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

* = updated January 2026 for clearer resolution

Image of labeled keyboard (png)

Feel free to use and update as you like!

Weekly Newsletters

 

Students at my schools have one 30-minute small group and one 30-minute full orchestra rehearsal each week, and I like to send a weekly newsletter to families to keep everyone up-to-date.  I include a summary of what we did that week, the practice assignment, the link to the small group schedule, and any concert info/reminders of important dates.

I used to just write an email each week (with lots of copy/pasting from the previous year's weekly email), but it was only text.  At some point I switched to Google Slides, and I like this format much better.  Each week fits on one slide, and I can include buttons with links to the schedule, concerts in the area, music advocacy resources, and more.  It's easy to add pictures and text boxes and to move things around to make it look just the way I want. (For any students who are flagged "No media release" on Infinite Campus, I do check in with those families to see if it's okay that I include pictures of their student in the newsletter and that has not been a problem.)  Families really like seeing pictures of their students in the newsletter, and I'm hoping that including more pictures makes it more likely for families to read the other information that I include as well :)  The document is set to "Anyone with the link can view," and then I include the link in the weekly email to families.

Instead of starting from scratch each week, I have a tab open with the previous year's newsletter and simply copy/paste the corresponding slide into the top of this year's document and update as needed.  Now the weekly newsletters are all contained in one document, and it's easy to scroll down to previous weeks.  I change the background color each week, so you see a nice rainbow effect as you scroll through the school year.  Any extra slides with concert info or Solo/Ensemble info etc. have a white background so they stand out.

My weekly email is basically:

Happy Tuesday orchestra families!

Please check out our weekly orchestra newsletter to find out what we did in orchestra this week!

(I highlight "weekly orchestra newsletter," hit "Control K," and then copy/paste the newsletter link to turn the text into a link.)

I'll also include concert into or other important info in the body of the email for those who don't click on the link.  I cc my administrators and bcc parent/guardian emails and then "schedule send" the email for the end of the school day.

Here are templates of an entire school year's worth of slides.  Feel free to make a copy and modify as you like!

Weekly newsletter template

• 5th grade orchestra (first-year players) (Google Slides)
• 6th grade orchestra (second-year players) (Google Slides)

Notes: Along the top where it says the week number, I also include the school and grade level, since I teach at multiple schools and want to keep it organized for myself.  I've also removed all the links but kept the text blue to see where I would generally include one.

Grade/Attendance Sheet

 

While my school does all their attendance records online (on Infinite Campus), I still print out my own attendance sheets, which also double as a place to record grades.  They are, of course, color-coded by instrument, and then student names are in order based on their small group.  That way, whenever we are doing a quick playing check-up in class, I don't have to hunt for each student's name on my sheet--everyone in that particular small group are located next to each other on the grade sheet.  I can also see at a glance how many students in each small group might have forgotten to bring their instrument to school that day.  I also include a column with the initial of each student's teacher with an asterisk if they are in advanced math, since that impacts my schedule and is helpful information to have handy.

Each orchestra's grade sheet is printed on whichever color paper is that orchestra's color.  My binder has a colored divider for each of the four orchestras I teach, and then behind each divider is the small group schedule, grade/attendance sheet, and full orchestra seating chart, all printed on paper that matches that orchestra's color.  (I don't use the color printer, but the different colored background prints in various shades of gray that makes the different instruments look slightly different).

When I create a new small group schedule and small groups get changed, I reorder the names on my attendance sheet document and print out a new one.  I can edit the weight of the border to make thicker lines between each small group.  Each orchestra is a different sheet within the same Google Sheet, so I can easily move between tabs at the bottom.

Along the top of the paper copy, I can write in the date or the name of an assignment and what it is I'm grading.

