Here's a fun October practice idea called "Trick or Treat...or Share."I have 9 pieces of paper (about index card size) with pumpkins on them. Three of them say "Trick" on the front; three of them say "Treat," and three of them say "Share." Laminate them if you want. On the back of the cards, I put post-it's with what we would do during practicing. The child chooses a card, and we would follow the instructions on the back. You might incorporate these in your normal practice routine every once in a while--in between other things they are practicing. Here are a few examples of what you could put on the back of them.The "Trick" CardThe "Trick" card has a trick that the children perform. Here are some examples:
- Play this preview spot so many times, for a particular reason (i.e. getting the 3 in tune.) Wow! Tricky!
- Name that tune, tell the composer, and play the song in the dark with good tone.
- Do jumping jacks while telling your favorite joke. Note this doesn't have anything to do with practicing. It's just a good break to get them smiling.
The "Treat" CardThe "Treat" card has nothing to do with food, unless you want to add that. Instead, the children end up with a reward that has to do with music.
- Mom/Dad plays something for you on your violin (or at least tries to play something)
- Listen to a classical piece that is not a Suzuki piece.
- Watch a video of someone playing the piece you are on (or another piece). This could be a famous virtuoso or someone else you just happened to find on youtube. Talk about what you liked and anything you didn't like.
The "Share" CardThe "Share" card has something that the child could share with you or someone else that happens to be around--even a few stuffed animals would work.
- Share a hug.
- Play your favorite song for someone else or an audience of stuffed animals. You could even make the stuffed animals say one thing they really liked about the performance.
- Make up a song that sounds spooky.
Hope you have fun with this idea if you decide to try it!-Tabitha
Monday, September 30, 2013
Trick or Treat...or Share
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Practicing Work-Out!
I got this idea from James Hutchins on the Suzuki Parents as Partners Online conference two years ago. Since then I've used it a lot with my students and want to have it readily accessible to my students this year so I put it behind the front cover of their practice books this year.
Basically, a "workout" is focused practicing using review pieces. My "workout" page is just a list of the Suzuki violin pieces in books 1 & 2 in order. You could make your own "workout" page with your own list of pieces that would be easy enough to practice without thinking about the notes.
I assign a time for the workout. With my own kids, I like to choose a specific time that is on one of our Cube Timers so that they can just flip it over and practice (so easy!!) For this specific amount of time my students play through their list focusing on whatever it is I've assigned them. For some it could be playing with their eyes on the highway, for others, it might be keeping your scroll up. It could be to help posture points, intonation, or focus. If the student can play the first piece all the way through with the focus point they can move on to the next piece on the list. They keep playing through the pieces until the timer dings - then they are done with their workout for the day. They mark where they stopped and start there for their workout the next day.
I love assigning workouts because it really lets a student focus on one thing for 5 or 7 minutes without the student thinking about the notes or bowings. For Suzuki students, this is a very efficient way to do their review.
If you are a Suzuki violin student/parent/teacher you may download my workout sheet (I laminate it and write on it with a dry-erase marker so that we can reuse it - and have the student mark their spot with a post-it flag.) You can also make your own list for different instruments or repertoire. Let me know what successes you've had with your students using a "workout!"
I assign a time for the workout. With my own kids, I like to choose a specific time that is on one of our Cube Timers so that they can just flip it over and practice (so easy!!) For this specific amount of time my students play through their list focusing on whatever it is I've assigned them. For some it could be playing with their eyes on the highway, for others, it might be keeping your scroll up. It could be to help posture points, intonation, or focus. If the student can play the first piece all the way through with the focus point they can move on to the next piece on the list. They keep playing through the pieces until the timer dings - then they are done with their workout for the day. They mark where they stopped and start there for their workout the next day.
I love assigning workouts because it really lets a student focus on one thing for 5 or 7 minutes without the student thinking about the notes or bowings. For Suzuki students, this is a very efficient way to do their review.
If you are a Suzuki violin student/parent/teacher you may download my workout sheet (I laminate it and write on it with a dry-erase marker so that we can reuse it - and have the student mark their spot with a post-it flag.) You can also make your own list for different instruments or repertoire. Let me know what successes you've had with your students using a "workout!"
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Student Plan - Setting Goals for the Year
For three years now I have included a "Student Plan" in my student's practice books. This is a paper where we write down goals for the year. Each year I change it up a little (and hopefully improve it) and I believe that it helps us stay focused on certain things the students, parents, and I would like to accomplish during the year.
The beginning of a new school year (rather than January) is my favorite time for a "new beginning" when it comes to music lessons with my children and students. We've survived the craziness of summer and are ready to start a new routine with new goals.
I ask the students to come up with 1-3 goals (they could come up with more if they'd like, but I've never had anyone do that yet.) I tell them it can be anything they'd like that has to do with violin and I don't care. Some goals the I've seen:
Finish book 2 by the end of the year.
Play in church.
Practice every day.
Improve my posture.
Learn a duet with my sister.
etc.
Throughout the year I consistently refer back to the goals and I try to keep the lessons on track so the students can accomplish their goals. It's fun at the end of the year to look back and see if the kids accomplished their goals.
This year I also added a section where the parents could write goals they'd like to see. This could be their own personal goals or something they'd like to see with their child. The most common of these goals is about happy practicing, or starting practicing without complaining. I think this is a great way for the kids to realize exactly what the parents expect from them.
New this year is also a section where I, as their teacher, can write some things I'd like the students to work on. This often has to do with specific posture points or musicality. One goal I often put is for that I want the student to learn to love the violin. That would be my ultimate goal for these students of mine.
