C/E String Notes

 

Orchestra Expressions gets to the C and E string notes pretty late in Book 1, and I like to introduce them to first-year players in the spring, as we are preparing for our spring concert.  I created a double-sided sheet where students learn about half steps and whole steps to figure out the names of the notes on their newest string on the front and then the back side is music that uses these new notes.

I'll have a student read a paragraph out loud, and then we'll go back dissect it together, pointing to the notes on the keyboard poster to figure out the notes on the E or C string one by one and get them written down.  It is fun to see students make predictions about what the letter names or sharps will be, and then I encourage them to see if their guesses are correct as we work through the sheet together.  Many will independently fill in the corresponding bubbles on their fingering chart that's taped in their folder as we go through this sheet too.  Otherwise we do that together the following week as a quick review.

Ideally each student in the small group is on the same instrument, but this tends to be the time of year when I have to do combined small groups or creative scheduling due to testing or field trips so I'll have multiple instruments in a group.  When this happens, I have to be careful to keep the pace moving so we can get through all the notes/fingerings but not to go so fast that I am losing/confusing students--this can be a tricky lesson for some!  It can also be tricky to play these pieces together since they are in different keys depending on the instrument/string--I'll use my judgement in the moment if it makes more sense to have the E string instruments play while C string instruments air-bow or say finger numbers or clap/count or just listen and then switch or to just have everyone play the parallel 5ths together.  In full orchestra, we'll do "show and tell" with one of the pieces to avoid the parallel 5ths :)

In the both the Word document and PDF below, I've included three different versions of the sheet music--one with regular notation, one with a few Alpha notes at the beginning of each piece, and one with all Alpha notes.

C/E string notes worksheet/repertoire

• Word document
• PDF
• Audio files

Contents:

1. C/E Pentascale and Arpeggio
2. Mattachins (Sword Dance)
3. Barcarolle
4. Funga Alafia

Image of labeled keyboard (png)

Feel free to use and update as you like!

Prepping Folders for Fall 2020

 In preparation for in-person and virtual students in the fall and the possibility of going totally virtual at some point, I prepped folders with all the music/handouts students would need through winter break.  A local music store kindly donates folders each year.  I color-coded papers as I normally would so students can find sheets faster.  To ensure students would have a pencil (as I won't be leaving pencils on the stands for students to share throughout the day this year), I bought boxes of pencils, sharpened them, taped a piece of yarn to them, and taped them to the folder.  To the pockets of the folders, I taped in a "Contents" list and a fingering chart.

So far they're working out fine--and only a few students have totally dumped all the papers on the floor when they were pulling out the pencil.  Not quite sure how they managed that :)

Update: Now, a few years later, I'm also including concert dates and a reference sheet.  During the school year, I tape in the concert order for each of our concerts as well.  It takes quite a bit of prep time before school starts, but I am happy with the result :)

Updated Winter Packets (plus audio files)

I often have one or two students who enter fifth grade already having studied a string instrument privately for a couple of years.  I have the flexibility to add them to sixth grade orchestra as fifth graders, which better meets their needs.  However, this means that those students take sixth grade orchestra twice.  Concert repertoire changes every year, more or less, but the packets of additional repertoire hasn't always.  This year I figured it was time to switch up the winter packet for the students in the second-year orchestra.  I've also been on a kick with creating audio files in Finale so students can play along with accompaniment at home, so I did that to these too.  Each piece has audio files in at least three different tempos.  The packet for first-year string players is the same as before; I've just added audio files.


Winter packet (for first-year string players):

• Word document
• PDF
• Audio files

Contents:

1. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
2. Good King Wenceslas
3. Up on the Housetop
4. Overture to The Nutcracker
5. Carol of the Bells
6. Here We Come A-Caroling

Winter packet--revised version (for second-year string players):

• Word document
• PDF
• Audio files

Tenor clef version of winter packet--revised version (for second-year string players):

• Word document
• PDF

Contents: 

1. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas (duet)
2. God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen (duet)
3. Sivivon Sov Sov Sov (A two-part round)
4. Winter Is Coming (A three-part round)
5. Over the River and Through the Wood
6. Auld Lang Syne
7. "March" from The Nutcracker
8. Troika
9. Carol of the Bells

Winter packet--original version (for second-year string players)


Enjoy!