With attendance, I use different markings to code different things I want to keep track of.  The slash in the upper left for Johannes Brahms in the screenshot above above means there is no instrument in that student's spot on the instrument rack so I need to check attendance on Infinite Campus to see if Johannes is absent that day or if he forgot to bring his instrument that day and will need to borrow a spare.  The slash in the lower left means a student forgot to bring their orchestra folder/book.  Poor Clara Schumann is missing both her instrument and music the second week of this attendance sheet.  If I arrive to school in the morning and see that someone's instrument has been left at school all week, I write a little dot in the box (see J.S. Bach above) and then check attendance to see if they're in school that day.  If someone is absent, I draw a circle and am sure to write that student a quick email to let them know what they missed at orchestra that week.  For students who are present and have brought their instrument/music, I don't write anything.  At the end of the semester when I am entering disposition grades for Responsibility, I can look back and count exactly how many times a student hasn't brought their instrument or music to school so I am not just relying on my memory.

For grading, my district uses numbers (4=exceeds expectations, 3=meets expectations, 2=basic), and I will record grades onto this sheet and then enter them into Infinite Campus.  With playing checkup rubrics/comment sheets, I take a picture of those before handing them back to students and then transfer the numbers onto the attendance/grade sheet so it's easier to enter into IC later.  In this case, I write the headings small enough so I can fit three grades in each box to save space.

• Grade/Attendance Sheet Template (Google Form)

Feel free to make a copy and edit in a way that works for you!

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

 

Leading up to our elementary orchestra Solo/Ensemble festival, my coworker and I are as prepared as we can be.  The schedules have been shared with students and families; folders for the adjudicators have been stuffed with the room schedule, rubrics (color-coded by elementary school and then put in order by time slot), extra blank rubrics in the back, judges copies (for the most part Orchestra Expressions books plus copies of the extra repertoire sheets), and pencils; thank you notes for the adjudicators have been written; checks for the adjudicators have been picked up; final details have been emailed to the adjudicators; and we've touched base with the custodian working that morning to make sure they are set for us.  We've printed schedules-at-a-glance for ourselves, schedules to post outside each of the sites, and schedules by school to post on the wall if anyone needs to check their time.  We've grabbed some rolls of masking tape and the laminated stack of signs that we reuse each year.  We also have a few spare instruments with us, plenty of spare music, a pile of blank intro sheets if anyone has forgotten to bring theirs and needs to write out a new one, as well as a basket with extra rosin/strings/pencils/rock stops/sponges, etc.

My district's elementary orchestra Solo/Ensemble festival takes place at the high school from 8:00 am until noon on a Saturday morning.  My coworker and I arrive by 7:00 am and get right to work setting up the space.  The cafeteria serves as the warm-up room for everyone, and then the different classrooms in the music wing plus a nearby lecture hall are the sites (four or five total sites).  The custodian sets up a folding table in each room for the adjudicator and makes sure all the rooms we need have been unlocked for us.  One of us sets up the chairs and stands and rock stops needed for each site (we've worked out ahead of time how many are needed in each room), sets out some extra chairs for audience members, distributes the folders for the adjudicators, and puts a bunch of chairs and music stands scattered around the cafeteria for students to use when they are warming up.  The other of us tapes up the laminated signs and the schedule outside of each site along with a pencil attached to a piece of yarn so we can cross off who has played as the morning progresses.  (We do not have room monitors for our event).  We're as efficient as we can be, and are usually just about finishing setting up when the adjudicators and first students arrive.

We welcome the adjudicators, show them to their rooms, and give any last-minute instructions.  Most of our adjudicators have worked with us for many years, so they know the routine!

We greet students and families as they arrive and let them know they can unpack wherever they like and can leave their coats and cases on the tables in the cafeteria.  We tune instruments and make sure students know when their time slot is and where they are going.

If a student's ensemble partner is unable to participate (or they are a no-show, which inevitably does happen in a few instances each year), we will play with them so they don't have to perform alone.  In this case, I tell the student to come grab me when they are about to go to their room and then double check which part I'm playing (and review who's giving the breath, who's going first for the round, etc.) on our way in.  I'll perform with the student, and then leave right away so I can get back to greeting families and tuning instruments while the adjudicator is working with the student.

When I see a student packing up after they're finished, I'll ask how it went and what comments the adjudicator had for them so we can chat a bit.  I'll thank them and their family for coming and wish them a good rest of the weekend.

