3 or 4 harmonics at an
intermediate playing level.
3. Have students slide up and down the fingerboard with their fingers between two
strings. Watch to ensure that their thumb moves with the hand and the correct finger for
the instrument.
4. Ask students to play one octave scales on one string using only one finger. Watch to
ensure their thumb moves with the hand and the correct finger for the instrument. Have
students first pizzicato the scales. As they improve, students can begin to bow the scales
while shifting.
5. For violins and violas, have students put their bows down and use their right hand to
lightly pull their elbow in as they shift from low to high positions. This will solidify that
each position is a change in the elbow position as well as the hand and fingers.

Tone Production
Definition: Tone production is controlled by three things on string instruments: bow
speed, bow weight, and bow placement. The bow needs more weight at the tip than it
does at the frog to produce the same sound. The placement and speed of the bow need to
change with the dynamic and the range in which the instrument is being played.

1. Use the analogy of pounds for weight on the bow. If students begin by playing with
too much or too little weight on their bow, use this analogy to explain how to correct it.
2. Use the analogy of miles per hour to describe bow speed. Students often begin with a
slow bow speed when they start playing with the bow on the instrument and need to be
encouraged once it is appropriate to use a faster bow speed in order to use the whole bow.
3. After explaining to students the three aspects of good tone production, have students
experiment with different combinations of the three so they become comfortable with all
aspects. They should discover that as one aspect of these three changes, the others should
adjust as well.
4. When students begin playing in the high register of their instruments, with their left
hands toward the end of the fingerboard, ask students to be mindful of their bow
placement. When playing in this high of a register, the bow should move toward the
bridge and away from the fingerboard no matter the dynamic.
5. Explain to students that the bow should travel faster on strings with smaller diameter
(i.e. higher pitch strings compared to lower pitch strings). The bow should also travel
slower when bowing closer to the bridge.

Dynamics
Definition: Varying volumes of playing that result from bow position in relation to the
fingerboard and bridge, the weight of the bow, and the speed of the bow.

1. Use the analogy of lanes of a road in relation to bowing lanes for students. Near the
fingerboard is the piano lane, the middle between the fingerboard and bridge is the
mezzoforte lane, and the lane right next to the bridge, with the bridge as the concrete
center divider is the forte lane. This analogy also illustrates bow speed because the lane
closest to the center divider requires faster bow speed and the lane near the fingerboard
requires slower bow speed. The bridge is the concrete divider because students should
not bow over the bridge as that produces a totally different quality of sound.
2. Ask students to experiment with bow speed, weight, and contact point in any
combination to alter dynamic levels. Ask them to share their findings and pull from their
findings to create generalizations about the combinations in relation to dynamics.
3. Use the analogy of miles per hour to vary the speed of students’ bow strokes.
4. Use the analogy of pounds to have students vary the weight of their bow strokes.
Call out different weights and have students change their bow strokes accordingly.
5. Have students close their eyes and, while playing normal detache bow strokes, ask if
their up bow is the same dynamic level of their down bow. Have students adjust their
weight, speed, and placement to adjust their dynamic level until the down bows and up
bows are equal.

Phrasing
Definition: The aspect of music that divides musical ideas. A phrase is a musical idea
that could stand alone. Phrasing is the shaping of these musical ideas so that the audience
knows the beginning of one phrase and the end of the last.

1. Use the analogy of a sentence to describe phrases. It is important for the listener to
understand that there is a beginning and end to each phrase that is made.
2. Once students have been exposed to enough music, ask them to brainstorm the
different ways they could treat the beginning and end of phrases, along with the phrase as
a whole.
3. Have students experiment with particular phrases that are unmarked, either in the
music or new phrases that you give them on their own. Ask the class to come to a
conclusion as to how they should treat each phrase, dynamically and through their
articulation of the beginning and end.
4. In the case of call and response phrases, have students experiment with different
ways to make the phrases interact. This can be with dynamics or articulation.
5. A common problem with phrasing is for students to treat the end of a phrase too
harshly, especially for classical music. Ask students to imagine the end of the phrase
drifting off in the air rather than being cut off at the end.

Vibrato
Definition: Slight bend around a pitch used by moving the finger slightly back and
forth on the string near the note.