Updated C Major Packet

I have updated several of my handouts of supplemental repertoire for second-year students over the summer in preparation for a few students who will be taking this class for the second (or third) time.  I wanted to give them some new pieces to learn, and I'm about ready to change things up a bit too (I did keep a few favorites like "Theme from Surprise Symphony" and "Sailor's Hornpipe").

Here's the post about the original C Major Packet.

And here are the contents of the new packet:

• Row, Row, Row your Boat
• Theme from Surprise Symphony
• Zum Gali Gali
• Sailor's Hornpipe
• Yankee Doodle
• Pomp and Circumstance
• La Cucaracha
• Blue Bells of Scotland
• Minuet in C

I was excited to find that "Blue Bells of Scotland" was written by a woman, Dorothea Jordan--she'll be a welcome addition to our wall of composers!

Enjoy!

• New C Major repertoire packet (Word document)
• New C Major repertoire packet (PDF)
• New Scavenger hunt (Word document)
• New Scavenger hunt (PDF)
• New Answer key (PDF)

Tenor clef version of New C Major repertoire packet:

• Word document
• PDF

D Major Sheet: Audio Files for Accompaniment

After putting together the audio files for the Orchestra Expressions supplement, I thought this audio-file accompaniment would also benefit my second-year students, so I went ahead and typed up some Finale files to correspond with their first handout of the year (the D Major sheet).  For the rounds, I created a solo version with piano accompaniment and then a round version with all string sounds.  Some pieces were exported at different tempos (named either Andante, Moderato, or Allegro) to help students at different points in their learning.

• Table of Contents to D Major Sheet: Audio Files (with links)

Enjoy!

Orchestra Expressions Supplement: Audio Files for Accompaniment

To match up with the Orchestra Expressions supplement packet that I wrote, I whipped up some accompaniment parts on Finale and exported them as audio files.  I'm hoping that students will find these pieces more attractive to practice at home when they have a piano part to play along with.  Each track begins with the sound of a triangle to show the tempo and meter, and several give options for the tempo--either a slower practice tempo or one marked "fast!"

Enjoy!

Table of Contents to Orchestra Expressions Supplement Audio Files (with links)

Supplement: D Major Sheet

At the beginning of the year for second-year students, I like to start with this sheet of pieces in D Major for review.  We don't get to all the pieces together in class, but it's a nice supplement for those that want extra music at home.  The D Major scale is provided as a reference on the the top of the page.  "Hallelujah" is a round that we spend quite a bit of time on during the first weeks of school.  We spot the D Major scale hiding in the second line and work on the skips in the first line.  Eventually students will get an opportunity to lead their group for the round by standing in front of the orchestra, taking a breath to start off their group, and playing along.  Over the years, I've switched out pieces here and there, so I have a couple versions of this D Major sheet.

Contents of Version 1:

• D Major scale
• Hallelujah!
• A Mountain View
• Do, Re, Mi, Fa
• Where is John?
• Play from "For Children"

D Major Version 1 (Word document)
D Major Version 1 (PDF)

Contents of Version 2:

• D Major scale
• Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barley Grow
• Hallelujah!
• Do, Re, Mi, Fa
• Where is John?
• Play from "For Children"

D Major Version 2 (Word document)
D Major Version 2 (PDF)

Contents of Version 3 (also includes a version at the end with Alpha notation):

• D Major Scale
• Do, Re, Mi, Fa
• A Mountain View
• Gopala
• Shortnin' Bread
• Sea Shanty
• Hallelujah!

D Major Version 3 (Word document)
D Major Version 3 (PDF)

 Enjoy!

Supplement: D String Notes

Once we arrive to combining D string notes and the bow, some students are ready to take off with their note-reading and explore new music.  Others are quite content to stay in the book and on our concert pieces.  I give this packet to all the beginners but spend very little, if any, class time on it so students can really do what they like with it.

