My Viola Music Packet

Name: ______
School: ______Elementary School

Please read these practice tips and viola care guide with a parent or guardian. Once you have read this page, please sign here:
______
parent/guardian signature
______
student signature
Practice Tips:

1. Please be sure you have all materials when you practice. These materials include the viola, sponge, music stand, practice chart, pencil, and music book. Later this year, you will also need your bow, rosin, and a cleaning cloth when you practice. Please do not start playing with the bow until instructed to do so.

2. Practice the same time every day—having a routine will help. You can also break up your practice times. Try practicing 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes after school, and 10 minutes before you go to bed.

3. Find a quiet place to practice that is well lit.

4. Think about the music you are playing—are you producing a beautiful tone? Also think about your posture and instrument position. Fix any mistakes early on so they don’t become bad habits!

5. Try playing pieces in small sections; once a section is completed, go on to the next section.

6. Perform for others—parents, grandparents, siblings, even pets!

How to Care for your Viola:

1. Do not expose your instrument to extreme heat/coldness (do not leave it in the car!).

2. Handle your instrument, bow, and case with care. Do not bump your instrument inside or
outside of the case. Do not touch the bow hair or tap your bow against anything solid—it
can break!

3. Always wash your hands before you play.

4. Remove your shoulder rest or sponge from your instrument before placing it in the case.

5. Always check to make sure that your case is fully zippered or latched up before picking it up.

6. NEVER do home repairs—always take it to a string music store or myself to repair it.

7. Check your bridge often to make sure it is standing up straight. If it is not, let me or another
string professional know so we can fix it.

8. Do not let anyone else play your instrument.

9. Always store your instrument in the case when you are not playing it.

10. In crowded situations, put your instrument in a place where it won’t get stepped on.

HOW TO READ THE LESSON SCHEDULE

Below is a sample music lesson schedule, as well as instructions on how to check your lesson time each week.

Step 1) Check the dates on TOP of the lesson schedule first and find the correct date (otherwise, if you don't check the date, you may end up coming to your lesson at the wrong time)
Step 2) Scroll down and find your name. Look to the left of your name and find your lesson time.
Here is an example: Andrew's lesson time is at 8:00 on Friday March 15. Andrew's lesson time is at 8:20 on Friday March 22. Andrew's lesson time is at 8:50 on Friday March 29.
Question: What time will Hannah L have lessons on Friday March 15? ______What time will Hannah L have lessons on Friday March 22? ______What time will Hannah L have lessons on Friday March 29? ______

11.

12.

13.

14.

History of The Viola!

v European paintings showed pictures of instruments that were played with
a bow in 900 A.D.

v Some of these instruments were the Rebec, the
lira di braccio, and the rabob.

v The viola was created in Italy in the early 1500s.

v The viola was called the “alto-tenor” violin.

v The viola was not a well-liked instrument, at first.
In the 1700s, composers began to compose music for the
viola and it gained some popularity.

v Here is a list of some viola composers: Georg Philip Telemann, Alexander Glazunov, Carl Stamitz,
Antonin Dvorak, and William Walton.

v Here is a list of famous violists: William Primrose, Paul Hindemith, Rebecca Clarke, and Pinchas Zukerman (still alive).

For more information about the viola, you can visit these websites:

History of the Viola:
http://www.soundjunction.org/theviolaabriefhistory.aspa?NodeID=1
OR
http://www.viola-in-music.com/history-of-the-viola.html

What does the viola sound like?:

http://www.dsokids.com/2001/dso.asp?PageID=161

Parts Of The Viola!

Please study and locate these viola parts on your own viola until you can point to and name them by memory:

-Scroll
-Pegs
-Strings (A-D-G-C)
-Fingerboard
-Bridge
-Upper Bouts
-Tail Piece
-Chin rest

Please study and locate these viola parts on your own viola until you can point to and name them by memory:

-Peg box
-Nut
-Neck
-Fine Tuners

-C bouts
-F Holes
-Sound post
-End button

How to hold the Viola

Taking the Viola Out of the case:

1. Lay the viola on the floor, not on a chair. Make sure the viola is
not upside-down!
2. Open your case by unfastening the snaps or using the zipper
Holding the Viola:

Step 1. After opening the case, put the sponge underneath the rubber

bands (or, if you have a shoulder rest, put that on the viola)

Step 2. Hold the viola by the upper bout with your left hand
Step 3. Stand up tall, with “smiling” feet. Then move your feet apart
so you feel like your body is balanced evenly on both legs
Step 4. Look to the left!
Step 5. Hold viola out in front of you (look at the back of it)
Step 6. Turn viola up and cover your left shoulder. Put chin down
on chin rest
Step 7. Try holding your viola WITHOUT using your hands!

Plucking the Viola:

1. Make a letter “C” with your right hand
thumb and pointer finger
2. Put thumb on on the bottom, right side of the fingerboard
3. Pluck strings with your pointer finger OVER the fingerboard

Ø Viola Strings (highest to lowest):
A D G C (ALL DOGS GO CRAZY)

DIRECTIONS: Using a PENCIL, please find and circle all the musical items listed below in the MUSIC TREASURE HUNT SONG on page 7. Once you have circled each item, please label each item.

