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I’m giving violin lessons and I need some tips please!?
Okay I’m 16 and I’ve been playing violin since 4th grade and I’m tutoring a 5 year old who has absolutely no experience and a 7th grader who is a 2nd violin in chamber. Well, I have done well for the previous lessons but now I’m getting a little nervous about teachign things and I’m nervous if I’ll miss anything. Do you have any tips?
Hey =) see above for grade 7th grader, but here’s an answer I gave to someone who was beginning to teach someone with no experience =)
What is really important with violin and any music subject with kids, is bridging the gap between what they already know instinctively (for example singing and beat) and what they do not know (like the staff and those concepts) .
The Kodaly method is one of the many that does a great job of this…
Okay so anyway, first of all start with some clapping games to teach them about beat and rhythm!
Clap a familiar song like “Twinkle Twinkle” first with the rhythm (clapping on each syllable) and get them to copy you.Tell them well done- they have learned how to clap a rhythm! Next, clap twinkle twinkle with the beats- TWIN kle TWIN kle LIT tle STAR. Repeat this with other songs, and remember to tell them when you begin;” Okay, now I’m going to clap the BEAT/RHYTHM” Get them to clap the beat and rhythm with you once they get the idea.
Then you can play a game where you clap a song, but when you yell beat, you have to clap the beat, and when you shout rhythm, they have to clap the rhythm! as they get better at this, you can even ask them to clap the beat while you clap the rhythm, or vice versa.
phew.
Okay- now pitch. this is a tricky one, especially if they are tone deaf!
Try singing some notes and asking them if one sounds higher or lower? is it a big gap or a little gap? If you are familiar with the do re mi soh thing, then you can use that too!
as whatsaname said above, at this stage you can be teaching them correct bow hold and other excercises, like windscreen wiper and monkey climbing up the bow stick.
AARGH!
okay next you can teach them how to READ a rhythm! (remember this may take a few lessons)
Write out a simple rhythm, like Ta Ti Ti Ta Ta ( crotchet quaver quaver Crotchet) or Ta Ta Ti Ti Ta ( crotchet crotchet Quaver quaver crotchet or ‘I like sau-sa-ges’)
(have a cute saying like that for rhythms, like ‘chicken nuggets chicken nuggets’ for eight semiquavers.)
Write the rhythms down without the ball part down the bottom- just the stem at this stage. Don’t forget rests, which you can write like a ‘Z’. Explain how a ‘Ta’ Is one beat or clap and a ‘Ti Ti’ is two claps in one beat. Clap it for them to show them how, then do it with them…
okay. for pitch, get them to draw a house with five floors (the staff) and put Mrs C, Mr D, Mrs E(etc) on their levels! this is a fun way to introduce the staff.
I’m pretty exhausted so I’m going to leave it there! I’m sure you can figure out the rest ! 
good luck=
Hope this helps you =)
HOW TO PLAY VIOLIN – BOW HAND TECHNIQUE – VIOLIN LESSONS