I also include a section where they can plan when they are going to practice and listen as well as what we plan to play for the upcoming recital and Federation.
I've always been a goal-setter because I strongly believe that writing down goals is a better way to accomplish something. I've heard several studies about goal setting online (some of which seem to be false, unfortunately), however, I did read that according to Dave Kohl, professor emeritus at Virginia Tech: People who regularly write down their goals earn nine times as much over their lifetimes as people who don't.
That should be reason enough to spend a few minutes each year creating goals for yourself. I tell all of my students this to help them get motivated to write down their goals.
What are some things you do to help your children or students accomplish their goals?
I ask the students to come up with 1-3 goals (they could come up with more if they'd like, but I've never had anyone do that yet.) I tell them it can be anything they'd like that has to do with violin and I don't care. Some goals the I've seen:
Finish book 2 by the end of the year.
Play in church.
Practice every day.
Improve my posture.
Learn a duet with my sister.
etc.
Throughout the year I consistently refer back to the goals and I try to keep the lessons on track so the students can accomplish their goals. It's fun at the end of the year to look back and see if the kids accomplished their goals.
This year I also added a section where the parents could write goals they'd like to see. This could be their own personal goals or something they'd like to see with their child. The most common of these goals is about happy practicing, or starting practicing without complaining. I think this is a great way for the kids to realize exactly what the parents expect from them.
New this year is also a section where I, as their teacher, can write some things I'd like the students to work on. This often has to do with specific posture points or musicality. One goal I often put is for that I want the student to learn to love the violin. That would be my ultimate goal for these students of mine.
I also include a section where they can plan when they are going to practice and listen as well as what we plan to play for the upcoming recital and Federation.
I've always been a goal-setter because I strongly believe that writing down goals is a better way to accomplish something. I've heard several studies about goal setting online (some of which seem to be false, unfortunately), however, I did read that according to Dave Kohl, professor emeritus at Virginia Tech: People who regularly write down their goals earn nine times as much over their lifetimes as people who don't.
That should be reason enough to spend a few minutes each year creating goals for yourself. I tell all of my students this to help them get motivated to write down their goals.
What are some things you do to help your children or students accomplish their goals?
Monday, August 26, 2013
Cube Timer Wonder
My daughter's teacher just concluded a contest that really helped reinforce smart practicing! I often roll a die or spin a wheel or just tell my students or children to do an over-and-over spot _____ amount of times. I often do 10 times per day because I use a bead counter a lot. If it's a short over and over it may be 20 or 30 times a day. This contest counted the TIME rather than the repetitions and the great thing about using time instead of the number of times is that the quality of overs and overs is better.
Each student has a cube timer and would practice hard spots in their piece over and over for that amount of time. My younger daughter only has the attention span to do 1 minute at a time - so we flip the cube to the 1 and it would automatically start a 1-minute timer. She'd practice her spot for 1 minute and when the timer would go off she'd finish her spot and be done. (If she needed more time we'd do another minute.) My older daughter would do her spots for longer - 3, 5, or 7 minutes. For every minute they did an over-and-over spot they would color in that many numbers on this chart. (5 minutes of overs and overs would be 5 numbers.) At the end of the summer, every student handed in their charts, and everyone got a prize, but the people with the most minutes got to choose first..JPG)
What I like most about these cube timers is that they are so easy to use. I know most timers aren't very hard to use, but it requires pushing buttons and setting or resetting the timer. With the cube timer, all you have to do is just flip the cube and the timer starts. There is a digital timer on the bottom if you are curious about how far along you are on the timer. There is light on the top so you know it's working.
We've been mainly using the 1, 3, 5, 7 timer, but I really like the longer timers as well because you can break a practice session into 15-minute sessions, or use the timer to time the practicing. I'm also thinking I may use it to time computer time for my kids (30 minutes - no buttons, just turn the timer over.)Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Composing Music with Music Dice
This week we've been making practicing fun by using several different kinds of music dice. My 6-year-old resists practicing more than my other girls so I'm trying to motivate her to enjoy music and that includes writing music. She absolutely loved this activity which we spend a couple minutes between chunks of our practice time.
Here is one such composition (notice the half note is backward. :) This has sparked an interest in practicing again...at least this week.
I have this great staff paper that is really big and long. This is great for kids who like to write big. I bought it at Music in Motion and I'd like to stock some in my store soon. However, there are plenty of free sites where you can download staff paper with a variety of sizes like this one that has three different sizes.
The first step was teaching her how to make a treble clef. It's so much fun to draw treble clefs, don't you think! I love doodling treble clefs. After she drew a treble clef she would roll a time signature die to determine the time signature of her composition.
The next step was to use the musical notes die to determine which notes to draw. Since she's a violinist she used the A Pententonic die. There are other dice available such as the C Pentatonic die (great for pianists and general musicians) and the G Pentatonic die in the bass clef for cellists. Basically, all of the pentatonic dice have the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 8th notes of a scale (A, B, C#, E, F#, and A for the A Pentantonic dice.) These notes generally sound pretty good when arranged in any order.
I let her decide what kind of note (we were only doing quarter and half notes) and she figured out where to put the bar lines. When her measures were finished she and I would play her composition. I would play different versions of it as well (different rhythms, different pitches) so she could see that she could develop it into a song. She got such a kick out of listening to me compose a little piece out of her melody. I noticed her doing this later on her own.