I've included a reference of the D string notes on the staff labeled with finger numbers and letter names along with a box of practice tips for home practice.  Students are eager to try out their new skills on some familiar and not-so-familiar tunes--they're most excited to see the melodies to the pieces they've already played the harmony parts to such as Barcarolle, Jingle Bells, and Twinkle.

Pieces included:

• Hot Cross Buns
• Go Tell Aunt Rhody
• Barcarolle
• All Through the Night
• The Huron Carol
• Dreidel Dreidel
• Jingle Bells

These pieces also use first finger B on the A string:

• Twinkle Twinkle
• Old MacDonald
• Lavender's Blue
• This Old Man
• London Bridge

D String Notes Supplement

• Word document
• PDF
• Audio files

And here's a link to an earlier post that tells a little more about this packet as well as the Orchestra Expressions supplement for the beginning of the book: Supplements.

Enjoy!

D Major Composition

My second-year orchestra students write longer compositions (a minimum of eight measures instead of four), and with more of an emphasis on tonality and musical tools.  Sometimes these musical tools are drawn from the repertoire being studied, such as a specific rhythmic pattern, and change each year.

I use basically the same format as students were used to seeing their first year in orchestra, but I tailor it to the unit we are studying.  The "basic" checklist includes things like clef, key signature, time signature, proper number of beats in each measure, etc.  Then, the toolbox gives students options as to what they'd like to include in their composition.  This may include starting and ending the piece on "Do," adding slurs or the hooked bowing, beginning with an incomplete measure, or writing a rhythmic pattern drawn from a current full orchestra piece.

My sample composition is on the back side, with additional blank staff paper for those who choose to write longer pieces.  I also wrote a description of the musical tools I included in my composition as a sample for students to use when sharing their own compositions the following week in small groups.

As usual, I write comments on each student's sheet, and I type up all the compositions to make packets for everyone based on instrument.  In the packet, the list of musical tools is on the top of the first page to refer to so students can spot the different tools used in their classmates' pieces.

D Major composition with toolbox:

• Word document
• PDF   

• Template for D Major composition packet (Word document)
• Template for D Major composition packet (Google Doc)

Happy composing!

--

Links to other composition worksheets: 

• G Major composition

• Composition #1 (open strings, pizzicato)
• Composition #2 (D-string notes, pizzicato)
• Composition #3 (A-string notes, arco)
• Composition #4 (G-string notes, arco)
• Composition #5 (C/E-string notes, with tempo/dynamic)

Link to Templates for composition packets

Summer Packets

On the last day of small groups, students receive their summer packets.  The first page gives some ideas of how to stay involved with music over the summer, a few dates of orchestra concerts in the area that families could attend, as well as suggested books to check out at local music stores for additional repertoire.  (I've kept the first page pretty blank on these templates so you can customize it for your students.)

Then, the rest of the packet is all music in the public domain.  I was sure to include a few duets and rounds that students could play with their friends when they get together over the summer.  I play Devil's Dream for the beginners and encourage students to try that piece (slowly first!) if they would like a challenge for the summer.  The packet for second-year students includes a few patriotic tunes just in time for the Fourth of July.


Summer packet (for first-year string players):

• Word document
• PDF

Contents:

1. Morning Song
2. Alouette
3. Come Follow Me (round)
4. Scotland's Burning (round)
5. A Mountain View
6. Trumpet Tune
7. Rondeau
8. Everybody Loves Saturday Night
9. Chichipapa: The Sparrow Song
10. Zum Gali Gali
11. The Arkansas Traveler
12. When the Saints Go Marching In
13. Les Toreadors
14. Devil's Dream

Summer packet (for second-year players):

• Word document
• PDF

Contents:

1. Now Is the Month of Maying
2. You're a Grand Old Flag
3. Shalom Chaverim (round)
4. March
5. Waltz
6. This Little Light of Mine (duet)
7. Ahrirang
8. America (My Country 'Tis of Thee)
9. Flop-Eared Mule
10. Finale from Serenade for Strings
11. On, Wisconsin!

