In about January of students' second year of string playing, I introduce this D Major scale sheet. Before then, we often warm up in full orchestra with a D Major scale with different rhythm patterns or adding slurs or as a round. In small groups, we go through each line and review technique. The hooked bowing is pretty new for students at this point. In full orchestra, at first we have to pause and regroup between each bowing, but I tell students our goal will be to play straight through the whole sheet. Eventually a student leader will stand in front and give the breath to start (I'll call out the next bowing as we get close to the end of a line). It seems pretty straightforward, but I'm always surprised by how much room for growth is evident the first week we attempt this as a full orchestra--and by how proud the students are when we are able to make it all the way through more-or-less together.
Pretty soon we move into our unit on G Major, so we transfer this warmup to the new key. Violins and cellos also learn the upper octave in G Major (starting the G above open G), so I usually have them play the warmup in the upper octave too. In past years, I haven't made a new scale sheet for the new keys; students just have to play the same bowing patterns but in the new key. They can look at the scale written out in quarter notes in the book if they want a visual. This year I've made a new scale sheet for both G and C Major, and I anticipate students will appreciate being able to follow along on the page as they play. Maybe they will be less likely to forget the line with the single eighth notes exists :) It's funny how often students just stop playing after the repeated eighth notes scale and we have to restart "the fast one." Anyway, with our focus on the upper octave scale, that's what I typed out for violin/cello, with the scale starting on open G only included in the first line, as half notes.
In the spring (usually around the time of spring break), we do a playing checkup on all the scale bowings in G Major. We go through the rubric together the week before, and then during small groups the week of, students play individually for me while the other students in their small group are working on their G Major composition.
- G Major scale checkup rubric (Google Doc)--three per page to cut apart and write on for each student
- G Major scale checkup rubric (Google Form)--for any virtual students (I save the individual scores/comments as a PDF and email to the student afterwards)
- G Major scale checkup rubric (PDF)--one to share with students ahead of time for reference
Our last key of the year is C Major, so we apply these bowing patterns to this key too. Violas and cellos get the higher octave written out (starting an octave above open C), with the scale starting on open C only included in the first line, as half notes.