1. Students “pretend” they are cleaning their fingerboard with their hand in playing
position by sliding up and down the neck with their left hand. This can be done in either
guitar or playing position. Have their motion come smaller as they focus on one spot that
won’t come clean. The spot won’t come clean so they have to focus one finger on the
spot and rock their hand back and forth on the spot.
2. For teaching violin and viola wrist vibrato, use plastic easter eggs with rice or
something to make a shaker noise in them. Students hold their left arm in playing
position and use their wrist to shake the eggs in time with the group. Slowly increase the
speed or division of the beat to emulate a smaller vibrato.
3. Wrist vibrato on violin and viola can start with students waving at themselves with
their hand on the neck of their instruments, then placing fingers on the fingerboard and
keeping the same motion.
4. For cello and bass vibrato, first ensure students begin with mastering the slide part of
vibrato (number 1 on this list). To help the pivot motion of vibrato on low strings, ask
students to take their left hand and, keeping their fingers mostly straight, touch their
collarbone with their second finger and rotate their forearm while keeping their elbow
motionless.
5. Once students have the basic motion of vibrato in their left hand, ask students to bow
one string while vibrating on the string above it. Once they master this, students can
finally bow and vibrato on the same string.
Five Elective Topics

Tuning
Definition: The act of adjusting string pitches to make them in tune with the rest of the
ensemble and the strings on the instrument in tune with each other.

1. Describing beats as waves of sound, adjust an instrument so that the A string is very
flat. Play the flat A string against a tuner or an in-tune string and point out to students the
sound of the beats in the sound. Next slowly tune the A string toward the correct pitch
and point out to students that the waves become closer together and clash less and less as
the string becomes closer to being in tune.
2. Play an open A string while turning the peg or fine tuner. Ask students to indicate if
the string is getting higher or lower in pitch.
3. Play an open A and have students play their A string and compare. Have students
pluck and turn their tuner until it matches the teacher’s.
4. Play an A on an electronic and then play an out of tune A string. Ask students to
indicate if the out of tune A string needs to go higher or lower in pitch.
5. As students become more advanced with their tuning abilities, ask them to listen for
beats while playing double stops on their instruments or while listening down to a perfect
fourth or fifth being played by another section (Basses play D while ensemble plays A,
etc).

Martelé
Definition: A bowing style that involves an accent in the beginning of each note
followed by an immediate release of weight in the bow. There should be silence between
strokes.

1. Have students place their bow on the string and practice pinching the hair toward the
stick by leaning only the index finger toward the bow and releasing the weight each time.
2. Ask students to place their bow on the string and try to pinch the hair toward the stick
by using all the fingers to pinch the bow and release the weight each time.
3. Model to students that each martelé bow stroke involves three steps: pinching the
bow into the string, pulling the bow, and immediately releasing all weight on the bow so
the bow is able to move easily across the string.
4. Ask students to imitate the sound of a pizzicato with their martelé bow strokes. The
sound of the notes should be very short with silence in between.
5. Practice the martelé bow stroke by playing scales with the new stroke.

Harmonics
Definition: Light placement of the left hand on the string to divide the string in halves
or quarters. With a fast, light bow, the pitch heard should be an octave of the string or an
octave and a fifth.
1. Ask students to place their fourth finger halfway between the nut and the bridge.
Their finger should only be touching the string and not in contact with the fingerboard. It
may be easiest for students to bow while looking for the exact placement of the harmonic.
2. Have students practice finding the harmonic explained above quickly by asking them
to alternate between their hand in first position and playing the open string or a perfect
fourth of the open string and then moving to the harmonic.
3. Challenge students to find as many harmonics as they can on an open string.
4. Ask students to experiment with different bow speeds while playing harmonics.
They should discover that harmonics sound better with a faster bow speed.
5. Once students are more advanced in their playing and their intonation, violins and
violas can create false harmonics by placing their first finger to the fingerboard on a note
and touching with their fourth finger the spot a perfect fourth away. This harmonic
should sound an octave above the first finger note.

Aural Skills
Definition: The skills associated with being able to imitate melodies and patterns by
ear.

1. In beginning classes, model sliding a pitch and have students imitate the string and
direction that you played.
2. Model four note pitch patterns for beginning classes and ask students to echo exactly
what was played.
3. Have students learn arpeggios by ear in keys that they are familiar with, both major
keys and their relative minors.
4. Ask each section to create its own melody and model for the class to echo and play
back.
5. In more advanced classes, have students come up with chords to accompany a
melody. Have one section play the melody while the others play the chords that have
been previously chosen or that a teacher or student indicates with finger numbers.

Parallel Bowing
Definition: Bowing should always be parallel to the bridge while playing any style or
bow stroke.

1. Have students find partners. Ask one partner to bow on an open string while the
other partner guides their bow to be parallel to the bridge. Make sure partners switch so
each partner is checked.
2. Use the analogy of driving lanes to describe the different lanes to bow between the
bridge and fingerboard. If students stay in one lane while bowing, they will keep their
bow parallel to the bridge.
3. Have students place their bow on the string at the frog or tip. Ask students to pivot
their bow by bending and flexing their fingers, wrist and elbows.
4. Have students watch their bow in the mirror while the practice. Tell them that they
should make a slight crescent shape in the air with the end of their bow by pushing their
wrist and arm away from themselves when they reach the tip of the bow.
5. Ask students to make all down bows or all up bows. Check students’ arms, wrists,
and hand positions and to make sure they are relaxed before every bow stroke.