Enjoy, and happy summer!

C Major Packet and Scavenger Hunt

As we get into our unit on the key of C Major, I present my students with a packet of pieces that use the C Major key signature (there is one piece in A minor).  To become better acquainted with these new pieces, I tell students that I have a scavenger hunt for them.  Some questions will have one more than one possible answer, and the same title may be used more than once.

I do very few written worksheets in orchestra, but I like this one because it's a good review of many topics that we've covered over the course of the year (anacrusis, triad, note-reading etc.) and it exposes students to some new musical concepts that we haven't officially covered (6/8 time signature, dotted quarter-eighth note rhythm).  And when students get to the music history questions, their heads always turn to the music history timeline wall to figure out where each composer would fit.  Nice use of resources :)

I tried to include a variety of public domain pieces, some familiar and some not so familiar.  Here are the contents:

• Pop Goes the Weasel
• Theme from Surprise Symphony
• November (Bohemian Folk Song)
• Sailor's Hornpipe
• Mexican Hat Dance
• America, the Beautiful
• Red Wing
• Minuet in C

Enjoy!

• C Major repertoire packet (Word document)
   
• C Major repertoire packet (PDF)
   
• Scavenger hunt (Word document)
   
• Scavenger hunt (PDF)
   
• Answer key (PDF)

(See a second version of the C Major packet with some different repertoire and updated scavenger hunt here)

Elementary Orchestra Solo/Ensemble, Part 1: Description and Additional Repertoire

For the elementary orchestra students in our district, we create our own Solo/Ensemble festival each spring.  Since it's not an "official" Solo/Ensemble festival, we can create our own list of repertoire choices suitable for first- and second-year players and really customize the event to make it work for our students.

This is a big unit for us in orchestra, and it's a great experience for our beginners on many levels.  They get to prepare a solo and/or ensemble (duet or trio for first-year students; up to a quartet for second-year students), so the outcome of this performance really hinges on how much individual effort each student puts into it.  Performing alone is a really different feeling compared to performing as a full orchestra.  During this unit, we take a look at the whole process of selecting and learning a piece, getting it ready for performance, and then performing it for an audience.  Once students are in middle school and can participate in the "real" Solo/Ensemble festival, they already have an idea of what to expect.

Students take time to try out lots of pieces from the list of choices before settling on their repertoire, and I give time during full orchestra for students to form ensembles.  They enjoy getting to play with students who play different instruments than them.  The month before Solo/Ensemble, I form small groups based on S/E ensemble groups, which generally includes some mixed instrumentation.  We do a dress rehearsal during small groups, where each student introduces what they're playing and something interesting about the piece or something to listen to or watch for, and this is when I do my formal assessment and give last-minute tips.

The next week during small groups, we go on tour around their school.  I create a Google Doc with available times for teachers to sign up on, and then each small group gets to perform for one classroom.  If it's a time slot I'm having trouble filling, we can always go perform for the people in the office.  This is an authentic performance experience, as students get to experience what it's like actually performing for an audience.  The audience members always have great questions for our performers afterwards, and it's built-in school-wide exposure for the orchestra program.  I make sure to bring a camera and get pictures of each solo and ensemble performing to post in the orchestra room, and on the weekly orchestra newsletter.

Then, that Saturday is Solo/Ensemble.  Since it occurs outside of the school day, not all students are available to participate.  That's another reason we all go on tour at school--everyone gets to do that, and then the Solo/Ensemble festival is the icing on the cake.  We alternate each year between the two high schools in town so students get a sneak peek at the music wings where they will be attending school in the future.  Performers dress up, families are welcome to listen, and area teachers and musicians serve as our adjudicators.

Adjudicators fill out a rubric with comments for each set of performers, and they have a few minutes to work with each student too.  These one-on-one teaching moments are so valuable for our students, and they really reinforce what we're working on at school too.

