G Major Twinkle Workout

Give Your Students a Pinkie, Vibrato, and 3rd Position Challenge!

Most teachers and Suzuki students are quite familiar with the theme of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Suzuki Teachers are even familiar with teaching the Twinkle theme in the key of Bb to prepare students for the Bb scale and finger pattern in violin book 2.

I also regularly use Twinkle Theme in the last third of violin book 1 during Etude and the Minuets. When I teach students how to play the theme in G major, students improve the necessary skills found in the last songs of book 1.

I teach my students the two-octave G major scale and the new close 1-2 finger pattern on the A and E strings to prepare for learning how to play Etude. As the students progress on this scale, I add the pinkie fingering on the scale's descent. 

When the student is comfortable with this new finger pattern and the long G major scale (one of my students calls this the "super duper G scale"), I introduce a new way to play Twinkle theme. Because this is "new," I find that it is easier to get students to play Twinkle again if they have slacked off on their review program.

Twinkle Theme in G Major

The students get a little extra practice with the new G major finger pattern, and the pinkie and third finger combination gets a little extra attention as well, which helps the part of the first Minuet that has the difficult stretch from third finger to the pinkie that spans across from the D string to the A string, as shown below.

Minuet 1 Pinkie Stretch

In book 2, I introduce students to third position. I usually do this when students are working on their vibrato skill. As students are able to play notes with vibrato, we translate the vibrato exercises into the Suzuki repertoire. At first, the students add vibrato on longer third finger notes, such as the dotted half notes at the ends of the Minuets' phrases. Then we add vibrato to the long third finger notes in Chorus from Judas Maccabeus and at the end of Musette. Later we will be able to add vibrato to Long, Long Ago from book 2.

Somewhere during all of this, I might have introduced third position with a G major scale:

G Major Scale in 3rd Position

Now students can practice vibrato on this scale. The next step might be to introduce Twinkle Theme in third position, using the same Twinkle in G major that we had learned at the end of book 1 and now playing it in third position.

I have found that a new Twinkle helps me to stay focused as well as my students. G major adds an element of fun to our review.

Happy Practicing!

----- Paula -----

© 2016 by Paula E. Bird

Perpetual Motion: How I Teach It

In a previous post, I discussed the two pinkie finger pattern previews that I introduce when I begin to teach Perpetual Motion. To read more about these previews, click here.

Usually the student will figure out the first few notes of the song, but in some cases, I may need to introduce these first few notes: A – B – C# - C#

The song is full of patterns and provides ample opportunities for discussion about patterns in the context of ear training. For example, the first four notes of the song are then repeated in the same pattern, but the notes start one note higher in pitch.

After the student has figured out the first eight notes, then we add the first of the pinkie previews (C#-D-E with pinkie-C# or 2-3-4-2 finger pattern on the A string).

Then we add the last four notes of the phrase, which end with the open E string:

So now the student can play the first two measures:

All that is left to learn is to repeat the same phrase again with the same notes but change the last two notes to the open A string:

At this point, I tell the student that they know half of the song, because the first phrase and the last phrase are the same. I send the student home with the assignment of playing the first phrase of the song along with a continuation of the previous assignment of the pinkie previews.

Often the student will return to the next lesson and present me with the second phrase of the song already figured out, especially if the practice parent has diligently played a recording of the song every day since the previous lesson. If not, then I work with the student to figure out the second phrase. I use the same teaching technique of talking about patterns. Note that the first three groups of four notes in the second phrase are the same pattern but each successive group starts a note lower than the previous group:

We talk about the two different endings, with the first ending on the E string and the second finishing on the A string.

The student may go home with the assignment of two phrases of the song now. This depends on the student. I make a judgment call as to whether the student is ready to move on or whether the student needs to solidify things over the coming week before adding even more new stuff.

Sometimes students figure out some of the notes of the third part on their own, but if not and the student is ready to learn the third part, I begin by introducing the first four notes.

We talk about how these four notes are different from the first four notes. For example, the first notes of the song proceed in stepwise fashion. The first four notes of part three proceed with a backwards skip first and then stepwise.