Example:

Musical Items to find and label in the Music Treasure Hunt Song:
1 bar line 1 measure 1 quarter rest 1 double bar line 1 alto clef

Important Music Vocabulary to know before playing the next piece:

· Music Staff

· Alto Clef =The

· Bar Line

· Measure

· Quarter Rest

· Double Bar Line = The end of the song

ASSIGNMENT 5: MUSIC TREASURE HUNT SONG

DIRECTIONS: Using a PENCIL, please find and circle all the musical items listed on page 6 in the MUSIC TREASURE HUNT SONG. Once you have circled each item, please label each item.

______A___A___A____________D______D__D__D__D__________________G________

______A__A__A__A______D______

Trivia: This piece has TWO lines of music. Each line is labeled with a number 1
or a number 2.

BONUS QUESTIONS: How many lines does a music staff have? ______
How many measures does this piece have? ______

Please practice this piece every day at home. The goal is to have fun, perform the correct notes, and be able to perform this piece with the correct posture.

Tips for playing this piece successfully:
1) Be sure to practice every day
2) Be sure you are holding your viola correctly (see page 4)
3) Pluck once for each string name/letter that is seen
example: A A A=pluck the A string 3 times
4) Sing before you play OR clap/tap the song before you play

Open String Fun

______A__A__A_______D__D__D______D__D______D__D__D____________G__G______

______A__A____________D__D______D____________G__G__G______G__G______

Please practice this piece every day at home.

Tips for playing this piece:

OR = Eighth notes (played twice as fast)

Practice saying the new eighth note rhythm pattern like this: C C C C
"Run po-ny Run

OR 1 2 and 3 (4)

Open String Fun 2

_____A______A_______D____D______D______D__D__D____D____________G__G_____G__G______

______A__A____________D______D______D_D____________G___G______G__G______

1 2 and 3 (4)

Practice placing your CURVED (bent knuckles) left hand fingers down on the D string. Remember to keep your palm straight so you don't squish your ______and hold your left hand fingers over the D string!: favorite animal
Playing with finger Tapes On The D String:
______
D This note is your open D string. It looks like this: ___________
_____D_____
______
______
D1 This note is played with your pointer finger on the
1st finger tape (the one that is closest to the scroll). ___________
It looks like this: ______
______
______
______
D2 Keep 1 down on 1st finger tape and put middle finger
on the next finger tape. It looks like this: ___________
_____D2____
______
______
______

___________
D3 Keep 1 and 2 down and put ring finger on the next tape ___________
(the one that is closest to the bridge). It looks like this: ______
______
______

Congratulations! Now you are ready to play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the viola!
*Don't be afraid to try the bonus once you feel like a pro playing it on the D string*

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Words: Mary had a/ Little lamb/ Little lamb/ Little lamb/ Mary had a/ little lamb whose/ Fleece was white as/
Snow

______A__A______D2______D2_D2_D2______D2______D______

______D2______D2_D2_D2_D2______D2______D____________D____________

Remember: A=the A string (the same one that you played in Open String Fun)
Check: Is your left palm straight? Are your fingers curved on the finger tapes?
If so, good job!

BONUS: Did you know you can also place your fingers down on other strings? (examples: A1, A2, A3 OR G1, G2, G3). Try playing these pitches to see what they sound like. Then, see if you are able to play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the G string (hint: it starts with these 3 notes= "G2 G1 G")!

Tip: Practice playing A to D3. Be sure to hold D3 above the D string to get ready to play!
Playing with finger Tapes On The A String: ______

A1 This note is played with your pointer finger on the __________
1st finger tape on the A string (the one that is closest __________
to the scroll). It looks like this: ______
__________

Also notice in the piece below that some fingerings are marked a different way.
Examples:
1) Measure 3= D2 and 2 are the SAME note!
2) Measure 4= 1 and 1... are they A1 or D1?

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star-on D/A Strings

Words: Twinkle Twinkle/ Little Star/ How I wonder/ What you are/ Up above the/ world so high/ Like a
diamond/ In the sky/ Twinkle Twinkle/ Little Star/ How I wonder/ What you are

______A__A______A______D2_2______D__D______D______

_A__A______A__A______2__2______2__2______

______A__A______A______2__2______D__D______D______

The Bow

Please study and locate these viola
bow parts on your own bow until
you can point to and name them by
memory

(Image is taken from: http://www.sim.iinet.net.au/images/bow.gif)

Holding The Bow

Step 1. Hold bow upside-down (bow stick facing towards the floor)
with left hand
Step 2. Curve tips of right hand pointer around the
bow grip, and middle and ring fingers next to
the frog above the ferrule
Step 3. Bend thumb and place it across from middle
finger, beneath the bow grip

Step 4. Curve pinky on top of the end of the bow stick
on its tip.

Bow Games

q Windshield Wipers

q Elevator/Rocket ship

Please remember to practice this piece every day!

__________
Playing with finger Tapes On The G String: ______

G1 This note is played with your pointer finger on the __________
1st finger tape on the G string (the one that is closest __________
to the scroll). It looks like this: ______

Repeat Sign: =Go back to the beginning and play

until "End."

Ode to Joy

__________A__A____________D2__2______D2______2__2______D__D______
__________A__A______END__D2__2______D2______2______D__D______D__D______

__________________D2______D2___D2______D2___2______D______D______D______