It takes a lot of planning to get all the registrations turned in, the schedule created, performance rubrics printed, the sites set up, all the instruments tuned etc. but I'm glad we do it.

Most students perform music either from their book or from this "Additional Repertoire" sheet.  "Sweetly Sings the Donkey" is the popular ensemble choice with the beginners--they like the musical "hee-haws" in the last line :)  The lyrics are: "Sweetly sings the donkey at the break of day.  If you do not feed him, this is what he'll say: 'Hee-haw!  Hee-haw!  Hee-haw, hee-haw, hee-haw!'"  Feel free to use or update these sheets to make them work for you:

Additional Repertoire (for first-year string players):

• Word document

• PDF

Contents: 

• Can Can
• Frere Jacques (round)
• Cripple Creek (duet)
• Sweetly Sings the Donkey (round) 
  

[Alpha notation included at the end too]

Additional Repertoire (for second-year string players):

• Word document

• PDF 

Contents:

• Old Joe Clark
• Lakota Lullaby
• Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
• The World's Best Mother 

[Alpha notation included at the end too]

Enjoy!

See also: 

Elementary Orchestra Solo/Ensemble, Part 2: Timeline and Documents

Elementary Orchestra Solo/Ensemble, Part 3: Creating the Schedule

Elementary Orchestra Solo/Ensemble, Part 4: Festival Day!

Templates for Composition Packets

 

My first-year orchestra students compose several short pieces throughout the year.  They hand write their compositions (see these posts for worksheets: Open strings, D-string notes, A-string notes, G-string notes, E/C string notes), and then I type them up to make packets of everyone's pieces, by instrument.  Students are able to try out pieces that they and their classmates have composed, and they have tons of extra material to help reinforce their newest notes on their instrument.

Typing these up is definitely time consuming, but having a template to work from makes this process go a little more quickly.  From my template document in Word or Google Docs, I type in the composition's name and composer's name first.  Then, I type up the four-measure composition in a music notation program (I have a version of Finale).  When finished, I hit "print screen," paste the screen shot into Paint, highlight the composition to select it, and then copy/paste that into the Word document.  (Using the Snipping Tool or doing a screen capture would be another way to do this.)  I did find that in Finale I had to change the background color to white, otherwise the default off-white texture stood out compared to the rest of the Word document.  I also stay as zoomed in as I can in Finale to keep the screenshot pretty sharp.

Here are Word documents for the first four compositions of the year.  I include a key of the notes on the staff with letter names and finger numbers for reference at the top of the page.  For cellos and basses, I tend to double dip and include their pieces for both packets, adjusting octaves as needed, just because there are usually fewer students who play these instruments and I want them to have a decent number of compositions to play. 

Note: Since the pandemic, I switched to Google Docs so virtual students could access them.  I have since added Google Doc templates for the first four compositions for first-year players, as well as for the two compositions my students write in their second year of study (D Major and G Major).  

Composition #1:

• Template for open string composition packet (Word document)
• Open string VIOLIN (Google Doc)
• Open string VIOLA (Google Doc)
• Open string CELLO (Google Doc)
• Open string BASS (Google Doc)

Composition #2:

• Template for D string notes composition packet (Word document)
• D string VIOLIN (Google Doc)
• D string VIOLA (Google Doc)
• D string CELLO (Google Doc)
• D string BASS (Google Doc)

Composition #3:

• Template for A string notes composition packet (Word document)
• A string VIOLIN (Google Doc)
• A string VIOLA (Google Doc)
• A string CELLO (Google Doc)
• A string BASS (Google Doc)

Composition #4:

• Template for G string notes composition packet (Word document)
• G string VIOLIN (Google Doc)
• G string VIOLA (Google Doc)
• G string CELLO (Google Doc)
• G string BASS (Google Doc)

(I don't type up Composition #5)

Template for D Major composition packet (Google Doc)

• ALL INSTRUMENTS

Template for G Major composition packet (Google Doc)

• G Major VIOLIN
• G Major VIOLA 
• G Major CELLO/BASS

From these, feel free to change fonts, headings, etc. to meet your needs, but I hope they save you a bit of time or at least give you a starting point for making your own packets of student compositions!