Then we talk about patterns again, and I show the student how the next four notes follow a similar pattern as the first four notes, but starting one note higher.

 Since my student has practiced the pinkie previews for a few lessons now, it takes just a minute to add the second pinkie preview part to the song, and the student adds the rest.

I usually need to remind my students that the two measures that begin part three need to be repeated a second time. I find that students consistently attempt a short cut and skip the repeated two measures. Students also forget to play the fourth part, which is just a repetition of the first part. I have to be vigilant to step in and prevent the student from jumping right into the variation without playing the fourth part.

At this point, the student can play the main part of the Perpetual Motion song. We continue to work on our staccato bows and check that our pinkie previews are still working properly. There are six pinkies in Perpetual Motion in the manner that I finger the song, so we play the penny game. I lay out six pennies and check to see if the student can earn a penny for each pinkie that the student finds correctly.

Later Problems (or just later)

This song provides opportunities to practice so many other skills to be introduced in the later Suzuki repertoire. Here are just a few examples:

• We transpose the song into Bb in book two to prepare for Gavotte from Mignon ((book 2, #9).

• We use the song in group classes to strengthen our ensemble skills:
• We form a line down the middle of the room with chairs, then we weave around the chairs from one side of the room to the other in “follow the leader” fashion. When on one side of the room, the students play the main song. When on the other side, the students play the variation.
• We play “start and stop” game. While playing, I stop periodically to see if I can “catch” anyone who is not paying attention.
• We play “radio” game. While playing, I will turn the imaginary radio button to the “off” position. The students stop playing but keep the song going in their heads. Then I turn the volume “on” again. If everyone kept the tempo in their heads, then we will all be playing again in the same place.
• We play “pass it along” game. I play a few notes, perhaps four, and then the next student plays the next four, and so on until we have gone around the room and played the song. We play variations on this game until the students are ultimately able to play just one note of the song at a time. I teach the students how to silently play along with their fingers so that they keep their place while other students are playing.
• We use the songs with more advanced students to work on more advanced technical skills.
• We use our Bb transposition fingering for Perpetual Motion and learn how to play in higher positions. For more information about how I use this idea to teach higher positions, click here:

• We insert an open E string in between the notes of the song and use our pinkie to finger the written E in the song. We use this new Perpetual Motion to practice our string crossing skills, especially for playing in early book 4, such as the Seitz Concerto no. 5, first movement (Seitz 2). We practice these string crossings with and without slurs.

• We learn how to increase the number of notes we can play in an up bow staccato. Here is an example where we have increased the number of up bows to 15 in one bow:

Perpetual Motion is full of gems for teaching many skills and for group class activities. In addition, I use the song to teach finger and bow coordination. I will save this discussion for another post.

Next stop: Perpetual Motion variation!

Teaching Lightly Row

Lightly Row is the first song in Suzuki violin book 1 that comes after the Twinkle variations, which are a tough act to follow. Therefore, Dr. Suzuki must have given this song special importance in his mind to have placed it in such a prominent place. Let us take a closer look at the treasures to be found in this song.

Left Hand Skills

• "skipping" fingers: the new finger pattern employs the fingers alternately rather than consecutively
• same finger pattern as in Twinkle variations (half step between 2-3 fingers)
• A-A1-B-A1 form (1st part is similar to the 2nd part with a different ending; the 2nd and 4th parts are identical)
• "walking fingers" at the end of part 1 resemble Twinkle variations but in reverse sequence from Twinkles

Right Hand Skills

• If you teach this song with open E string (rather than 4th finger playing E on the A string), the student learns how to drop the bow arm to the E string level and get a good ringing tone
• open E string teaches good string crossings
• later as the student advances in ability, the teacher may introduce bow distribution (using longer, slower bows for longer, slower notes, and quicker bows for shorter, faster notes); e.g., quick, quick, slow for the opening quarter note, quarter note, half note at the onset of the song

