Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Happy Blues at Holy Family

Back after a short break for midterm . Focus today on Blues .  Don't forget to check out the video lesson.

Programme
Notes on D String 
1  First Finger Blues   Dance Version, Finger Drum Version and pizz version

D E D E  G G G_   x 4
0  1 0  1   0  0  0

A B A B  D E D E

G G G G G z D z



2 Scale on D

3  Scale on A 

Level Game 

Welcome to new student Alex  from Brazil 

Next week  Beguine A samba on all 4 strings and one of Brazils most popular tunes Tico Tico 

Improvers' Group 
Claudia, Brendan, Hayley, Emmanuel, Emilia  
Minstrel Boy and Treaty Stone March 

  


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Tango and Twinkles

1 Entrance music today was a tango  La Cumparsita  all the way from Argentina in South America .  We added some percusssion with some handclapping

2/3  All classes worked on the scales on D (track 25)  and A (tr 24)

4 Finally we worked on our first  three finger  Twinkle Twinkle . It went very well here are the fingers we need  Notes in green are on the A string

****NEW Today ***

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star


Line 1
D D   A  A     B  B    A_  
0  0     0 0       1  1     0 
G G   F# F#   E  E    D _ 
3   3    2  2     1    1     0        

Line 2
A A   G G   F# F#  E_
0  0    3  3    2   2    1
A A   G G   F# F#  E_
0  0    3 3      2  2    1_

DD    A A   B B   A _     same as line 1
G G  F# F# E  E   D _ 

5 Finally Mr Corbett's and Ms Loftus's class listened to a bit of Spring by Vivaldi .   We played along with pizz on  the note E (first finger on D) and added some tremelo . Bravo tuttti!   

Improvers Group 

Listen to the Minstrel Boy below I have posted two versions, one at a slow tempo.
Gp 1Brendan, Hayley, Emmanuel,  Gp 2  Sophie, James 
Tunes today  Gp 1 March 2 , Minstrel Boy 
Gp 2 Treaty Stone March.
Double Stopping Finding a rhythmic ostinato that fits 


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Rock You Revisited and shaken by a low A

Task List 29 th January 


1    2^3  down 
Violin High Fives 

Cross lake Blues             String Crossing   D D z z A A zz   Track 3

Attacama Crossing          v v 1 1 z z v v I  I   D and A strings   Track 4 

Scale on D                           Track 25         

Scale on A                            Track 24 

Rock You                  First finger on G string to make low not A   Track 19

Finger gym  First Finger Knock on Wood

Level Game 







Welcome Aaron and Michael to Mr Corbett's class


     3 2 1 0   11      We Will , We Will Rock You 
G_______________

Pack Up Team today

My set up assistant Ms Pilkington



Improvers' 

Claudia, Brendan, Emmanuel,  Treaty March March 2 

Hayley Emilia, Sophie     Treaty March  Rhythm Work 


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Up and Down the Ladder & Violin High Fives


New track Car-ni-val- in R-io  Track 10

1 Rhythm 1 Wintertime in Russia
A new track today but a familiar rhythm.        V V 1 1     Ti Ti Ti Ti Ta   Ta

2 Violin High Five   1       2 ^3

2 NEW TODAY  Scale  on D
Scale comes from the word ladder                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

3 Down Up LADDER
ASCENDING  0 0 0 0  0    1 down 1 1 1 1  1 1   2 down 2 2 2  2  2  3 down 3 3 3 3 3  3   3 again 

3 DOWN LADDER
DESCENDING 3 down  3333 3 3   lift up 3    2222 2 2   lift up 2  1111 1 1  lift up 10000 0 0 open D 

Quiz
Why is  musical scale like a ladder ?
2 There is a famous opera house called La Scala Where is it?
3 What two left hand fingers are closest together ? Don't forget tose bow hands 

Fingers well over 
Thumb Bent 
Knuckles forward 

Thanks to my helpers from Mr Corbett's class who helped to pack up today 

Improvers Group

New March Watch this post I will be adding  a recording of this new tune soon.