The morning goes pretty quickly!  Before I know it, rooms are finishing up, and it's time to pull the signs off the walls, stack the chairs and stands, and get the rooms looking how they did when we arrived.  We collect all the comment sheets and sort them by school (which is easy as they are color-coded by school).

Then, before school the following Monday, I scan the comment sheets, just so I have an electronic copy for myself.  I make a photo copy of the comment sheets for any ensembles, so each ensemble partner can have their own paper copy, and then I get the comment sheets in order of when I'll be seeing the students for small groups that next week.

The laminated signs, folders for the adjudicators, pencils on yarn, and extra intro sheets go back on the shelf for another year, and paper schedules get recycled.

I also order prints of the pictures I've taken from tour week and get those posted on our "STAR Musician" wall, so students can find themselves when they drop off their instrument the next week at school.   Solo/Ensemble self-reflections have to be printed off in time for full orchestra, if they haven't already.  There's also just one more week of small groups in their "scrambled" small groups with their ensemble partners, so I also have to create the next small group schedule, if I haven't finished that yet.  It's a busy weekend, at the end of a busy unit, but well worth it!

With the self-reflections, I do jot down quick comments to what students write.  Often a star or smiley face or "Great!" or "Congrats!" or "That sounds like a great thing to keep working on" is enough, but sometimes a longer written response is needed.  It is really helpful for me to read through all the responses--I learn a lot about how a student felt about their performance when they put down their thoughts in writing, and I read responses that really need a written response from me before I hand them back.  I will also type up a list of what students say went well and include those in the weekly orchestra newsletter that next week.

See also:

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

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

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

Seating Charts

 

For full orchestra rehearsals, I put color-coded name cards on music stands so students know where to sit.  It is also easy for me to see at a glance who is missing.  I used to not create a seating chart and just try to mix up the name cards each week so students would be sitting with different stand partners and in different parts of the section until it was a few weeks before a concert and we would begin using concert seating (that I wrote out by hand).  I could also strategically place students together who would be sharing a spare instrument because they both forgot theirs that day.  After full orchestra, I would collect the name cards in order (Row 1 left to right, Row 2, Row 3, etc.), so I had that seating "preserved" until next week and could mix it up from there.  Of course, I couldn't remember which students had sat with which stand partners over the course of several weeks, so sometimes I would hear students say that they've sat with a particular person three times already and they hadn't sat with so-and-so yet.  But that system worked well enough for my purposes.

However, the pandemic arrived and changed things (to say the least).  We weren't able to hold full orchestra during the 2020-2021 school year (I videotaped myself leading "virtual" full orchestra rehearsals for students to play along with at home).  Then, once we were able to resume full orchestra rehearsals at school the following school year, teachers still needed to submit seating charts to the office in case of any contact tracing that needed to be done.  I started creating seating charts using Google Slides, color-coded, of course, by instrument and then referencing that seating chart to get the names cards in order so set-up each week was as quick and easy as possible.  I also make note of how many chairs and stands go in each row and how many are needed total.  This document is just for me--students don't need to see the seating chart; they're just looking to find their name card on their music stand when they enter the room.  It turns out that I really appreciated having a record of my seating charts and have continued to use this Google Slide method.

• Seating chart template (Google Slide)

These days, I will keep the same seating chart about three or four weeks (we have once-a-week full orchestra rehearsals) and then mix it up.  I simply duplicate the slide, add the new start date on the top, and then drag the text boxes around.  In this way, old seating charts are easily viewable and I can reference them to make sure I am changing up stand partners and where in the section students are sitting.  Again, after each full orchestra, I just collect the name cards in order, and then I am all set for the following week.  If a student is absent that day, I still put their name card on the music stand; I just cover their name card with their stand partner's name card and set out one chair instead of two for that stand.  That way the name cards stay in order when I collect them afterwards.