Here is one such composition (notice the half note is backward. :) This has sparked an interest in practicing again...at least this week.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Twinkle Games
We did it! My darling daughter finally received her Twinkle Trophy!! She played variation A and Twinkle Theme at least 100 times and all the others in the middle just as many (but we didn't count.) She can stand and play all six twinkles in a row with the piano. She has graduated from TWINKLES!! Yea!!!
This is such an accomplishment for me as well as her. I feel so blessed that this lovely girl loves the violin and I think a lot of it is because practicing has been (for the most part) fun from the beginning. She loves to get the violin down and play every single day. It has become a part of her. I've taught her the beginning phrase of French Folk Song and she plays it non-stop. This girl was made to play the violin.
With that said - it still hasn't been all cake and cookies along the way. Here are some "games" we have played to keep practicing interesting and fun. We don't play games every day, but when times get hard it's always nice to have one of these games ready so practicing can still get done. I will also use these games in the future because there will be lots of review of these twinkles!
There are two versions of this game. Basically, it's just the twinkles listed twice and sometimes we'd start from one end and go to the other. Sometimes I'd just have her put a sticker on the chart and when it was full we were done. I laminated these ones so we could use them over and over.
This was our favorite game. There was so much chance in this game. Sometimes it would go on forever and sometimes we were done in a snap. What I love about this game is that my daughter really recognizes the different rhythms. This was another game I laminated so we could use it over and over. Sometimes I wouldn't even use the game board and she'd roll the rhythm die to see what twinkle to play.
This is a fun game board that uses all sorts of bright colors and has lots of activities. This one is a favorite to use with a fun die (really big - or really small - or just really pretty.) I noticed with a 3-year-old attention span it was a bit long, but it could be divided into a couple of days of practicing or would probably be great for a student who is 5 years or older.
There are also lots of blank game boards available to download for free online. I'd love to hear some of your ideas for practicing the twinkles!
This is such an accomplishment for me as well as her. I feel so blessed that this lovely girl loves the violin and I think a lot of it is because practicing has been (for the most part) fun from the beginning. She loves to get the violin down and play every single day. It has become a part of her. I've taught her the beginning phrase of French Folk Song and she plays it non-stop. This girl was made to play the violin.
With that said - it still hasn't been all cake and cookies along the way. Here are some "games" we have played to keep practicing interesting and fun. We don't play games every day, but when times get hard it's always nice to have one of these games ready so practicing can still get done. I will also use these games in the future because there will be lots of review of these twinkles!
Twinkle Memory
I like to use Twinkle Flashcards for twinkle memory. I just make two sets of the cards, shuffle them around, and set them upside down and play memory. Whenever she gets a match, we play that twinkle! 
Meredith Strings Review Cards
I just love these cards to use with all my kids and students. For the twinkles, I just take out the 6 cards for twinkle and put them on one side of me, and when she plays them I put them on the other side of me. When they are gone - she's done! Sometimes I turn them over, sometimes I don't so she can pick. You can also do these with the flashcards above, but these cards are so cute with the pictures - and they are great quality!
Sticker Charts
My daughter is a sticker person and she loves putting stickers on a chart. I have several different charts to download and use as you're playing your twinkles. For us, we had to have a folder to keep them all straight, but it was worth it because each time she'd finish a chart I'd let her get a prize out of my prize box (a box full of dollar store items.) This was a great motivator - especially when she'd near the end of a chart. She'd end up playing some of the pieces more than ten times a day because she knew she was close to accomplishing her goal.
There are two versions of this game. Basically, it's just the twinkles listed twice and sometimes we'd start from one end and go to the other. Sometimes I'd just have her put a sticker on the chart and when it was full we were done. I laminated these ones so we could use them over and over.
This was our favorite game. There was so much chance in this game. Sometimes it would go on forever and sometimes we were done in a snap. What I love about this game is that my daughter really recognizes the different rhythms. This was another game I laminated so we could use it over and over. Sometimes I wouldn't even use the game board and she'd roll the rhythm die to see what twinkle to play.
This is a fun game board that uses all sorts of bright colors and has lots of activities. This one is a favorite to use with a fun die (really big - or really small - or just really pretty.) I noticed with a 3-year-old attention span it was a bit long, but it could be divided into a couple of days of practicing or would probably be great for a student who is 5 years or older.
There are also lots of blank game boards available to download for free online. I'd love to hear some of your ideas for practicing the twinkles!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
It's Time to say Thank You
Have you ever said this to your child when practicing: "You'll thank me someday!" Or maybe you just mumble to yourself, "I hope she thanks me someday." Perhaps it's just a thought in your head that "someday she'll thank me for all of this." I know that sometimes I wonder why I do all of this. Practicing with a child is hard and sometimes not fun. We, as adults, know the benefit and that is why we push our children to do music even though it's hard.
Today, because of Mother's Day, I would like to thank my own mother for making me stick with the violin. I don't know if I've ever thanked her for the hours of practicing when I was a child and for waking up early once a week until I could drive to take me to lessons before school. I know I've never thanked her for the money she spent on lessons and the two violins she bought me which I still use as a teacher. I've never told her how much music means to me in my life and how grateful I am to have this gift that I can share with others. This isn't something I could have done on my own, but only with her help throughout my childhood. I realize now that she wasn't trying to bug me when she wanted me to play all the time for my grandparents, but she was proud of my playing and wanted others to see it. She supports me now as a teacher and a mother and comes to my student's recitals and my children's recitals. She has made a huge impact on my life and in turn, has influenced my children's lives and also the lives of all of my students.
Thank you, Mom. Thank you for everything!
