MUSE 355 Final Project

Name: Maggie Haley Date: 12/5/2016

Directions

Each student will develop a basic pedagogical handbook to assist in

their teaching a future strings class. First, give a definition of the
pedagogical string technique given, then describe in detail five
teaching methods you will use to teach the topic. Remember,
figurative language is a good way to teach technical issues and
create details for your project. Turn the document into Bb as a Word
Doc.

Required Topics

Violin and Viola Set-Up

Definition: Feet flat on the floor, sitting up straight( as if about to
stand), jaw on chin rest.

1. Have students sit up and down multiple times until they are sitting
with the idea that they will have to stand up again quickly.
2. Walk through each position (1- arm and instrument out to the side,
2- turn wrist/ instrument to the ceiling, 3- bring the instrument to the
shoulder, 4- push jaw onto the instrument)
3. No criss cross apple sauce when playing violin or viola.
4. Remember to keep the rat’s apartment
5. Make sure that fingers are always kissing

Cello Set-Up
Definition: Feet flat on the floor, back straight, half circle on the top of
the body of the cello should be in the center of the chest, left hand in
the position to make a phone call.

1. Students should practice sitting and standing like the violins and
violas
2. Find the point on the cello that should rest on the center of the
chest and lay it back.
3. Hug the cello comfortably
4. Students should remember even finger spacing
5. Pegs should be behind the ear (even if it is awkward)

Double Bass Set-Up

Definition: Player stand to the side and slightly behind the bass. The
upper bout should rest on the stomach; the instrument should lean in
to the player.

1. Students should stand the bass up by rolling it and not dragging it

up
2. Stand up slightly behind the bass, let it lean back gently into the
stomach
3. NO TREES
4. The end pin should be extended so that the right arm can
comfortably reach the sweet spot and the left arm can comfortable
reach the top of the fingerboard
5. The left hand frame is much like the Ke$ha sign for fierce with the
pointer finger extended and the second, third and fourth fingers
slightly separated.

Violin and Viola Bow Hold

Definition: Thumb is bent with the pinky round on top. The pointer
finger is pronating into the stick and the middle and ring finger hang
over the stick on the first knuckles.

1. practice the bow hold by pretending to stir a pot with the bow
facing down.
2. On violin, the thumb may touch the hair right next to the frog but
the rest of the hair should not be make contact with the skin
3. Start with a bent hitchhiker thumb, turn the hand upside down, the
second and third fingers should be like Pac-Man, the first and fourth
fingers should be like bunny ears, the bunny falls asleep on the first
finger ear and the tip of the fourth finger ear rests on the top of the
thumb leather
4. Watch for straightened thumbs and pinkies
5. When in position to bow the strings, the weight of the bow should
be felt in the pinkie

Cello and Bass (French) Bow Hold

Definition: The top fingers are hung over the stick like they are
holding on to the cliff. The thumb is bent underneath the stick and the
pinky is bent just before the screw

1. Students can start practicing their bowing by using a wooden

dowel
2. The bows may feel very heavy to beginners so starting in the
middle of the stick will help to build the muscles
3. They also have a hitchhiker thumb but the first through fourth
fingers should wrap around the bow as if hanging off a cliff- they will
be connected to the bow at the middle knuckles
4. Like with the violins and violas, watch for straightened thumbs
5. Have students turn the bow over to feel the changing weight
between the pinky and first finger

Détaché
Definition: the notes should be played in different bow strokes

1. This is the basis of all bowing, it is on the string pulling and pushing
the bow
2. Students can use this bowing to focus on tone quality
3. Have students practice détaché while using the full bow for
different lengths of time
4. Students should focus on the weight and speed of the bow
5. The bowing will always begin down unless it is marked otherwise,
or if it starts on a weak beat.

Staccato
Definition: separated notes on the strings

1. Students should practice playing short notes that have a few beats
in between, then the amount of beats between notes gets shorter and
shorter.
2. Focus on the weight of the bow and the length of the bow being
used
3. Listen for a clean separation of the notes
4. This should be practiced with only the right arm at first
5. Students should think of monkey bars- their arms stop swinging to
grab each bar
Spiccato
Definition: separated notes off the strings.