Previews

• teach the different endings to parts 1 and 2, measures 3 & 4 and 7 & 8
• walking fingers: A-B-C#-D-E-E-E (measures 3 & 4)
• skipping fingers: A-C#-E-E-C#-C#-C# (measures 7 & 8)
• doorbells or cuckoos in measures 1 and 2:
• E-C#-C# (measure 1)
• D-B-B (measure 2)
• expanded doorbells or cuckoos in measures 5 & 6:
• E-C#-C#-C# (measure 5)
• D-B-B-B (measure 6)
• Once the student learns the different endings to the first and second parts of the song, we play the song together.
• I play the beginning of the song (first two measures) on the student's violin and then quickly flip the violin around to place it under the student's chin.
• the student plays the walking fingers section that ends the first line of the song.
• I quickly grab the violin and then play the opening measures of the second line of the song.
• I pass the violin to the student to play the skipping fingers ending of line two of the song.
• We continue passing the violin back and forth with a sense of urgency so that together we partner playing the entire song.
• As the student learns the doorbells or cuckoos, the student expands the number of notes that he or she plays when we play the song together.
•  Third part of the song: I employ the student's aural and kinesthetic senses when we learn this part.
• I play the first four notes of the third line (B-B-B-B of measure 9) and ask the student to imitate me. I do not tell the student how many notes B I play. I want the student to hear and repeat the same number back to me.
• I ask the student to take a step to the side and then play B-C#-D (measure 10)
• Once the student can play both measures 9 and 10, we play them together;
• B-B-B-B
• take a step to the side and play B-C#-D
• I then teach the student measures 11 and 12 in the same way:
• I play C#-C#-C#-C# (measure 11) and ask the student to imitate me
• We take a step and then play C#-D-E (measure 12)
• I carefully instruct the home practice partner (mom or dad) to reinforce the way I taught the song, with the various steps to new positions for each measure.
• I am careful NOT to teach "play B five times then C#-D" of measures 9 and 10 because this does not reinforce the natural rhythm of the song.

Later Problems

• The student forgets elements of the song:
• walking versus skipping finger endings to parts 1 and 2
• mixing up the doorbells and cuckoos between the beginnings of parts 1 and 2
• forgetting the correct number of repeated notes in part 3
• left hand falls down on the E string
• the student tends to imitate the left hand motion with the right hand bow, dropping the left hand to mirror the dropping bow to the E string level
• this is a good opportunity to teach independence between the right and left hands
• some teachers prefer to have the student prepare the C# at the beginning of the song before playing the first E string note of the song to counteract this tendency
• Bow use becomes messy
• messy string crossings, sometimes due to a bow hold that becomes too loose and falls apart

Group Class Ideas

• play the song as partners: divide the class into two parts, and each part of the class plays a different part of the song
• students pluck E strings with left hand pinkies and bow the other notes
• walk around the room or step to the song while playing

Advanced Students

• use fourth fingers to replace open E string
• bow distribution: longer, slower bows on half notes
• use bigger bows as preparation for book 2 bowing skills
• book 3 students learn duet part
• as students learn higher positions, incorporate alternate fingerings
• incorporate vibrato

I use Lightly Row to teach various skills, which I will expand upon in later songs. To summarize:

• I begin working on ear training:
• by asking the student to distinguish between notes a step apart and notes that skip an interval of a third
• I use Lightly Row to develop the child's memory skills. Note that many string orchestra books include Lightly Row but that the version employs a simpler form (A-A-B-A). Dr. Suzuki's version requires the student to employ more mental energy to remember the slightly altered form. I prefer Dr. Suzuki's version.
• I use Lightly Row to reinforce the different string levels with the bow between the A and E strings. Later I will ask the student to use fourth finger in the song as another opportunity to strengthen the pinkie.

NEW! Fingerboard Workbook Series! (Interview)

Diane Allen
http://www.myviolinvideos.com

In this post, I would like to introduce you to my friend and Suzuki colleague Diane Allen from Central Oregon. Diane has recently published a series of fingerboard workbooks, which she has developed and successfully used in her studio for over 20 years. I am excited about the possibilities of this new series. I was fortunate to get an advance copy of all the workbooks, and I know exactly which students I want to begin working on this series. I wanted to give Diane a chance to discuss her new workbook series in more depth. First, let me introduce Diane to you.

