Main Teaching Points
For the Bow:
- New bow technique: up-bow stacatto
- Combining bowing patterns learned in previous songs
- Dotted half note slow bow (three counts)
For the left hand:
- Changing the position of the second finger from C-sharp to C-natural and back within one song
- 3rd and 4th finger dexterity
Musical Aspects:
- A-B-C song pattern
Step-by-step for teaching the song
- Point out the new markings for staccato in Bars 1 and 3
- Practice the new bow on the open A string, a full down-bow, then two up-bows evenly dividing the bow in half
- Practice Bar 1, pointing out that it is the same as using open string only now the third finger is held down (repeat several times)
- Practice Bar 3, pointing out that now there is a different note for each part of the staccato, adding an element of coordination (repeat several times)
- Point out that the song combines long and short bows (quarter/eighth notes) and slow and fast bows (quarter/half notes), patterns that have been learned in previous songs.
- Practice the right hand alone, just the bowing (the teacher should play the song so the student can connect the movement of the right arm with the melody (repeat a few times)
- Point out that in changing from Bar 5 to 6 the left hand needs to shift its weight and energy to the third and fourth fingers while relaxing the 1st and 2nd finger (like “wet spaghetti noodles”). Relaxing the 1st and 2nd fingers is a very important skill that must be taught here.
- (Bars 5 and 6) Practice what I call “buttoning” the third finger on G on the D string, then relaxing the 1st and 2nd fingers, then “popping” the fourth finger over in place on E before releasing the third finger.
- Point out that the new second finger pattern learned in the G major scale is used in the second first two lines (Part A) and the last two lines (Part C) while the middle two lines (Part B) use the old C-sharp finger pattern
Assignments for daily home practice
- Up-bow staccato practice: practice the new bow on open A a few times and then practice Bars 1 and 3 a few times each
- With the left hand in playing position practice a few hand tilts, allowing the weight of the hand to shift out of the 1st and 2nd fingers into the 3rd and 4th fingers while relaxing and releasing the 1st and 2nd fingers (“wet spaghetti noodles”)
- Practice Part A a few times (first two lines)
- Practice bars 5 and 6 a few times paying careful attention to “buttoning” the third finger and “popping” the fourth finger over. Then, practice bars 13 and 14 which use the same exact finger pattern but on the A and E strings
- Practice Part B (lines 3 and 4) a few times to review the C-sharp second finger pattern.
- Practice Part C a few times (last two lines)
- Practice the entire song a few times