This template document also includes concert seating charts, when I have two orchestras sitting in one big orchestra.  I like to start concerts with the beginners in the front and the second-year players in the back, and then once the beginners' part of the concert is done, students switch places so the second-year players are in the front (basses don't move).  We end with one combined piece, and everyone stays where they are for that.  (See also: Winter Concert programming)

For concerts, instead of putting giant name cards on music stands that the audience would also see, I type up students names in seating chart order in a quick Google Doc, cut them into little strips, and then just tape them on to the stands when I set up for the concert so that only the performers can see.  When students are sitting in the back of the orchestra, waiting their turn to play, I don't assign seats for that part; I just say they have to sit with their stand partner somewhere in an empty seat.  That way, right before the concert starts, if I see any empty seats, I can ask a student who their stand partner is to know who is missing without having to consult my seating chart.  I hope it also makes it easier when it comes time to switch seats to stay with their stand partner to know where to go.  When we do switch places mid-concert, I don't want students searching for their name somewhere in the back of the orchestra; they should just find an available spot--with their stand partner (since we play one combined piece together yet).  Students who are moving toward the front of the orchestra getting ready to play should more-or-less know where they're going because it's the same location they've been in for full orchestra the last couple of weeks and can verify they've found the right spot when they see their names on their music stand.

On music stands for the concert:

5th: Name, Name

6th: Name, Name

One year, I had such big orchestras that it just wasn't feasible to ask that many students to switch places in the middle of the concert, so I had the beginners on one side and the second-year players on the other side, as shown in the third slide in the template document (and below).  The 6th grade cellos were not particularly happy to be sitting in the back, but that's what made the most sense to me with the space we had available (we share the concert with the band and choir--the choir is on the stage, and the band is set up on the gymnasium floor alongside the orchestra).

For small groups (usually about three or four students), I do not create a seating chart.  However, at the beginning of the year, I do put name cards on the music stands for the beginners during small groups while I am learning their names.  Once I am more comfortable with remembering names, I only use the name cards for full orchestra, and students can choose where they sit for small groups.

For our district-wide String Fest, where there are 200+ students in our giant elementary combined orchestra, I still draw that seating chart by hand (See String Fest Seating Chart Template for that one).

How do you like to create seating charts?  I know there are more sophisticated programs out there, but the Google Slide version works for my purposes.

Celebration!

 

A little departure from my usual sort of post.  I was checking on my blog for the first time in a couple of months and noticed I had reached 100K views!  When I started this blog nearly 10 years ago (August 24, 2015, to be exact, with the help of my sister), I had no thoughts of how many people this might someday reach; I just wanted to document the resources and bulletin boards I was creating for myself and share them out if they could be helpful to other elementary orchestra teachers as I entered my fourth year of teaching.  Teaching elementary orchestra is a pretty niche topic, so it's kind of amazing that there have been that many views!  I do realize that many of them are bots, but I'm still going to consider this as a celebration-worthy milestone :)

Celebrating is not something that comes easily to me--there's always a new to-do list with something that needs doing, and I don't like being the center of attention, but hitting this milestone made me take pause for a moment and reflect.  I took some time and browsed through past posts (this makes 118 posts total!) to recognize for myself all the hours of work that went into creating all the resources and posts over this last decade--gosh, that's a lot of bulletin boards and repertoire packets and arrangements!

I remarked to my sister that it's hard to comprehend that big of a number and what sort of effect these posts might have on orchestra teachers and students around the country (and world!), and she made a analogy to compound interest--sharing over time and continuing to add on a (somewhat) consistent basis leads to a lot of growth.  A ripple effect, for sure.

So, I guess my advice here is to take some time to celebrate yourself--your work, your effort over time, your achievements all add up :)

I keep a Google Doc of positive emails that I have received, but then I rarely take the time to read through them.  As part of this 100K celebration, I thought it was about time to revisit that document, and it was very touching to read through emails from parents, staff, administrators, bits from student reflections etc.--as well as comments from this blog--over the years.  Keeping those positive notes and drawings from students in a drawer or bulletin board to look back on during difficult days or storing them in one place in a digital format, like a Google Doc, is great when you could use a reminder of the positive difference you're making in the lives of so many others over the course of days and months and years.  It adds up!

Thanks all who have checked out teachingelementaryorchestra.blogspot.com over the years!  And thanks to all who have commented either on this blog or on Facebook groups for orchestra teachers that I am a member of--it means a lot!  I've even received a phone call at school from an orchestra teacher in Colorado, who tracked me down to thank me for my "Jingle Bells" arrangement--so cool!!!  