PBird: Diane, welcome to "Teaching Suzuki." You are a regular reader of the blog, I know, from the frequent comments that you make. Tell us a little about your experience as a Suzuki teacher. How long have you been teaching?

Diane: Yes Paula! I love your blog. You are such a prolific writer. You make blogging look easy! (I know it’s not.)

workbook 1 for violin

I’ve been teaching for 25 years. Life as a Suzuki Violin teacher has been an amazingly rich and rewarding experience. When a student gets through the beginning steps of just learning how to hold the violin and bow as well as play some songs, it’s just short of miraculous. Around the time Minuet 1 comes along I start looking for the magic -- the moment when a student connects with their violin music and their musicality shines through. It always brings a tear to my eye! And that’s just the beginning.

PBird: You mentioned to me that you had been using your workbook series in your studio for over 20 years. Something that I really relate to is that the workbooks approach the fingerboard mapping issue by using all the learning styles: visual, aural, and kinesthetic. Please tell us how you came to develop your workbook system.

Diane: Two profound experiences that occurred during my college years were the impetus of writing the Fingerboard Workbook for the First Position. The first stemmed from my studies with Burton Kaplan. He introduced me to fingerboard visualization through his book The Complete Music Sight-Reader Series. Until that time I was a “blind” violinist. I could imagine how the notes sounded and had great muscle memory. Learning to visualize the notes on the fingerboard completed what I had been missing. It truly enhanced my violin playing in a BIG way. The charts that you’ll find in The Fingerboard Workbook Series are not that much different than his.

The second experience came from attending a weekend workshop about neurolinguistic programming. In the middle of the workshop I had an epiphonal moment. We had been working with different learning channels: visual, aural, and kinesthetic (eyes, ears, touch). I suddenly had a complete flashback of my entire school career and everything fell into place. Why I played the violin. Why in grade school I felt dumb. Why in high school I would always chew on the crunchiest foods possible when reading. Why Burton Kaplan’s fingerboard visualizations filled the gap. I’m predominantly an aural and kinesthetic learner. My visuals were quite weak.


PBird: How are your visual skills now?

Diane: My visuals now? Fantastic! I’ve since done some specific therapies. But let’s save that for another blog post. I co-mingled my neurolinguistic programming information with Burton Kaplan’s charts. While Burton Kaplan introduced me to using fingerboard charts, he only used them as a visual reference. In the fingerboard workbooks you will use the charts to aid you visually, aurally, and kinesthetically.

PBird: Would you describe what the fingerboard workbook series is? How are the workbooks organized?

Diane: The Fingerboard Workbook Series: Map the Violin for Good Map the Viola for Good is exactly what the title implies. It’s a workbook series that teaches where the notes are on the fingerboard in a way that really sticks. First position all the way through eleventh position is covered. Think of the workbooks as a catalog of all the possible combinations within an octave hand frame. Students will first identify notes, plot them on a fingerboard map, and then experience them by singing and playing.

The most common reaction students have with filling out a workbook is that of making many connections. Instead of having the light bulbs go off over your head, plan for fireworks!

PBird: How would you incorporate the workbook in your teaching situation? Do you have a system for when you introduce the workbook series or a particular position workbook? How long does it take a student to typically finish a particular workbook?

Diane: Most beginning violin books begin with teaching a specific finger pattern: 0 1 23 4. That would translate to mean:

• a whole step from the open string to the first finger
• a whole step from the 1^st to 2^nd fingers
• a half step from the 2^nd to 3^rd fingers
• a whole step from the  3^rd to 4^th fingers

Workbook 1 for viola

As soon as students lower the 2^nd finger to C natural on the A string, I start them with The Fingerboard Workbook for the First Position Map the Violin for Good. In the Suzuki literature that would be Etude [song #12 in violin book 1]. My experience is that students typically finish the workbook by the time they get to Gavotte by Lully in Suzuki Volume 2 [#10]. Just in time to learn 3^rd position! Learning all the new notes introduced in Suzuki Violin Volume 2 is pretty smooth sailing with the background my workbooks provide.

