QuickNote Double Feature

Beginner Strings n' Things: The New Orchestra Teacher's Checklist for Success

• Rosin: Dark rosin is generally best for beginners.

• Shoulder Rests: Keep foam options on hand for specific students.

• Functional, Tunable Instruments: Check the pegs. If they are sticky or difficult to turn, make sure you have a small stash of peg dope or peg compound.

• Folders: For organizing sheet music and handouts.

• Cleaning Cloths: Teach proper instrument care from the get-go.

• For Beginners: Prelude, Ascente, Alphayue, Helicore, or Dominant.

• For Beginners: Graphite Composite or Fiberglass

• For Intermediate Students: Carbon Fiber

• For Advanced Students: Braided (woven) Carbon Fiber

• Pizzicato Practice: This is not only good for correcting intonation, but also for drilling tempo and "togetherness."

• Tone Building: Bow and dynamics exercises are the two most important "daily vitamins" for any orchestra classroom. This helps create the fundamental habit of warming up and listening for a beautiful, focused tone. Students benefit from learning right out of the gate that we are here to make a beautiful sound. We all know how much orchestral instruments can squeak, squawk, or sound like fingernails on a chalkboard!

• Chunk Practicing: Teach students that we do not just play from the beginning to the end when we practice. We select the "tricky spots" and repeat them, improving our accuracy each time. We might play a single measure in a loop ten times, for instance. If we improved, mission accomplished. If not, we need to pinpoint the specific techniques that need work. This method allows for technical focus and mastery of an excerpt, whether it is two notes or an entire line. Do not let students leave your class without experiencing this concept!

• Listening: Incorporate listening and analysis in the classroom. Split the room in two; have one side perform a drill while the other side critiques. This feedback establishes the expectation that we are a team that thrives on healthy competition and accountability.

• Sectionals: Always split into sections or small groups for practice outside of the full ensemble. It is even helpful to mix violins, violas, cellos, and basses into mini quartets to encourage team connection and explore how the different registers interact.