I love you!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Theory Workbooks: A Comparison
This summer I'd like all of my students to work on a music workbook of some sort to brush up on their understanding of musical notation. I know I go over a lot of this information during lessons with note reading, group lessons, etc. but sometimes I wonder how much they are really comprehending it all. I was somewhat shocked when my 10-year-old Book 7 daughter didn't understand some very basic music theory - yet she can play - and even note-read quite well.
Junior Musicianship System and Music Theory Books 1 and 2 from The Fun Music Company.
This set of music theory books comes as a digital copy. Individually the Junior Musicianship costs $49.95 and the Theory Books cost $59.95 each. Together you can buy the Junior Musicianship, Theory Books 1 and 2, plus several other fun and informative worksheets for $99.00. This gives you A LOT of worksheets and you have full printing rights after purchase for the rest of your life. There is also Theory books 3 and 4 that I didn't purchase.
The Junior Musicianship is meant for YOUNG students (preschoolers - kindergarten.) It has:
*Large Print Manuscript designed just for little fingers and thick pencils or markers.
What I like: It's very comprehensive. It's a bit expensive with up-front costs, but I like that I can have it forever and print it for any students I want in the future. The second book is a good review of the first plus added material so it would be good to give an older student who has never done a theory workbook before.
What I don't like: I wish there were more "fun" pages and reviews of past concepts. It gives a concept and a few exercises and moves on.
ADDED BONUS: The Fun Music Company has so way fun and unique "fun" theory games that you can purchase at additional cost. I'm keeping a close eye out because they come up with new ones every so often. The ones that I like are Printable Music Games, Treasure Island Games, Music Symbol Code Breakers, and Musical Terms for the Digital Age. You can get some of these in the $99 package deal.
Workbook for Strings 1 & 2, Highland/Etling
I am wishy-washy about this book. It really gives a thorough approach to the names of notes, finger patterns, scales, and key signatures, but not other topics as much. It's specific to string instruments, particularly violin. The second book really goes into detail about key signatures, scales, and finger patterns.
Cost: $7.95 Book 1 is 44 pages, Book 2 is 40 pages
What I like: it's very thorough for the information presented. I think it would be good for an older beginner (at least Book 2) who just needs a better understanding of the fingerboard. Book 2 would be better for Book 4 or older.
What I don't like: It doesn't give a broad view of other theory subjects. It's a very "boring" looking book.
This book is used in conjunction with Foundations for Music Theory (look below.) Because of this, I think it would be a good companion to this other book.
Notes for Strings, Zepp
I don't think you can buy this book. It was given to me by another teacher years ago and I've used it on and off. The concepts are presented creatively and it gives an overview of most of the major concepts for theory. It's not very long. When I used it in the past I would go over a concept at each lesson and they would do the worksheet for that concept. Book 1 is good for Suzuki book 2 and Book 2 is good for Suzuki Book 3 or 4. It's only 24 pages. I'm giving this book to my older students who I know are really busy during the summer.
What I like: The pages are fun and creative at presenting the topics.
What I don't like: It presents a concept once and moves on. Even each activity for the subject isn't very long. If a child doesn't understand it there isn't much reinforcement.
Beginning Violin Theory for Children 1, 2, and 3
by Melanie Smith
I was so excited about these books because they had a lot of pages so I knew it wouldn't just be an overview. However, it's so repetitive and (am I being blunt?) Boring! I'm interested to see how a student will do with these books because it's pages and pages of writing the same notes over and over. So, in that respect, it gives a lot of repetition, but I kind of think of it like pages and pages of writing the alphabet. It is very simple and doesn't have many activities. Book 3 gives a VERY thorough approach to note names and key signatures.
Book 1: $9.95 82 pages
Book 2: $14.95 130 pages
Book 3: $17.95 150 pages
What I like: It's not just a brief overview. A child will know their stuff by the end. The first book is very simple. By Book 3 it is more difficult. It's hard to say what age and Suzuki level, yet. I'll update you when I have more experience.
What I don't like: I think it looks boring and too repetitive. I also think it's a bit expensive.
Just the Facts primer, 1, 2, and 3
This is a great book that covers a lot of information in a little amount of space. It's available for piano, violin, viola, cello, and guitar. In my opinion, the price is right and it has fun little activities for each page...I wish it had more. However, I just found that the same company has little "mini activity books" for sale as well for $3.75. They are 16 pages each.
Cost of each book: $8.95 and they are each 25 pages.
What I like: They are very thorough, but not too difficult. Each page gives several explanations and a review of previous material plus a little activity. Comes in 4 volumes so it could easily be used over a period of 4 years.
What I don't like: I wish it were longer. I wish it had more activities, but the "mini book" might solve that problem.
Let's Learn Music 1, 2, and 3 by Hayes Publishing
This is a book meant for school music classes. It's non-instrument specific. The price is good and I was doubly happy when I realized that they are reproducible !! That means I don't ever have to buy it again for my students - I can only charge for the copying. I love that!
Book 1 is extremely simple. This is one step up from the Junior Musicianship above. I am giving this one to my three 1st grade boys. Book 3 gives a brief explanation of chords and major/minor scales, but it's not too complicated.
Cost: $6.95 per book, 40-46 pages. REPRODUCIBLE!
What I like: The first book has really big writing which is good for little hands. It's basic but gives a good explanation of the concept. There is also an activity workbook that I don't have, yet. I'm waiting for that in the mail!
What I don't like: Can they PLEASE get someone who LOOKS like they can play the violin on the front cover! Also, it's not violin specific, which I want.