I hope you have found something on here that has given you a bit of inspiration or saved you some time or or gave you something new to think about or reaffirmed something you were already doing!  As usual, let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to see, and I will see what I can do! 

And if anyone's curious, here are the most popular posts, by total views:

Lesson Plan for Week 7

 

This post is the seventh in a series of beginning-of-the-year lesson plans.  For previous weeks, please see:

• Lesson Plan for Week 1
• Lesson Plan for Week 2
• Lesson Plan for Week 3
• Lesson Plan for Week 4
• Lesson Plan for Week 5
• Lesson Plan for Week 6

Week 7!  I like how each week of teaching is different for me; while I do more or less the same thing during the day and throughout the week in my position, one week to another is quite different.  Week 7 is no exception.  Students are writing their second composition of the year, this time using the notes on the D string (pizzicato) as well as doing their first big playing checkup of the year.  My goal is to get through the directions for the composition quickly to leave enough time to get to all of the students in the small group for their bowing checkup.  Ideally there will be a few minutes at the end to play something together, but that may or may not happen for each group.

Again, the format for this lesson plan is a 30-minute small group, with three to four students in a small group.  The most students I have been able to get through on a playing checkup/composition day is six, but that is really pushing it and doesn't allow me to give each student the individual time I would like to spend conferencing, going through their comments together and checking for understanding.

NEED:

• Extra Composition #2 worksheets
• Bowing checkup slips already labeled with student name and instrument, in order by small group schedule
• Pencil for me

ON THE BOARD:

• Agenda on screen
• The five D string notes written on the staff (D, E, F#, G, A), already labeled with finger number (above) and letter name (underneath)

ALSO NEEDED:

• Have spare folders and Orchestra Expressions books handy in case students forgot theirs
• Spare instrument for me
• iPad/phone/camera to scan playing checkup rubric sheets before returning to students (in Notes app)
• 1-page Google Doc condensed version of this lesson plan (includes lesson plan for full orchestra too)

COMPOSITION #2:

We have been pressing down our fingers on the D string to play different notes, so today we get to write a composition using our new D string notes!  I'll take a volunteer to read the paragraph at the top.

[Student reads]

Thanks [name].  Let's look at my composition, "A Walk Down the D String."  Before playing, let's say the letter names. 

[I play on piano while everyone is saying the letter names]

Let's play "A Walk Down the D String."  Playing position, all four fingers on the D string, L shape, plant the thumb.  Ready, play.

[Play while I'm saying letter names/finger numbers]

Let's set instruments gently in cases, grab your pencil, and let's go through the check list together.

As usual, we'll need a title.  I named my piece "A Walk Down the D String"; you can name your piece whatever you like.  Next, we need the name of the composer, so go ahead and write your name on the "by" line.  

We need a treble clef at the beginning so we know it's violin music--that's been done for us already!  We can check off "treble clef."

Next, we need a time signature after the treble clef so we know how many beats go in each measure.  Your choices are 3 beats or 4 beats in a measure.  I chose 4 beats in a measure for my composition, so I wrote the 4/4 time signature after the treble clef.  If you'd rather have 3 beats in a measure, write the 3/4 time signature after the treble clef.

We need bar lines between each measure--that's been done for us, so we can check off "bar lines."

At the end we need a...double bar line.  That's been done for us too, so you can check that off.

For rhythms, we'll use quarter notes and quarter rests, which each count as one beat.

Then, you can use any of the D string notes, so D, E, F#, G, A.

When we draw the notes, we start with the note head, the oval part, color it in, and then all these notes get up-stems, up to the right.  [Draw sample note next to the labeled D string notes] If you want to include a rest, you can draw a zig-zag or lightning bolt shape.

Any questions before we begin composing?