Although I’ve used The Fingerboard Workbook for the First Position: Map the Violin for Good for 20 years, all the other workbooks in all the other positions are brand new. Therefore I haven’t incorporated the new books into my teaching style yet. I do have some ideas though.

PBird:   I hope you will share your ideas with us in future posts. Who can use the workbooks now?

Diane:

• violin students
• viola students
• violin students learning viola
• viola students learning violin
• parents
• music education majors

I have had students age 5 – 65 effectively use the workbooks. Parents love the workbooks because it gives them an enormous amount of background. It keeps them out of the dark and in touch with their child’s violin playing. When they hear a note that sounds “off,” they will now have the tools to help troubleshoot.

PBird: What kind of student or parent reaction do you typically have about the workbooks?

Diane: I’ve had a mixed reaction with students and always a positive reaction with parents. Some students sail through and thoroughly enjoy the workbooks. Some drag their feet but I stick to my guns because I know the results are well worth the effort.

PBird: I notice that your website for the fingerboard workbook series is quite resourceful. Tell us more about the site.

Diane: The website has a few functions:

• to introduce folks to the books and act as a storefront to make purchases
• to provide free information in the form of videos and charts
• to offer a subscription to 10 mini fingerboard lessons and a monthly newsletter

I very much want to meet your readers! I will be doing a live streaming video event where they can either watch and/or participate. All they have to do is watch and type in their questions. I’ll then answer the questions, offer a demonstration, or find some fun way to help the learning. Part of the session will include a drawing to win a workbook! Your readers will want to become email subscribers to stay informed about the events and become eligible for the drawing.

• Tuesday 8/16 @ 7:00 am Pacific Time
• Sunday 8/21 @ 3:00 pm Pacific Time
• www.fingerboardworkbookseries.com
• The link to subscribe form can be found at: http://eepurl.com/c0PwQ .

PBird: Thanks, Diane, for visiting with us. I really look forward to using these workbooks in my studio and at the university. Thanks so much for taking the time to put all this material together. These workbooks look terrific!

Diane: Thank you Paula! For hundreds of years people have been trying to find where the notes exist on the fingerboard. It’s time to put an end to this problem!


PBird: Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog today and talk to my readers and me about your new workbook series. I'm excited about the teaching possibilities. I am sure that my readers will want to find out more about this.


Visit the Teach Suzuki Resource Store to purchase the workbooks. Click here.

I am also looking forward to seeing you next week in Bend, Oregon, at my masterclass on Wednesday, August 10 at 1:00 p.m. at the Cascade School of Music, 200 NW Pacific Park Lane. See you then!

The Case for Having a System

In a previous post about when I introduce higher position fingering in the Suzuki repertoire, I discussed my system for introducing positions, and then I asked the question "why have a system at all"?

It is possible to teach a student without having a "system" for introducing various concepts, however, I think there is a danger of overlooking a crucial point without a system in place. It is also possible to teach "outside" the system, by introducing a concept earlier.

Here are some basic important topics that teachers should develop a system for teaching:

• when to put the thumb "inside" the frog
• when to begin learning to read music
• when to introduce higher positions
• when to teach vibrato
• when to introduce spiccato
• when to add music theory assignments
• when to add supplementary materials
• when and how to celebrate a book graduation and the requirements
• when to accept a new student or let one go

What goes into the making of a system? Here are the questions I asked myself when I developed my systems for teaching the above skill topics:

1. When will I introduce the topic? At what stage of the Suzuki or other repertoire will I begin teaching this topic?
2. How will I introduce it? What are the steps I will follow to teach this topic?
3. What materials will I use when I introduce it? Will I use different materials depending on the child's age or readiness to learn this topic?

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

When to Teach Positions

I have noticed that several people have been searching for answers to the question of when to start teaching a student how to play in higher positions. My answer is to teach them any time.

