Orchestra Classroom

It's difficult to find a method book for the high school level. I wanted to have something my students could rehearse together that would help them develop advanced skills such as bow hold flexibility, bow control, shifting, and more. 18 Etudes for Advanced String Orchestra Warm-ups drills specific skills in each etude. The purpose of the book is to help an orchestra transition to a more advanced level of playing by working on right hand and left technique. Each etude includes one page of practice suggestions to help students master the techniques presented in each piece. This packet includes a 43 page book for violin, viola, cello, and string bass as well as a teacher score. 289 pages total.

This is a resource which helps students practice various finger patterns on each string customized by key signature. Keys included in this resource are A major, D major, G major, C major, F major, Bb major, and Eb major. Parts are included for violin, viola, cello and bass. Each part contains 7 pages - one page for each major key. 29 pages total.

These exercises are written for beginning orchestra classes to be used as warm-ups to improve intonation in your ensemble. Each exercise drills a specific note pattern or fingering to help students achieve more precise intonation. The rhythm in each exercise is always simple in order to help students focus all attention on tone and intonation.  98 pages total with parts for violin, viola, cello and bass.

This resource is to be used to supplement your current method book. This resource provides many exercises to help students gain confidence and develop important skills before diving into the method book.

During the first weeks of playing it is essential to establish excellent technique. Playing by rote for several weeks will help students focus on maintaining proper playing position and solid intonation. A rote approach helps students develop good playing habits before having to add .another skill such as note-reading

 

 

 

 

These pages will help students establish a solid foundation in:

* Basic rhythm/couning
* Notes on the D string and A string (G string for basses)
* Careful intonation
* Tunnel fingers
* Finger hops
* Bow direction
* Bow lifts
* Tone
* Bonus bass page to teach shifting on the G string

14 page rote unit with parts for violin, viola, cello and bass - 62 pages total.

This book helps students get the right start with shifting using easy exercises that provide time for students to master technique and memorize new fingerings. I used much of this resource last year in my own classroom (not all of it was written, yet) and I loved the results! My 2nd year players were shifting and they sounded great. This download contains one teacher manual (50 pages) and student books (18 pages each) for violin, viola, cello and bass.

This is a .pdf download of a 97 page book that contains 10 lessons full of tips, techniques, and music to use in your beginning orchestra class.  Set your beginners up for success as they establish the building blocks of proper playing.

The perfect resource for the beginning of the year in your beginning orchestra class!  This book contains 42 pages of worksheets to teach beginning note reading and also fingerings/notes for orchestra students.  Students will learn how to draw notes and understand clef and note names.  Ear training exercises are also included.  At the end of the book, students learn the fingerings and names of notes for the D and A strings.  Purchase of this product will give you the file to download and permission to print as many copies as needed for your classroom. Pages are included for violin, viola, cello, and bass students. Pages may be printed individually for worksheets, or all together and bound into a workbook for each student.

This is a 12 page workbook that teaches music students the basics of beat and rhythm.  Group class activities and worksheets are included.  Students learn eighth notes, quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, corresponding rests and time signatures (except eighth rests).  This workbook puts students on the great start to counting and rhythm reading.

I am always working to motivate my students to practice.  I believe that it is important to use a variety of systems to get students to practice.  Students get bored with filling out the same practice cards or completing the same practice assignments over and over again.  That is why I use many different practicing strategies through-out the school year.  

 

I have created a packet with downloadable resources you can use with your orchestra class.  Included in the packet is a practice sheet, tips for effective practice poster, practice cards that can be stamped by the teacher when practice is completed, 3 different practice assignments, music money, and a GradeCam practice record.

INTRODUCTORY SPECIAL PRICE! This is an orignal work written in the key of e minor. All of the notes and rhythms are attainable for a 1st year beginning orchestra and students love the sound of the minor key. Students will love to practice the fun melody lines. This will make your group sound way more advanced! Included score and parts for violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello and bass.  See sample pages on my blog!

This is a great way to practice flashcards! Students use a gameboard which is designed like a violin, viola, cello, or bass fingerboard. Students then place each flashcard on the correct note-name on the fingerboard. This helps students know their note names, but also understand where the notes are found on their instruments.

This is an 18 page download that includes 4 beginning note-reading exercises for violin, viola, cello, string bass.  Parts and score are included. Each exercises has an advanced melody line and a simple beginning line that consists only of open strings (G, D and A) so that students can begin learning to recognize and read notes.  See my blog post about this resource and view sample pages here:  http://orchestrateacher.blogspot.com/2014/09/open-strings-note-reading-exercises.html

This is an arrangement of Arkansas Traveler for your beginning orchestra class.  There are advanced melody parts and simple back-up parts included for each instrument.  Plus, I have included a back-up sheet that is written using finger numbers and note names to help beginners gain confidence finding notes and fingerings before they are reading music.  This is a 23 page download.

This is an 8 1/2 x 11 size poster print download for your orchestra class.  This looks great as a poster, but also on a t-shirt!  I will email you the file once I receive confirmation of payment for paypal.  You can then use the file to print as you desire.

Fiddle Tune for Beginners is an arrangement of a simple fiddle tune for string orchestra.  The arrangement includes parts for 3 different skill levels so that this can be used in a classroom with true beginners and more advanced beginning players.  Each part is only 8 measure long, but it can be repeated over and over as students try to play a different part each time.  I would use this for the first week of my beginning orchestra class.  Parts are included for violin, viola, cello, and bass.  There is also a score included.

 

In my orchestra class, I have some experienced players in my beginning class.  I teach the bass line to all students and I sometimes write out just the fingering or note names for the bass line if students are not yet reading notes.  The true beginners can the

n focus on a more simple part while others in the orchestra work on the harmony and melody.  I have found that my beginners enjoy this piece because they like the sound of all of the different parts happening at once.  It's a bit more satisfying for them to hear themselves on this piece than the typical 'Mary Had A Little Lamb.'

 

I have found that beginning students thrive when they are able to hear more advanced parts to the music they are learning.  Students always desire to learn the more difficult part because they like how it sounds.  That makes students practice more and figure out the harder parts.  It keep the orchestra class moving quickly!

This is a 7 page download of rules for your orchestra class that correspond to the word RESPECT.  Each page is a different letter.  After printing each page on regular sized 8 1/2 x 11 paper, you can assemble them in one long strip for your classroom.  See http://orchestrateacher.blogspot.com/2014/07/rules-for-orchestra-classroom.html to see how this looks all put together.

This form will save you a lot of time when you are starting up GradeCam!  You can read how to set up your free GradeCam account at www.orchestrateacher.blogspot.com

 

This download is a 2-page 8 1/2 by 11 color poster spread for your classroom to help teach students how to tune their own instruments and not break a string.  After purchasing, you will receive an email with the file attached and you may save and print the file.  See my blog article about teaching tuning here: 

http://orchestrateacher.blogspot.com/2014/08/teaching-tuning.html

This is a .pdf image graphic you can use for t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc for your orchestra classroom.  If you need a different file type, please let me know and I can send a .jpg or other file type.