--

Links to composition worksheets: 

• Composition #1 (open strings, pizzicato)
• Composition #2 (D-string notes, pizzicato)
• Composition #3 (A-string notes, arco)
• Composition #4 (G-string notes, arco)
• Composition #5 (C/E-string notes, arco)

• D Major composition
• G Major composition

Winter Packets

My schools each have a winter band/orchestra/choir concert in December.  The closest we get to performing Christmas music is my arrangement of "Jingle Bells." It has become an orchestra tradition at my schools to end their portion of the concert with combined 5th and 6th grade orchestras playing their different parts and student volunteers ringing bells.  Before my students leave for winter break, I pass out these winter packets for them to enjoy over their time off from school.  These packets are great for sight-reading and reinforcing skills from the fall semester.  I've tried to stay away from the more religious Christmas songs and to include some melodies that may be unfamiliar to my students.  The second-year winter packet includes many rounds and duets too.

Winter packet (for first-year string players):

• Word document
• PDF

Contents:

1. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
2. Good King Wenceslas
3. Up on the Housetop
4. Overture to The Nutcracker
5. Carol of the Bells
6. Here We Come A-Caroling

Winter packet (for second-year string players):

• Word document
• PDF

Contents:

1. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas (duet)
2. Good King Wenceslas (duet)
3. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
4. Winter is Coming (A three-part round)
5. The Bell Doth Toll (A three-part round)
6. Auld Lang Syne
7. In the Bleak Midwinter
8. Carol of the Bells

Enjoy!

Supplements: Extra Music for Orchestra Expressions Method Book

I really like the Orchestra Expressions method book for beginning orchestra.  It was designed with the National Standards for the Arts in Music in mind, includes music from many different parts of the world, includes pictures of children demonstrating proper playing position, begins with the fourth finger and works down to promote good LH position, and connects to other disciplines and history through timelines and art connections.  It encourages improvisation, conducting, listening, movement, composition, as well as proper technique from the start.  I especially like the authentic, varied recordings on the CD that accompany each piece in the book.  They are performed on real instruments, and there are so many different genres of music represented on the recordings.  I could go on and on about why I chose to use this method book with my beginning students.

But, as with any method book, there are a few weaknesses.  Instead of introducing all four open strings at once, the book begins with just the three that all the string instruments share (A, D, G) and leaves E and C until much later in the book.  The 3/4 time signature also isn't introduced until much later in the book.

To address these issues, I wrote a short supplement packet that corresponds to the beginning of the book but includes the C/E strings and the 3/4 time signature.  I also added some harmony parts to familiar tunes that students can sing along to while they're playing.  Feel free to use with your students!

Orchestra Expressions Supplement:

• Word document
• PDF
• Audio files

Contents:

1. Rollin' on D and A
2. Plucking Open E/C
3. Waltzing Up High/Down Low
4. Shake 'em Up
5. Mary Lee (Harmony)
6. Au Claire de la Lune (Harmony)
7. Ode to Joy (Harmony)
8. Bile 'em Cabbage Down (Harmony)
9. Pumping Iron #3
10. E/C String Level
11. Sidestep Shuffle
12. Crossword Puzzle
13. Crisscross
14. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (Harmony)
15. Jingle Bells (Harmony)

Once students have learned their D string notes, I give them a packet of familiar melodies they are ready to play, including a few with B on the A string.  Students enjoy playing these familiar tunes, and they are a bit more rhythmically varied than their books at this point.

D String Notes Supplement:

• Word document
• PDF
• Audio files

Contents:

1. Hot Cross Buns
2. Go Tell Aunt Rhody
3. Barcarolle
4. All Through the Night
5. The Huron Carol
6. Dreidel Dreidel
7. Jingle Bells
8. Twinkle Twinkle
9. Old MacDonald
10. Lavender's Blue
11. This Old Man
12. London Bridge

Enjoy!

**See this link for the post about the audio files to accompany the Orchestra Expressions Supplement!