1. Practice bouncing the bow on the strings

2. Students should think of skipping rocks across a surface of water
3. Practice separating each bow stroke to “reset” and think about the
next stroke. Gradually shorten the amount of think time between bow
strokes
4. Practice moving their arms like it’s a sailor song
5. The body should be relaxed

Louré
Definition: Bowing in the same direction with no separation

1. This bowing technique relies on pronation

2. The distinction between notes comes from momentarily pronating
at the front of each note
3. Students should think about slightly leaning into the instrument
when starting a new note
4. Students can also think about the motion of a water pump. To
release the water, the end of the pump is pulled up
5. The sound should not stop but the separate motes should be
distinct

Slurred Staccato
Definition: separated notes with bows in the same direction

1. This is like the concept of normal staccato with the separation

2. The bow will continue to move in the same direction it was going
before the separation
3. Think of when a car is stuck in heavy traffic, the car moves forward
a bit, then stops completely, then it continues to move forward
4. The bowing should maintain a consistent weight
5. The speed of the bow should allow for multiple notes in the same
direction

Retake
Definition: circling the bow to allow enough bow for a bow in the same
direction as the previous note.
1. The student should practice by first playing a down bow then lifting
the bow of the strings and repositioning for another down bow
2. Students should be sure to lift the bow completely off the strings
before repositioning
3. The bow should be placed firmly back on the strings so as not to
create undirected sound
4. Students should learn to maintain a solid bow hold so the bow
does not fly out of their hand on a quick retake
5. These are typically indicated by apostrophes in the music

Hooked Bow
Definition: Two notes in one bow (always long-short)

1.These are separated notes with the bow moving in the same
direction
2. The first note is always longer than the second note
3. The idea of this bow is very similar to slurred staccato
4. Students should think of skipping, the first step is longer than the
second.
5. Students should understand the difference between a hooked bow
and slurred staccato

Slur
Definition: Multiple notes in one bow

1. The student should use a slower bow with more weight to maintain
the dynamic
2. The right hand is thinking long single notes
3. The left hand is thinking multiple short notes
4. The hands should be having the dialogue of two different length
notes
5. Students should imagine the lights that change color, the colors
fade into each other. The light never stops but the colors change.

Tremolo
Definition: moving the bow back and forth quickly to rearticulate the
pitch continuously

1. Focus on the proper amount of weight in the bow

2. Students should play tremolos near the middle of the bow where
they have the most amount of control
3. Like vibrato the students should be able to hear what a tremolo
sounds like
4. Students should learn by practicing playing long notes and
gradually speeding up the movement of the bow
5. Students should start by shaking out their arm, then just at the
elbow, then at the wrist.

Sul Tasto
Definition: bowing over the finger board for a softer sound

1. Bowing on different places on the strings will produce different

sounds
2. Bowing over the finger board will create a softer and lighter tone
3. Students should remember the proper bow weight so the tone
does not spread
4. The bow hairs should remain flat against the strings
5. Practice this technique using the lanes over the strings

Ponticello
Definition: bowing near or on the bridge.

1. Bowing over the bridge will create a louder sound while using a
lighter bow
2. Students can practice this technique using the lanes on the strings
as well
3. If students use bow weight that is too heavy, the tone will sound
scratchy
4. Ponticello is a special bowing that is indicated in music as pont.
5. The sound created while playing over the bridge is very distinct.

Collé
Definition: Bowing with a sticky feeling on the beginning of notes

1. Students should think of collé as the bow hairs catching on the

strings then being released
2. Students should think of this as pronating into the start of the note
instead of using a heavier bow
3. Like a jammed door, you push your body into it until it gives, then
you lessen the amount of weight behind the door.
4. The wrist is responsible for the pronating movement
5. Remember that the sound should be consistent across the whole
note

String Crossings
Definition: Changing the strings

1. Students should find all of the different right arm positions for each
string
2. The box should not change with the different right arm positions
3. The elbow is responsible for each change
4. Practice only playing one string at a time at first
5. Students should practice crossing strings that are not next to each
other

Hand Frames
Definition: the way the fingers are arranged in certain key signatures.

1. For violin and viola which fingers are “kissing”? In frame 1 fingers 2
and 3 kiss. In frame 2 fingers 1 and 2 kiss
2. Celli have the fingers spaced equally for normal playing\
3. Basses should remember fierce or the bassman’s salute
4. Students should practice scales to get used to each hand frame
5. They can learn a hand frame on one string then transfer that to
another string.

