Violin book for beginners: Sing on the Violin

  With a combination of songs, visual cues, and colorful illustrations,  Sing on the Violin helps young beginners to meet the early challenges of  the violin and to discover their musical potential. Suggested for ages 4  to 8, the method captures a child’s interest and imagination by using  illustrations of animals, each animal name having its own rhythm and  representing a specific note pattern.  As soon as the student is familiarized with the early bow patterns, music notation is introduced. This is done gradually by use of color coded note stems which represent a string. Small bow graphics are shown where to play the note patterns onto the bow. This enables the student to visualize where the specific rhythm should be played on the bow.

  Throughout 86 pages are other visual cues to introduce a child to the  fundamentals of note reading, bowing, left-and right hand technique. Text and  illustrations are presented in readily understandable terms, so that  parents can follow along and reinforce what the student has been  learning in violin lessons. The music is a mix of traditional and  original songs that hold a child’s attention with appealing melodies,  lyrics, and accompanying pictures, while always building on their  accumulating skills. The book closes with an introduction to three of  the great composers – Beethoven, Mozart, and Vivaldi – and a chance to  play samples of their most famous works. It’s meant as a glimpse of all  that the world of music has to offer, in those early years and for a  lifetime.

       ONE   

  Holding the Violin...5 Plucking the strings...7 Holding the Bow...8 Animal Rhythms1...12  Practice...14 Reading Rhythms...21 Halloween Song...24 Five Little Monkeys...25 

TWO

The 1st and 2nd Finger...26 Practice...28 The A & E String Notes...29 Practice ...30 Hot Cross Buns...32 Mary Had a Little Lamb...33 Practice ...34 A Mouse in a Dollhouse...36  Fluffy Friends...38

THREE

The G & D String Notes...40 Practice...41 Elephant Song...43 Little Ducks... 44 The 3rd finger...45 Boil'm Cabbage Down...47 Practice...48 Family Members...49 Twinkle Twinkle ...50 Ice Pop...51

FOUR

The Scales...52 Are You Sleeping?...54 Jingle Bells...55 Arpeggio's and Slurs...56 Animal Rhythms II...57 Long Anaconda...58

The River is Flowing...59 The Three Little Pigs...60 Zum Gali Gali...62

FIVE

Animal Rhythm III...63 Practice...65 What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?...66 Practice...68 Itsy Bitsy Spider...69 The 4th Finger...70 Practice...71

SIX

Ludwig van Beethoven...72 Ode to Joy & Theme from Violin Concerto...73 Antonio Vivaldi...74 Spring....75 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...76  Allegretto...77 Allegro...78  

  What age range is this book meant for?      

    Sing On the Violin is recommended for ages

 4- 8 years and depending of the individual student this book can be used generally for all elementary aged children, Using the animal rhythms right from the start is a very accessible way to learn the early bow patterns and is enjoyed by all.  Children are visual and are motivated by colorful illustrations.    

   Is it not too confusing to introduce several rhythms right at the start? 

  No, to  the contrary. The method has been tried for several years before it came into existence which motivated the author of writing the book. In having the student practice the different bow movements while showing them the little illustrated bow cues, the students  learns and remembers right away where to play those rhythms on the bow. They like the variety of bow strokes, and the teacher can use the extra supplied flashcards in the back of the book to work more on a specific rhythm. All the open strings are played on from the start as well.  

When does the student start to use the left hand?   Once all the note patterns are starting to be familiar and the student is able to control his bow movements, music notation with color coded note stems is introduced first. From then on the first and second fingers are introduced .     

How  long does it typically take to finish the book?  This 86 page book guides the student through the first phase of violin playing. In general one year can be estimated to reach the end of the book,    

What level will the student have reached after completion of Sing on the Violin? After completing the book the student will have learned to play the high second finger pattern, use of whole, half, quarter and eight notes and dotted rhythm patterns. Slurs and open string arpeggio's and use of fourth finger are also introduced. 

They will now be ready to learn playing in different key's.

   This method book is a great  way to start teaching the young student, while building on the player's accumulating skills. . It breaks up the many steps involved in learning the beginnings of playing the violin, and moves forward step by step enabling the teacher to solidify proper technique right away.  The children love learning  the animal rhythm patterns and grasp the concept very quickly.
   The next step into note reading is done by introducing the musical notation next to the pictures which they learn to translate very easily. Songs with lyrics are then introduced using the same rhythms the student has practiced early on. This way the teacher can focus on note reading while continuing to built up bow technique.
   Extra tools in form of flashcards are in the back of the book, which can be cut out for extra practice and reinforcement to learn the different rhythm patterns.
  Songs are quickly introduced with each having their own colorful illustration.

     Sing on the Violin is also designed for those times when teachers aren't there to help. It can be frustrating for parents, even if they happen to have a musical background to assist their child in daily practice, especially in the early months of learning the violin. With them in mind, the text and illustrations are presented in readily understandable terms, so that parents can follow along and reinforce what the child has been learning during the violin lessons.