Essentials of Music Theory, Alfred
This is a well-known theory book. It's laid out very well and gives one of the best overviews of them all (it's very similar to the Fun Music Company theory books.) There is also a book for activities that you can buy that is REPRODUCIBLE. It's not violin specific, but I know they have an alto clef version for viola. It introduces the bass clef and the grand staff, but the majority of the exercises are in the treble clef. To me, this is okay for a more advanced student. They should have a bit of background on the other clefs.
Book 2 is a direct companion to the first book, not reviewing any information - just going on. Book 3 goes into detail about triads, 7th chords, figured bass, and chord progression. It's way too advanced for what I want to teach.
Cost: $6.50 40 pages OR you can buy all three books for $12.99 (all bound together.)
What I like: Book 1 is a great overview - one of the best. The companion activity book gives fun worksheets to do. This book would probably be good for young Book 4 students and above. Book 2 is more difficult, but is a good companion to the second. I'm not even going to get into Book 3 with my students.
What I don't like: It isn't violin specific. It also is a lot like a textbook.
Alfred has a lot of companion material for these books including software and teaching materials.
Violin Theory for Beginners, Dorothy Croft
This is the only book I've actually had experience with because my daughter's teacher had her do it last summer. She was 9 and in Book 6. She is also very intelligent. She zipped through the first part of the book, but the second half of the book got into details about triads and scales and I had to work with her on it. I would suggest this book for Book 4 and above and at least 9 years old, but probably a bit older. Don't let the "beginners" in the title fool you.
It has a second book that I haven't seen. I don't know how advanced it gets.
Cost: $10.95 48 pages
What I like: Has lots of exercises and repetitions. A good book for the more advanced student.
What I didn't like: Not really fun and creative.
All For Strings Theory Workbook 1 & 2, Frost
I wasn't going to get this book but it had great reviews online and it wasn't very expensive. It's a good little workbook for a summer project like mine. It has activities and briefly explains major concepts. I don't have Book 2 yet, but I really like Book 1.
Cost: $4.50 32 pages
What I like: It's inexpensive, violin specific, and has a keyboard for some activities (violinists still need to know about the keyboard.) I think this is great for understanding a lot of theory.
What I don't like: I wish it were longer and more thorough.
Foundations for Music Reading 1, 2, and 3, Faith Farr
I was so excited to get these books in the mail the other day. They are big books and at first glance have a lot of material. I think these were created by a Suzuki teacher so it has lots of repetitions and review. It also uses many different ways to learn: aural, verbal, tactile, kinesthetic and written.
Cost: $21.95 125 pages
What I like: I think this is such a well-rounded approach to learning. It's the basics but goes into details. It has activities, challenges, and sections where the children have to "create" so they are applying their knowledge.
What I don't like: Unfortunately, this is one of my favorites, but has the biggest drawback! To really make this a great book you have to get the "supplementary material" which is Fink, Quick steps to Note Reading Books 1 and 2, Perkins, Logical approach to Rhythmic Notation Book 1, and Etling, Workbook for Strings (described above). So, I have to get 4 more books to really make this book useful! That bothers me because this is a pretty expensive book (naturally because it has so many pages) but in order for it to be "worth it" (in my mind) I need to buy four more books. What!! I've looked through this book and it does seem like you can do it without the supplemental books, but you're missing half of the exercises. As a teacher, I could tweak it and do the same type of exercises in other books, but I don't have the time to tweak a whole book for each student. This is my biggest frustration with this book.
The Bottom Line
I can find good things about all of these books, but none of them are exactly what I want.
I want a 60-75 page book that is less than $15 that has several volumes (is 8 to much to ask for?) with several ability levels. I'd like it to cover all of the material in Alfred's theory book, but have fun and creative exercises and worksheets. I'd like it to use the multiple learning approach like the Farr books, but have it be a unit all in itself that I can hand out yearly to my students and they can enjoy doing each summer.
...I guess I'll just have to make my own someday....check back in 10 years.
Perhaps it's good that I have all of these books because each student has his/her own needs.
I'm going to have my 3-year-old twinkle do the Junior Musicianship series.
I'm going to have two of my young Book 1 student do the Let's Learn Music book 1.
I'm going to have my other young Book 1 student do the Just the Facts Primer.
My older, late book 1 students will be doing Let's Learn Music book 2, Beginner Violin Theory 1, All for Strings 1, and Notes for Strings 1.
My Book 2 students will be doing The Fun Music Co. Theory Book 1, Workbook for Strings 1, and Just the Facts 1 (younger student) and 2 (older student).
My Book 3 students will be doing Alfred's Essentials 1.
My Book 4 students will be doing Beginner Violin Theory 3, Alfred's Essentials 2, and Notes for Strings 2.
My Book 5 students will be doing The Fun Music Co. Theory Book 2.
And my Book 6 students will be doing Dorothy Crofts Theory Book 1.
...and my Book 2 6-year-old daughter will be doing the Faith Farr book 1 and I will purchase the other supplementary books that I don't have. I really like this one the best and I want to see how it goes with all of the other books. It may be too overwhelming for some families.
I'll report back when I see how my students like the books. That's the real test!
I'd love to hear your comments about any of these books!
So, it's been my quest to find the theory workbook that is perfect for my students. I haven't found the perfect one yet and even would like to publish my own someday. However, I don't have the time for that right now so I've purchased several theory workbooks and have compared them. Hopefully, my comparison will help you make a choice that would be good for your child or students.