Now having said that, I do have a system that I will gladly share with you. However, I have shown students how to play higher notes whenever the issue comes up regardless of where we are in the progress of my system. For example, last Christmas season, I was teaching a very young book 1 student how to play "O Holy Night" as a surprise for a family member. We were rocking along just great in a key that was easily accessible for a book 1 student, when we encountered a short passage of the song that required us to either rewrite the passage or to quickly learn how to play the notes in third position. I opted to show this bright little student how to play the notes in third position. She was excited to learn this new "book 3 skill."

I find that if I present "harder" concepts as "easier" ones, the students learn the new skills just fine. Perhaps we are making things hard by offering the suggestion that the skill is hard to learn in the first place?

So here is my system. In book 2, I introduce the Bb scale. We then use our new Bb fingers to play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star theme from book 1 in the key of Bb, which also introduces the word "transposition." We might try another book 1 song in Bb, like Lightly Row, and then we work on playing Perpetual Motion in Bb. I might also introduce this concept as a book 2 and 3 group class activity. Once the student has learned Perpetual Motion in Bb, the next step is to teach the student how to play Perpetual Motion in each of the seven positions using the "Bb fingering" as we move up higher on the A string in the various positions.

When do I actually introduce higher position fingering in the Suzuki repertoire? I actually wait until book 3 to do so, starting with "Humoresque." I know that there are teachers who introduce positions somewhat in book 2. For example, teachers sometimes introduce the octave harmonic A on the A string in Boccherini's "Minuet" and the octave harmonic D on the D string at the end of "Musette." Some teachers try to avoid the fourth finger pinkie stretch in Lully's "Gavotte." Do not do this until later. Have your student master this pinkie skill first! The reason is that book 2 is all about the student's learning to unfurl the left hand. Note some of the fingers that get stretched in book 2:

• "Chorus", "Bourree," and "Witches Dance": 3rd finger stretches to play D# on the A string
• "Musette" and "Bourree": 2nd and 4th fingers stretch to play G and B on the E string
• "Hunter's Chorus": 2nd and 3rd fingers stretch to play D-C natural on the A string in repeated hiccup section
• "The Two Grenadiers": first finger stretches back to play Bb and F natural on A and E strings
• Lully's "Gavotte": pinkie stretch and 1st and 2nd finger stretch in middle section; 3rd finger stretch to G# on D string in first section
• "Minuet in G": stretched 3rd finger; first finger plays A# on A string; C natural on A string stretched to 3rd finger G# on D string (if you opt for this fingering rather than the lowered 4th finger)

I introduce third position in Humoresque in Suzuki volume 3. However, since my students have been doing some reading since the end of book 1, they have already been introduced to positions through the use of William Starr's "Scales Plus!" book. Introducing third position is a piece of cake then because we've already done it in the "green book," as my students refer to Mr. Starr's book. In group classes, when we review earlier book 1 material, I show my more advanced students how to play easier songs in different positions. As I've said before, if I don't tell my students that it's hard, then they just do it with little effort.

Later, as we review previously learned repertoire, we will add new fingerings in positions as the students are able to do so. I note also that the revised edition of book 3 has several new ornaments that can only be accomplished well by using third position, e.g., Minuet by Bach (#2 in book 3). I hold off adding these particular ornaments until later after the student has learned the song.

Sometimes I wait to teach the third position fingerings in Humoresque until after the student has learned the piece in first position with the ridiculous pinkie slide on page 2. This slurpy slide is the perfect place for a discussion about the need for a better fingering, and so we discuss why positions are useful to know. Since my students work with Mr. Starr's book, we are already having these discussions, because different keys feel easier to play in different positions, and we talk about the reasons why that is so.

Why have a system at all? This is a great topic that I think I'll save for a future blog post.

Quick Practice Tip: Filling up the Back Car Seat

I help students to gradually adjust to the feel of the various positions by using the song "Perpetual Motion." In book 2, I introduce my students to this song using the transposition to Bb Major, starting with the first finger Bb on the A string. Once a student learns how to play this song using this fingering, I introduce the concept of playing in upper positions by using the "Perpetual Motion" Bb fingering and starting the first note in second position (starting first finger on C natural on the A string). We then try third position (starting first finger on D natural), and so forth on up the A string until the student has practiced playing "Perpetual Motion" in every position.

