Exploring the First Position and Beyond:
Once students have thoroughly studied the Fundamental Skills packet, including all of the major and minor scales and arpeggios in 1st position, it's time to start expanding into several areas.
Hand position names can be largely abandoned in favor of scale and interval theory,
though the hand organization concepts will remain.
1) Slightly larger, more mature pieces of music in the 1st position.
2) An increased awareness of musical intervals (the distance between notes). Trills.
3) Further development of bow technique and sound quality.
4) Significant preparation and work on shifting, vibrato, double stops.
In violin playing, you are what you eat. It's important to maintain both a variety of interesting challenges,
and have an eye towards building comprehensive and systematic skill sets.
Useful repertoire selections:
These are examples of pieces that are great for this stage of playing. Older students, especially have a lot to gain from the difficult reading in the Crab Canon, the Perpetual Motions, and the Cantabile playing in Beethoven and Schumann.
Repertoire selections should be a "Choose your own adventure," and students should be encourage to browse through material close to and slightly beyond their skill level.
Once students have thoroughly studied the Fundamental Skills packet, including all of the major and minor scales and arpeggios in 1st position, it's time to start expanding into several areas.
Hand position names can be largely abandoned in favor of scale and interval theory,
though the hand organization concepts will remain.
1) Slightly larger, more mature pieces of music in the 1st position.
2) An increased awareness of musical intervals (the distance between notes). Trills.
3) Further development of bow technique and sound quality.
4) Significant preparation and work on shifting, vibrato, double stops.
In violin playing, you are what you eat. It's important to maintain both a variety of interesting challenges,
and have an eye towards building comprehensive and systematic skill sets.
Useful repertoire selections:
These are examples of pieces that are great for this stage of playing. Older students, especially have a lot to gain from the difficult reading in the Crab Canon, the Perpetual Motions, and the Cantabile playing in Beethoven and Schumann.
Repertoire selections should be a "Choose your own adventure," and students should be encourage to browse through material close to and slightly beyond their skill level.
1) Challenging Characteristic Pieces in 1st Position only:
Longer works: Violin Concerto in B minor, Rieding Sonata in C major, Clementi, (Seitz) Short Works: Crab Canon, Bach Erinnerung, Schumann (A major) Liebesleid, Beethoven, (Bb major) Minuet from Symphony no. 39, Mozart (transcribed to D major) Rigaudon de Dardanus, Rameau (G major and minor) Polka, Dancla (F, Bb Major) Danse Grotesque, Hartmann (B minor) Hymn Autrichien. Don Juan Op.86, Dancla (G minor and Bb major) Perpetual Motion, Finale of Quartet in D, Haydn Perpetual Motion, Leonard (C major) These are all available in the public domain, through IMSLP (except the crab canon). However, I've compiled them in a downloadable set, some with reduced file size. 2) From Hubert Leonard's Belgian School of Violin Playing, Exercises in Interval Recognition: It's often difficult to teach theory alongside violin playing. These short violin duets are excellent for introducing the concept of intervals. -2nds, 3rds, 4th, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths, Octaves, 9ths, 10ths. Introductory exercises and duets. -A trill preparation and study. 3) Bow technique and Sound Quality: Leonard's Sons Files and Staccato exercises. From the "Petit Gymnatstique du Jeune Violinistes, 50 études faciles" (op. 40), edited by Ovide Musin: Studies: 1 - Grand Detache, (G Major) 2 - Slurs and Crossing in the middle of the bow. (D Major) 3 - Varied Slurs and short strokes in the middle. (C Major) 4- Martele at tip (or any location) (D major) **5- Double stops over slurs. (Eb major) 6- Detache, difficult reading, extensions (C Major) **7- An Exploration of 24 Scales in Positions 1, 2 ,3. 8 - Adagio with some basic shifting (Eb major) 9 - Up bow Staccato (similar to Kreutzer 4, easier reading)(G major) 10 - Air Varie, limited 3rd position, variations requiring martele and fast detache. 17 - Chromatic scale study in 1st position. (C major) **can be significant hurdles. Download Link Available on IMLSP 4) Advanced Development, starting to get out of 1st position. -Students should have an awareness of the 7 positions, at least in C major (See modal scales in Fundamental skills packet). -All three octave major and minor scales are excellent places for working on shifting. -Vibrato and basic position work can be taught side-by-side, using easy pieces from the "Fundamental Skills" packet, and modal scales. |
Notes: -Large scale work, mix of many articulations and bowing challenges. Extremely scalar. - Bowing Co-ordination challenges, easier than Rieding. -A "mirror image" violin duet. Difficult note reading -"Remembrance." Lyrical, string crossings. -"Love Song" Lyrical String Crossings -Various Dance related bow strokes, easy double stopping. -Son of Zeus Battles a Sea Monster. Baroque Affects and String crossings. -Cute Polka, requires both extreme upper and lower half of bow playing. -Uses some harmonic minor, ponticello, fast playing. -Uses the famous Austrian Hymn (same as Haydn's Emperor Quartet) Many expressive bowing challenges. -Perpetual Motions in 1st position 1st Position Pieces, Download here:
1st Position Etudes, Belgian School of Hubert Leonard
In comparison, Wolfhart's exercises are generally much more boring and inferior from both a musical and pedagogical perspective. Applebaum's 1st position etudes are a close second, and perhaps still valuable as sight reading material.
In Leonard's studies, tangible skill sets are more obvious to the student. |