One hard part about finding the perfect music theory workbook is that ability and age both play a factor in what a child can understand. Right now I have three 1st-grade boy students who are twinklers and at the beginning of Book 1. I also have four 9-12 year old girls at the end of Book 1. These two groups of students cannot use the same workbook, in my opinion. Even though they are all in book 1 their age plays a major factor in what they can comprehend. 1st graders are just barely learning how to read and write and know basic arithmetic. 4th, 5th, and 6th graders can read and comprehend much more and their writing skills are much more advanced. They understand much more math and abstract concepts and therefore can work in a more advanced book.
I also want these books to be informative and fun and not completely over their heads. I really don't want these books to "teach" new concepts, but rather reinforce everything that I am teaching during lessons and group classes.
So, here are the different theory books that I have purchased. I plan to have each of my students do a different book (with some exceptions) because I don't know if I can totally grasp how effective they are until a real child is actually doing the workbook.
Workbook for Strings 1 and 2 by Highland/Etling (Shar or Amazon)
Notes for Strings 1 and 2 by George Zepp. - out of print
Beginner Violin Theory for Children 1, 2, and 3 by Melanie Smith published by MelBay (Shar or Amazon)
Just the Facts Primer, 1, 2, and 3, by Ann Lawry Gray published by Music Bag Press (also at Young Musicians)
Let's Learn Music 1, 2, and 3 published by Hayes Publishing
Violin Theory Workbook 1 and 2 by Dorothy Croft
All for Strings Theory Workbook 1 and 2 by Frost (Shar or Amazon)
Junior Musicianship System and Music Theory Books 1 and 2 from The Fun Music Company.
This set of music theory books comes as a digital copy. Individually the Junior Musicianship costs $49.95 and the Theory Books cost $59.95 each. Together you can buy the Junior Musicianship, Theory Books 1 and 2, plus several other fun and informative worksheets for $99.00. This gives you A LOT of worksheets and you have full printing rights after purchase for the rest of your life. There is also Theory books 3 and 4 that I didn't purchase.
The Junior Musicianship is meant for YOUNG students (preschoolers - kindergarten.) It has:
*Large Print Manuscript designed just for little fingers and thick pencils or markers.
*One concept per worksheet so that they can focus on one thing and retain it.
*Very few words Preschool children usually haven’t learned how to read yet!
*Over 200 Worksheets including some designed especially for teaching violin.
*Has Pitch, Rhythm, and Symbols worksheets.
What I like: It's the most basic set of theory worksheets I've found. You can pick and choose which worksheets to give out. Some of the ones that aren't violin are more geared toward the piano, but my preschooler will have fun working on several of these each day.
What I don't like: Can I say that there are too many worksheets? I used up tons of printer ink to print them. I wish there were more "fun" pages instead of just writing notes on the staff.
Music Theory Books 1 (48 pgs) and 2 (58 pgs) is a very comprehensive theory course.
*Comprehensive self-checking material to cover all aspects of music theory teaching.
*Flexibility in printing so you can print what you need when you need it.
*Access to support so that If there’s a topic in music theory for the level that you see has not been covered, then you can request it and it will be generated for you within seven days.
*Includes assessments, multiple choice quizzes, and even a completion exam for each level.
*Over 200 Worksheets including some designed especially for teaching violin.
*Has Pitch, Rhythm, and Symbols worksheets.
What I like: It's the most basic set of theory worksheets I've found. You can pick and choose which worksheets to give out. Some of the ones that aren't violin are more geared toward the piano, but my preschooler will have fun working on several of these each day.
What I don't like: Can I say that there are too many worksheets? I used up tons of printer ink to print them. I wish there were more "fun" pages instead of just writing notes on the staff.
Music Theory Books 1 (48 pgs) and 2 (58 pgs) is a very comprehensive theory course.
*Comprehensive self-checking material to cover all aspects of music theory teaching.
*Flexibility in printing so you can print what you need when you need it.
*Access to support so that If there’s a topic in music theory for the level that you see has not been covered, then you can request it and it will be generated for you within seven days.
*Includes assessments, multiple choice quizzes, and even a completion exam for each level.
What I like: It's very comprehensive. It's a bit expensive with up-front costs, but I like that I can have it forever and print it for any students I want in the future. The second book is a good review of the first plus added material so it would be good to give an older student who has never done a theory workbook before.
What I don't like: I wish there were more "fun" pages and reviews of past concepts. It gives a concept and a few exercises and moves on.
ADDED BONUS: The Fun Music Company has so way fun and unique "fun" theory games that you can purchase at additional cost. I'm keeping a close eye out because they come up with new ones every so often. The ones that I like are Printable Music Games, Treasure Island Games, Music Symbol Code Breakers, and Musical Terms for the Digital Age. You can get some of these in the $99 package deal.
Workbook for Strings 1 & 2, Highland/Etling
Cost: $7.95 Book 1 is 44 pages, Book 2 is 40 pages
What I like: it's very thorough for the information presented. I think it would be good for an older beginner (at least Book 2) who just needs a better understanding of the fingerboard. Book 2 would be better for Book 4 or older.
What I don't like: It doesn't give a broad view of other theory subjects. It's a very "boring" looking book.
This book is used in conjunction with Foundations for Music Theory (look below.) Because of this, I think it would be a good companion to this other book.
Notes for Strings, Zepp
What I like: The pages are fun and creative at presenting the topics.
What I don't like: It presents a concept once and moves on. Even each activity for the subject isn't very long. If a child doesn't understand it there isn't much reinforcement.