As the student plays up the fingerboard in the various positions, I remind them of the crowded feeling one gets when riding in the back seat of a car that gradually fills up with more and more occupants. For example, first position is a roomy position because there is only one person riding in the back seat. Second position feels like two people sharing the backseat. Third position starts to feel a little more crowded and close, but there is still some wiggle room between the riders. Fourth position feels like four people in the back; folks are starting to edge their bodies a little bit to accommodate the lack of extra space.

Fifth position feels like five people in the back seat, and there are definitely some folks who are edged a bit sideways. Sixth position has six people in the back, and some of the riders may be resting a bit on others. Seventh position is extremely crowded.

I find that the backseat analogy helps students to understand the need to bring the fingers closer together as the student climbs into the higher positions.

In a group class setting, we throw a giant die on the floor to determine what position to try. If we land on a "1" or a "6" we sometimes add them together to get 7th position.

Using Your Neighbor's Fence to Find Higher Positions

I like to help my students find positions quickly on their instruments, and I find it works well to relate the physical sensation of touching the instrument in various places with different parts of the body. Here's what I mean.

Remember the television comedy "Home Improvement"? The show starred Tim Allen, his family, his co-worker Al, and a mysterious next door neighbor whose face was always kept hidden from us in some way: by a fence, a misplaced garden tool, or by some other obstruction. I use the neighbor-behind-the-fence illustration to help my students get a picture of what a particular position might "feel" like as the position relates to the shoulder of the violin. I use a music stand as my "fence."

First position: students know this position already because that's what they've learned first. Still, we know it's first position because we can "feel" or sense other parts of the violin, such as the pegs, the fingerboard nut, or the place where the scroll and peg box connect to the violin neck.

Second position: this is the scary position, because it feels like there is no floor beneath us. Second position is part way between first and third position. Sometimes I just have to go back to first position in order to find second, or else I just practice shifting between the higher position and second position until I get a feel for the intervalic relationship I'm searching for.

3rd position

Third position: here I start using the fence illustration. To find this position, I show students how to jut their wrists forward at a slight angle to "bump" into the violin shoulder. This resembles standing next to the fence and resting one of our feet up against the bottom of the fence but the rest of us stands back about a foot away from the fence. Once my students have found the third position using this method, I encourage them to "let go" of the touch point.

4th position

Fourth position: finding this position resembles standing directly up against the fence, as the neighbor did in the television show. We didn't see the neighbor because he did not hold his head up above the fence. I show my students how to bump up against the violin shoulder using the hand completely. I encourage most of my students to maintain the same hand position in fourth position as the students do in the first three positions: keeping the base area and side of the index finger touching the fingerboard and neck. Only if a student has very tiny hands will I consider encouraging the student to raise his or hand higher over the violin shoulder. I have very small hands, but even I hold my hand in fourth position in the same manner as I do first to third positions.

5th position

Fifth position: At this point I introduce the concept of the "hump" or "hill," which is my euphemism for the ascent over the violin shoulder. I liken the feeling of fifth position to that of standing behind the fence but resting one arm on the top of the fence. I encourage my students to raise their violin hand just enough to start climbing over the hump. This can be a tricky area for students, because some students may try to "climb around" the shoulder along the side. I discourage this practice because it causes the students to play with lengthened rather than curved fingers, which causes the fingers to sound weak in tone and also makes it difficult in some cases for students to reach the accurate pitches.

6th position

Sixth position: I liken this position to that of resting both arms on top of the fence. Again, I am careful to show my students how to climb up over the "hump" or "hill" and allow the hand to rest on the top edge of the shoulder and let the chin hold the violin.

7th position

Seventh position: At this point, this position feels like someone has not only rested both arms on top of the fence but has begun to lean over the fence as if to reach something on the other side. The students are sometimes uncomfortable about how this position feels in relation to the closeness of the fingerboard, but I am ever vigilant about making sure that the students maintain the correct finger curvature (pinky curved!) in order to maintain finger strength.

In my next blog post, I will tell you how I use the back seat of a car to show a student how it feels to play in higher positions.