We also have our bowing checkup to do today too.  Who would like to play first?  Who would like to play second?  Third?  [Get comment slips in order of student volunteers; if there's not a volunteer, sometimes I do Rock, Paper, Scissors, with winner going first]

[If students want to try out different sounds on their instrument to get ideas of what to write, that's fine.  If students are done composing while I'm still listening to playing checkups, they can play the pieces on p. 16--all pizz.  If they finish those, then they can move on to p. 17, but those are arco so it's harder to hear whoever is doing their playing checkup.  In-between checkups, while the next person is getting their bow and getting set up, I quickly glance at other students' compositions and help get them on track if they need help with number of beats in a measure or how to draw the notes or that you only need the sharp sign in front of the first F# in a measure, etc.]

[For each student doing the bowing checkup, I open their book to p. 13 while they're grabbing their bow and instrument]

We're going to play "G String Level" today.  Think about how you're sitting in your chair and holding your instrument and bow, and whenever you're ready you can begin.

[Student plays; I'm circling numbers and jotting comments for Proper Playing Position and Bow Hold, maybe comments for Bowing]

Now we're going to play "Cross Bows."  Remember we play the first half two times and the second half two times. [Pointing in the music how the roadmap works]

[Circle numbers and finish jotting comments for the remaining categories]

Thanks, Name.  I'm just finishing scribbling...  Okay, let's go through my picky comments together.

[Walk through each category together, starting with a positive comment.  Have student find bow hold again and make adjustments as needed.  Try out bowing the open strings with the comments/suggestions I wrote]

Any questions for me?  Okay, thanks for playing and happy composing!

[Once I'm done with everyone, I set all their comment sheets on my desk and use my iPad to scan them using the Notes app.  I'll return the comment sheets to each student so they can take them home.  Then, I'll see how students are doing with their composition or collect those that are finished and guide students to practice the piece on p. 16 and then 17 when they're ready for something else to do.  If everyone is done with some time to spare, we will play some of the bow lift pieces on p. 17 together]

It is time to start packing up.  For practicing this week, we have the pieces on p. 14-17 in the book, our green sheet with the D string notes, and then Serenata.  I'll get your pieces typed up this week so we can play everyone's next time.

---

Before the following week, I write comments on compositions (which may just mean starring each of the check boxes, starring the composition itself, and correcting errors in notation with a colored pencil), type them up and put them in a Google Doc by instrument, print out one copy on colored paper to post on the STAR musician wall, and record grades for Rhythm and Music Literacy.  For the bowing checkups, I have the scans of the paper slips to use when recording grades into the grade book.  I also need to make copies of the note-reading pre-test, Version A.

Lesson Plan for Week 6

This post is the sixth in a series of beginning-of-the-year lesson plans.  For previous weeks, please see:

• Lesson Plan for Week 1
• Lesson Plan for Week 2
• Lesson Plan for Week 3
• Lesson Plan for Week 4
• Lesson Plan for Week 5

Week 6!  Last week we had played the A, D, and G strings with the bow out of the book.  I don't want to leave out the C/E string, so this week we play similar kind of pieces as the book but in the Orchestra Expressions Supplement packet.  We are also prepping for our first playing checkup, which will be the following week.  While the playing checkup will be on the pieces from the Orchestra Expressions book, p. 13 and 15 (string levels and string crossings), there's not time to play them in small groups this week.  Instead, I make sure to review those all in full orchestra this week and focus on the C/E strings in small groups.  This is also the week we begin Serenata, from Concert Tunes for Beginning Strings by Dale Brubaker.

Again for this lesson plan's sample script, I will assume this is a violin group.  This lesson plan is for a 30-minute small group, designed for groups of about 3-4 students all on the same instrument.

NEED:

• Serenata (should already be in folders)

ON THE BOARD:

• Agenda on screen
• The five D string notes written on the staff (D, E, F#, G, A), not labeled yet

ALSO NEEDED:

• Have spare folders and Orchestra Expressions books handy in case students forgot theirs
• Spare instrument for me
• Phone/camera to take picture of bow holds for Admire These Beautiful Bow Holds bulletin board
• Link to Orchestra Expression Supplement Packet audio files
• Link to bowing checkup rubric
• 1-page Google Doc condensed version of this lesson plan (includes lesson plan for full orchestra too)

UNPACKING:

Welcome!  Go ahead and unpack instruments.  Sponge or shoulder pad on.