Beginning Violin Theory for Children 1, 2, and 3
by Melanie Smith
I was so excited about these books because they had a lot of pages so I knew it wouldn't just be an overview. However, it's so repetitive and (am I being blunt?) Boring! I'm interested to see how a student will do with these books because it's pages and pages of writing the same notes over and over. So, in that respect, it gives a lot of repetition, but I kind of think of it like pages and pages of writing the alphabet. It is very simple and doesn't have many activities. Book 3 gives a VERY thorough approach to note names and key signatures.Book 1: $9.95 82 pages
Book 2: $14.95 130 pages
Book 3: $17.95 150 pages
What I like: It's not just a brief overview. A child will know their stuff by the end. The first book is very simple. By Book 3 it is more difficult. It's hard to say what age and Suzuki level, yet. I'll update you when I have more experience.
What I don't like: I think it looks boring and too repetitive. I also think it's a bit expensive.
Just the Facts primer, 1, 2, and 3
Cost of each book: $8.95 and they are each 25 pages.
What I like: They are very thorough, but not too difficult. Each page gives several explanations and a review of previous material plus a little activity. Comes in 4 volumes so it could easily be used over a period of 4 years.
What I don't like: I wish it were longer. I wish it had more activities, but the "mini book" might solve that problem.
Let's Learn Music 1, 2, and 3 by Hayes Publishing
Book 1 is extremely simple. This is one step up from the Junior Musicianship above. I am giving this one to my three 1st grade boys. Book 3 gives a brief explanation of chords and major/minor scales, but it's not too complicated.
Cost: $6.95 per book, 40-46 pages. REPRODUCIBLE!
What I like: The first book has really big writing which is good for little hands. It's basic but gives a good explanation of the concept. There is also an activity workbook that I don't have, yet. I'm waiting for that in the mail!
What I don't like: Can they PLEASE get someone who LOOKS like they can play the violin on the front cover! Also, it's not violin specific, which I want.
Essentials of Music Theory, Alfred
Book 2 is a direct companion to the first book, not reviewing any information - just going on. Book 3 goes into detail about triads, 7th chords, figured bass, and chord progression. It's way too advanced for what I want to teach.
Cost: $6.50 40 pages OR you can buy all three books for $12.99 (all bound together.)
What I like: Book 1 is a great overview - one of the best. The companion activity book gives fun worksheets to do. This book would probably be good for young Book 4 students and above. Book 2 is more difficult, but is a good companion to the second. I'm not even going to get into Book 3 with my students.
What I don't like: It isn't violin specific. It also is a lot like a textbook.
Alfred has a lot of companion material for these books including software and teaching materials.
Violin Theory for Beginners, Dorothy Croft
This is the only book I've actually had experience with because my daughter's teacher had her do it last summer. She was 9 and in Book 6. She is also very intelligent. She zipped through the first part of the book, but the second half of the book got into details about triads and scales and I had to work with her on it. I would suggest this book for Book 4 and above and at least 9 years old, but probably a bit older. Don't let the "beginners" in the title fool you.
It has a second book that I haven't seen. I don't know how advanced it gets.
Cost: $10.95 48 pages
What I like: Has lots of exercises and repetitions. A good book for the more advanced student.
What I didn't like: Not really fun and creative.
All For Strings Theory Workbook 1 & 2, Frost
I wasn't going to get this book but it had great reviews online and it wasn't very expensive. It's a good little workbook for a summer project like mine. It has activities and briefly explains major concepts. I don't have Book 2 yet, but I really like Book 1.
Cost: $4.50 32 pages
What I like: It's inexpensive, violin specific, and has a keyboard for some activities (violinists still need to know about the keyboard.) I think this is great for understanding a lot of theory.
What I don't like: I wish it were longer and more thorough.
Foundations for Music Reading 1, 2, and 3, Faith Farr
Cost: $21.95 125 pages
What I like: I think this is such a well-rounded approach to learning. It's the basics but goes into details. It has activities, challenges, and sections where the children have to "create" so they are applying their knowledge.
What I don't like: Unfortunately, this is one of my favorites, but has the biggest drawback! To really make this a great book you have to get the "supplementary material" which is Fink, Quick steps to Note Reading Books 1 and 2, Perkins, Logical approach to Rhythmic Notation Book 1, and Etling, Workbook for Strings (described above). So, I have to get 4 more books to really make this book useful! That bothers me because this is a pretty expensive book (naturally because it has so many pages) but in order for it to be "worth it" (in my mind) I need to buy four more books. What!! I've looked through this book and it does seem like you can do it without the supplemental books, but you're missing half of the exercises. As a teacher, I could tweak it and do the same type of exercises in other books, but I don't have the time to tweak a whole book for each student. This is my biggest frustration with this book.
The Bottom Line
I can find good things about all of these books, but none of them are exactly what I want.
I want a 60-75 page book that is less than $15 that has several volumes (is 8 to much to ask for?) with several ability levels. I'd like it to cover all of the material in Alfred's theory book, but have fun and creative exercises and worksheets. I'd like it to use the multiple learning approach like the Farr books, but have it be a unit all in itself that I can hand out yearly to my students and they can enjoy doing each summer.
...I guess I'll just have to make my own someday....check back in 10 years.
Perhaps it's good that I have all of these books because each student has his/her own needs.
I'm going to have my 3-year-old twinkle do the Junior Musicianship series.
I'm going to have two of my young Book 1 student do the Let's Learn Music book 1.
I'm going to have my other young Book 1 student do the Just the Facts Primer.
My older, late book 1 students will be doing Let's Learn Music book 2, Beginner Violin Theory 1, All for Strings 1, and Notes for Strings 1.
My Book 2 students will be doing The Fun Music Co. Theory Book 1, Workbook for Strings 1, and Just the Facts 1 (younger student) and 2 (older student).
My Book 3 students will be doing Alfred's Essentials 1.
