Author: Matthew H Spieker

Publisher:

Published: 2023

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781955697118

This is a textbook for preservice teachers or for current teachers who find themselves teaching a traditional string ensemble. The material is introductory and presents itself as a "mashup" of string pedagogy and school instrumental method books.The textbook is divided into three parts: Part I - Basic Concepts, Part II - Workbook, Exercises, and Music, Part III - Bowings and RhythmsPart I - Basic Concepts covers the essential ideas you need to begin the journey of playing the stringed instruments violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Topics covered include: Instrument Nomenclature, Bow Nomenclature, Instrument Care, Tuning String Instruments, Instrument Set-upPizzicato, Left Hand Setup and Finger Placements, Hand Frames, Intonation, Shifting, Bow Holds, Bow Placement and Drawing the Bow, Tone Production, and Dynamics.Part II - Workbook, Exercises, and Music is similar to instrumental method books a teacher might use in a middle school classroom. Good string pedagogy divides performance concepts into left side and right side topics. The left side is about things like instrument setup, hand frames, intonation, vibrato, and more. The right side is about things like bow hold, tone production, articulation, rhythm, slurs, bowing, and more. Part II follows this by arranging the left side topics on the left side and the right side topics on the right side.Part II is presented with only six different key signatures. Again, this text is an introductory in nature, and it is unnecessary to create materials in every key signature. In addition, these key signatures are sequenced in the same way many middle school method books do. Part III - Bowings and Rhythms details many specific types of bowings a string student will use when playing in an amateur orchestra. There are also several pages devoted to understanding bowings in both simple and compound meters.