LEFT-HAND PLAYING POSITION/D STRING NOTES:

We know that as the notes get higher on the staff, we add a finger and we get a higher sounding note.  On the staff, we recognize this note below the staff.  It's...open D, no fingers.  Open D is a space note, then we go up to the line and add a finger.  This note is...E, one finger.  From the line we go to the first space...F#, 2 fingers.  Then 3rd finger makes...G and then all 4 fingers on the D string makes...A, sounds the same as open A.

We filled out our handy-dandy fingering charts last week, right? [Glance quickly at each in case someone didn't have their folder last week and needs to fill it in real quick]

Let's find our left-hand playing position.  Playing position, arm swing, straight left wrist, balance on the knobby pointer finger bone, thumb touches lightly across, by the red tape.  [Make some individual adjustments, as needed]

I'll point, you pluck. [Point to the notes on the staff and talk through how to play them while students pluck.  I like to go up and down the five notes]

Let's say the musical alphabet [I point to the poster of the keyboard with the notes labeled]--A, B, C, D, E, F, G, then we start over again with A, B, C, D, E, F, G, then we start over again with A, B, C [and then I start pointing to the D string notes as we say D, E, F(#), G, A]

I'll point again, you pluck.  Maybe you'll recognize this melody. [Point to the melody notes for Barcarolle]

Did anyone recognize it?  It's on our green sheet. [I play it if no one recognized it and help pull out green sheets]--Barcarolle.  Let's try out _____ [pick a piece on the green sheet].  [This part seems to work best if everyone just works at their own pace and I go around and help out.  Students work through the first song, and if they get it okay, they can go on to another song]

These are all great pieces to keep playing at home this week as you're practicing.  We want to get really comfortable recognizing the different notes on the D string--what they look like on the staff and how many fingers to play each.  Remember we have flashcards on Canvas that will help with this.  We played the Matching game last week.

BOWING:

Let's take the bow out of the case.  The first thing we do is...tighten the bow.  It's been about two weeks since we last rosined our bows together, so sometime at home this week would be a good time to rosin your bow again.  I don't want to take class time to rosin our bows now.

Find your bow hold and let me know when you're ready for me to check out your bow hold.  Today is our bow hold check. [Make adjustments as needed, give specific verbal comments as adjusting and then write down number in grade book--4, 3, 2]

I'd love to get a picture of all of you showing your bow holds. [Take picture for Admire These Beautiful Bow Holds bulletin board]

Now I have a silly poem to teach you.  Do what I do with your bow and keep a beautiful bow hold no matter what you're doing with the bow:

"Up like a rocket, down like the rain,

Back and forth like a choo-choo train.

Round and round like the great big sun,

Now land on your hand, curved pinkie, bent thumb." [For cello/bass, I'll say "curved fingers, bent thumb."

You can tap, tap, tap the pinkie on the bow when we get to the "curved pinkie" part.  How are our bow hands still looking?  Is the thumb still bent?  Fingers over the frog?  Pinkie on its tip?

While you're picking up your instruments with your left hand and finding rest position, I'm going to open our white packets to p. 3.  From rest position find playing position.

We're going to play "E String Level."  We know we need the bow because...it says arco--the Italian word that tells us to play with the bow.  We also have what bowing direction over the first note?  Down-bow, starting by the frog and pulling the bow "out."

Let's set the bow near the frog on the E string, between the bridge and the end of the fingerboard.  Low elbow level for E string, almost touching our side

[Play "E String Level" with audio file--I have the slow tempo of each of these pieces open in different tabs on my computer ahead of time]

Look at "Crossword Puzzle."  Which two open strings do we need in this piece?  E and A.  Remember we play the first half two times and then the second half, Circle B, two times.

[Play "Crossword Puzzle" with audio file]

Rest position.  Next week during small groups, we're going to do our first playing checkup.  This is a chance for you to play by yourself for me, and I will be able to give you some comments and feedback as we're all working to become stronger on our new bowing skills.  You'll get to play one piece on p. 13, string levels, and one piece on p. 15, string crossings.  Let's look at the kind of things I'll be grading you on and giving you comments on.