My Book 4 students will be doing Beginner Violin Theory 3, Alfred's Essentials 2, and Notes for Strings 2.
My Book 5 students will be doing The Fun Music Co. Theory Book 2.
And my Book 6 students will be doing Dorothy Crofts Theory Book 1.
...and my Book 2 6-year-old daughter will be doing the Faith Farr book 1 and I will purchase the other supplementary books that I don't have. I really like this one the best and I want to see how it goes with all of the other books. It may be too overwhelming for some families.
I'll report back when I see how my students like the books. That's the real test!
I'd love to hear your comments about any of these books!
***2023 UPDATE***
It's been 10 years and I still haven't created my own theory workbook, but I did find a series of books that have almost everything I want. I currently use Theory Time as my annual theory book. This series goes from a Primer level all the way to level 12 (which is actually beyond me a bit.) Books 1-3 are the fundamentals of musicianship and coincide really well with Suzuki Books 1-3 if a student is old enough to read. If they are very young I wait. I love that these books constantly review previous material. It mixes exercises with games. They also have a small ear training section at the back of the book. I highly recommend this book series. Buy it on their website or Amazon.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
100 Days of Practicing Club
I am so excited because I have finally purchased something I've wanted for a long time...a 100 Days of Practicing Club Plaque. These are pretty expensive, but I really believe it will be a great motivator to recognize my students who are consistently practicing. On the plaque are 36 spots for students' names who have practiced 100 days (or more) in a row. If they do more than 100 days I make them a new nameplate to replace the existing one with their current number of 100 days (200, 300, 400, etc.) This way they won't feel like they've got their reward after only 100....they can keep going! I'm also counting any number of consecutive 100-day practices even if they are not all consecutive with each other. For example, one student might practice 100 days in 2010, than miss some days and decide to start all over again and 2011. The next 100 days will also count (and I will get a 200-day plate) so they can feel like no matter what they can always try again for another 100 days and get recognized for it. For the students who practice for a whole year, I get their own plaque to hang on my wall. I've left some space at the bottom to add consecutive years if they do more than one year.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Practicing Game Board
Today is Sunday and our kids don't typically play with friends because it's a family day. However, my 3-year-old's best friend lives next door and it's very easy for them to meet and play outside without us knowing. Today was one of those days. When I found her making a "nest" in my front yard out of all of my beautiful daffodils I knew she wouldn't want to come in to practice - but it was time.
Because of this, she wasn't too happy, but I had a fun game up my sleeve. We are practicing twinkles after twinkles every day. They are slowly getting better, but it's still not time to move on. Because of this practicing is becoming hard for the little one so I'm having to find creative ways for her to want to practice. I've had these music dice for a while. Each side is half of a twinkle variation. I made a game board with the corresponding rhythms. She got to choose her favorite Japanese eraser as her game piece. She then got to roll the rhythm die and move it to the matching rhythm. We then played the twinkle that matched the rhythm. Some rhythms (like 4 16th notes) can be used for more than one variation (var. A or var. E). Overall it was a very successful practice and she was so happy when she "won" (got to the end of the chart.)
Well, the other girls saw these games and wanted to play as well. For the older ones, I had a blank game board that was laminated. I used a dry-erase marker to write various portions of the practice. 6 year old picked her Japanese Eraser (a panda body with a giraffe head.) She also chose a big green die to roll.
My 10-year-old had a longer chart because she has much more to practice. Because of this, she got to use a 10-sided die. Since this game is a game of chance as to what they will practice some things got skipped and conversely some things were played multiple times. Because of this, it wouldn't be an ideal way of practicing all the time, but it sure was fun for a sunny Sunday afternoon. The great thing about these game boards is that you can make up your own rules!
Because of this, she wasn't too happy, but I had a fun game up my sleeve. We are practicing twinkles after twinkles every day. They are slowly getting better, but it's still not time to move on. Because of this practicing is becoming hard for the little one so I'm having to find creative ways for her to want to practice. I've had these music dice for a while. Each side is half of a twinkle variation. I made a game board with the corresponding rhythms. She got to choose her favorite Japanese eraser as her game piece. She then got to roll the rhythm die and move it to the matching rhythm. We then played the twinkle that matched the rhythm. Some rhythms (like 4 16th notes) can be used for more than one variation (var. A or var. E). Overall it was a very successful practice and she was so happy when she "won" (got to the end of the chart.) 
Well, the other girls saw these games and wanted to play as well. For the older ones, I had a blank game board that was laminated. I used a dry-erase marker to write various portions of the practice. 6 year old picked her Japanese Eraser (a panda body with a giraffe head.) She also chose a big green die to roll. 
My 10-year-old had a longer chart because she has much more to practice. Because of this, she got to use a 10-sided die. Since this game is a game of chance as to what they will practice some things got skipped and conversely some things were played multiple times. Because of this, it wouldn't be an ideal way of practicing all the time, but it sure was fun for a sunny Sunday afternoon. The great thing about these game boards is that you can make up your own rules!
You can find the music dice for sale here.
There are lots of other fun dice for sale here.
You can find tons of fun Mini Erasers for sale here.
You can find tons of fun Mini Erasers for sale here.
You can download the game boards here.
Have fun!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Mom goes out of town...What to do?
For those students who are fantastic and are trying to work on consecutive daily practice, a problem arises when the mom (or the practice partner) goes out of town. Here is a fun solution - make a fun practice chart for dad (or whoever is going to take over practicing) that has everything that needs to be practiced each day. Here are some examples from one of my students.
You can download all of these blank charts HERE!