Rhythm Right
Remember  Single Upbeat =Upbow

Doreen Dami, James, Hayley, Sophie, Emilia, Emanuel, Ben, Brendan






Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Triplets, Treaty Stones and January Blues

New programme today

We began work on our term 2 task list today. We continue to work on placing first finger and place 2nd   and 3rd in the coming weeks . Today we add a new triplet rhythm .  Check out the video on the side on how to play the Blues

Task 1
Rhythm 3  Triplets { 1 1 1 1 1 1}    Track 5 Chopsticks
                                 1 2 3 4 5 6
                       6/8    Six short  beats  (tiptoe)
                   

This is a very important rhythm for Irish dancers  in JIGS

Shadow bowing and Bowing on D String and
first finger down on D (E) to  jig  Lilting Banshee  

Task 2

Cross  Lake Blues  Ms Loftus class  Track 3  DD_   __ A A _ _

Task 3
First Finger Blues

D E D E  G G G_   x 4
0  1 0  1   0  0  0

A B A B  D E D E

G G G G G z D z





Improvers Group
Congratulations to the members of the  group who were admitted to the HFSS Band .
1 Work today The Treaty Stone March

2 G Major  ( 1^2      3    0   1^2      3 )   Finger pattern on D and A string  C natural
   D Major Scale
Up beat  Use an up bow
4th finger placement some  Use 4th instead of open string in 3rd line last bar   to avoid changing string

Listen to the tune in the recordings prepared for you below

Rhythm only  Try  playing the rhythym on open string D with the recording
                     When you are happy with the rhythm,  work on the fingers


Continue to play term 1 tunes to work on bowing .

Bowing Tips
1 Use middle of bow and
2 bowing near bridge  not near fingerboard

Present Brendan, Emmanuel, Hayely, Emilia, Sophie, Dami,  Ben,


Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Morning Music at Blue Green Café Sessons

Places Set All Ready

Finally, the morning of our debut concert arrived.  I am so proud of the players. You were terrific! Our audience were the third classes of Ms Vaughan, Ms Mulpeter and Ms Frawley . There were not just  one but two principals as  Ms Dilger from the Junior School joined Ms Barnes, Ms Darmody and Ms Whyatt to see the progress after ten weeks of  lessons.
I can't wait to work you all in the new year. Next class on 15th January. In the meantime have a look at the videos .

Introductions
Programme
pizz
   Vivaldi in G 
   Toreador's March 
   Drunken Sailor    soloist Killian Shannon
   Foxtrot
Arco
  Rock You
  Cross Lake Bliues/Ode to Joy 
        Ms Bridge on piano 
  Wintertime in Russia /Ree
Ireland's Call
Off We Go
And The Next Piece is 


Audience tackle  quiz questions 

A Quick Read of the Paper?

Announcers    Angel , Harry , Ava, Damilola, Nicola, Nikola ,Gloria, Marcel, Wiam
Bass              Thomas, Fabian, Vanessa Cello Grace Whitney,  Tamek
Leaders         Cormas, Ayomede, Joshua, Eugene and Anya
Percussion     Jashar,Adewale, Sarah

Well done to the violinists, announcers, leaders, bass and cello players, and percussionists . Thanks to Mr Shannon and Ms Bridge for accompanying on  banjo and piano  .  Bravo tutti!

The photos are alll of the first group but watch this blog and I will post more snaps as soon as I get them.  Teachers please email me your pics of the day .

I chatted to some of the participants in the yard after the concert



Quiz answers. see last post for questions 1 Violin Cello, Double Bass, Banjo 4 different instruments  2 Banjo because it doesn't use bow 3 Violinist is highest in pitch 4 Each has four strings. 5 Vivaldi was Italian 6The first backing track featured low notes on cello and bass. 7 Loud and full of energy. 8 A Sea Shanty 9 Mr Shannon played a reel 10 Rugby we added a conga drum .

Monday, December 3, 2012

Cafe Session Quiz


3rd Class Music   Ten Questions   Café Concert  Quiz

1  How many different string instruments can you see in the café today 

_______________________________________________________________

Which one doesn't use a bow 

2 Which one plays the lowest notes

______________________________________________________________
3Which one plays the highest ___________________________________

4 How many strings do the instruments have _____________________
5 Piece One Where was Vivaldi from   _____________________________

6 In the backing track  for piece no 1  are the notes    high   or low    in pitch . Circle the one that fits 
.
7 In piece 2 What words best describe the Toreador’s march   Circle the ones that fit best
   Loud ,       Full of energy,       Dreamy,        Peaceful

8 The Drunken Sailor is a S_ _    S_ _ _ _ _  
#
9 What sort of Irish dance did the banjo play?   Jig ,  reel or Hornpipe  
Circle the right one


10  What sport is Irelands Call linked to ?  __________

What non stringed instrument was featured in this piece  ______________________________
  
10 Which piece did you like best ______________________________

Answers  on www.holyfamilystrings.blogspot.com