Shifting
Definition: Moving finger up or down the finger board to play a wider
range of notes

1. For violins and violas, the thumb always travels with the first finger
2. For cello and bass, the thumb always travels with the second finger
3. The hand should not be gripping the neck so firmly that their
knuckles are white
4. Have students play sirens up and down the fingerboard to get used
to shifting
5. Have students play multiple octave scales
Tone Production
Definition: Tone is produced by the weight and position of the bow.
The quality of the instrument and strings as well as the age of the
strings will affect the tone.

1. Practice bow grip with out the instrument.

2. Make students use the full length of the bow in exercises
3. Teach students the different “lanes” of where to bow
4. Make sure that students are maintaining their instruments and that
their strings are not too old.
5. Teach students how to tune their own instrument as an instrument
that is out of tune will not vibrate as well as a tuned instrument.

Dynamics
Definition: Volume of the sound

1. Practice changing the weight of the bow

2. Practice changing the speed of the bow
3. Heavier bow will produce a louder sound while a lighter bow will
produce a quieter sound
4. A fast bow will also create a louder sound while a slower bow will
create a quieter sound
5. Remember not to overdo the weight of the bow in either extreme or
the tone quality will suffer

Phrasing
Definition: the way the music is broken up into sections

1. Give examples by speaking with strange phrasing

2. Teach students to breathe while they play
3. Students should learn dynamics and articulation to aid in phrasing
4. Have students sing/ hum their music
5. Have students listen and read along with music to hear the
phrasing. After students are comfortable with the idea of phrasing
have students decide what the phrasing should be

Vibrato
Definition: a rapid and slight change in pitch
1. Demonstrate what vibrato is by modeling or by playing a recording
2. Have students “polish” the strings making smaller and smaller
motions
3. The motions should be happening from the wrist
4. For cello and bass, some of the motion will naturally come from the
elbow because of the positioning and range of the instrument
5. The variation in the note should not be overly dramatic, only as big
as a half step

Five Elective Topics

1st Elective Topic. Pizzicato vs

Definition: Pizzicato is when the strings are plucked

1. In music, pizzicato will be indicated by pizz.

2. With pizzicato students should practice snapping then leading in to
pointing at someone. They should then hold the bow with the rest of
their fingers
3.The cushy part of the thumb will be on the bottom corner of the
finger board and the pointer finger will reach over the finger board to
pluck the strings
4. Students should remember that they should not be plucking the
strings too hard, simply hooking their finger underneath and pulling
up will create the sound
5. Switching between pizzicato and arco (bowing) can happen very
quickly in music so students should remember to keep the bow in a
position so the can switch quickly

2nd Elective Topic. Playing quick notes

Definition: Playing eighth notes and sixteenth notes

1. Students should focus on maintaining proper bow weight when

going back and forth from down and up bows quickly
2. The motion should come mainly from the wrist, cellos and basses
will naturally have some motion from the elbow
3. Students should use as much bow as possible while playing the
quick notes
4. The arms and shoulders should stay relaxed
5. To practice sixteenth notes in the left hand, fingers should be
completely relaxed. Practice moving very slowly from note to note
and gradually moving the fingers faster and faster, once there is
tension stop and start again.

3rd Elective Topic. Harmonics

Definition: An overtone produced by lightly putting the finger on the
strings

1. Students should explore finding harmonics by lightly running their

fingers over the strings while bowing
2. Celli usually use their third finger for harmonics
3. Violins and violas usually use their first finger for harmonics
4. Basses will most likely use their fourth finger, sometimes their
thumb when moving high up on the finger board
5. Harmonics can be used to help students tune their instrument

4th Elective Topic. Scales

Definition: patterns of pitches moving in half steps and whole steps

1. Scales will help students to play in different key signatures

2. They are a good basis for learning new hand frames
3. Students should practice scales and arpeggios
4. When students are comfortable with scales it is a good way to
practice new bowings on more than just one note
5. Students should learn scales in thirds as

5th Elective Topic. Improvisation

Definition: Making up a melodic line based on the harmony
underneath

1. This is a good way to get students comfortable playing all over the
instrument
2. This will also help to train students’ ears for hearing harmony
3. They should start off very simply, being given three notes that they
can choose from
4. They can also be given any notes but they have to play certain
rhythms
5. Students can be put into chamber groups to work on improvising
and creating melodies over a given base line