[Pull up playing checkup rubric on screen; model each of these as I talk about each of them--students will often model these as I'm going through them too]

I'll be grading and commenting on playing position, looking for sitting tall in the chair, feet flat on the floor.  Proper playing position--instrument way up on the shoulder, jaw bone on the chin rest, instrument even with the floor.

Bow hold--we just worked on that--looking for bent thumb, at the edge of the frog, fingers curved, over the frog, pinkie curved and on its tip.

Bowing--we'll get a cleaner sound with bow between the bridge and the end of the fingerboard, open/close from the right elbow, so not the whole arm moving, but the upper arm staying still and the elbow opening/closing so the bow travels parallel to the bridge.  Proper bow direction--starting down-bow, near the frog, pulling the bow "out" to start.

String level--adjusting the elbow level for the different strings so we get the sound of the string that we want.

And then music literacy--playing the correct notes and rhythms that are in the music.  

So, our bowing checkup will be next week during small groups.  Any questions about our bowing checkups?

[If time, also play Crisscross.  This one is tricky with the 3/4 and the string crossings and rests and repeats--after playing with the audio file, it helps to slow it down even more and trying it again]

Okay, one more piece for today.  Say hello to your longest orchestra piece so far--Serenata!

[Pass out "Serenata" or pull out of folders]

We rest for two measures at the beginning, then what are the open strings that we see?  A, D, A.  Are we arco or pizzicato?  How do we know?  Do we start down-bow or up-bow?

Let's go up into playing position, find the bow hold, set the bow near the frog between the bridge and the end of the fingerboard on the A string and we'll play...A, D, A.  FREEZE.  Which bow direction is our bow ready to do next? Right, up-bow.  Which bow direction does the music say we're going to do next?  Right, down-bow.  So, we need to pick up the bow and set it down back by the frog so we're ready to do another down-bow.  We just did a "bow lift."  Do you see the apostrophe/comma looking thing over the rest?  [Which I penciled into my master copies]  That is called a bow lift, where we pick up the bow and set it down back by the frog.  

Back to the beginning, let's play again.

[I play violin with the students, saying the letter names and bow lifts.  We get to Circle 2 and stop]

Let's play that much again, and I'll play piano this time.  Here's the introduction, ready, play.

[Play up to Circle 2]

You are ready to play the whole song at home this week!

PACKING UP/PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT:

We had tightened our bow before, so now we...loosen.  Lefty-loosy, counterclockwise.  You'll notice the stick and hair getting closer together; you may see some individual hairs start to separate.  Gently slide the tip end of the bow back into the case.

Sponge/shoulder pad off, instrument flat in the case.  

For practicing this week, we have p. 12-15 in the book, getting ready for our bowing checkup next week during small groups.  We have the white packet, p. 3, that we played from today.  Keep practicing the green sheet with our different D string notes.  We started "Serenata" today.  Then we have the flashcards on Canvas.  We want to get really comfortable naming and playing these different D string notes.  And then we talked about rosining bows at home this week and keep looking for a cloth if you're still looking for a cloth to keep in your case to wipe the rosin dust off.

Next week I'll see you at ___.  Instruments back on the rack.  Next up is ___, so you can send them on in.  Have a wonderful rest of the day!

---

For the following week, I will need to print off the bowing checkup comment sheets ahead of time.  They print three to a page.  I use a colored pencil to fill out the student name and instrument in the order I will be seeing them for small groups that week in advance, just to save a little time in the moment.

I will also need to print off a couple extra Composition #2 worksheets to have ready in case anyone forgets to bring their folder next week.

• Lesson plan for Week 7

Lesson Plan for Week 5

 

This post is the fifth in a series of beginning-of-the-year lesson plans.  For previous weeks, please see:

• Lesson Plan for Week 1
• Lesson Plan for Week 2
• Lesson Plan for Week 3
• Lesson Plan for Week 4

Week 5!  We are really moving along!

We've had two weeks of full orchestra at this point, and I am starting to get tired of sorting the name cards twice a week, once before full orchestra, and once for small groups, so this is usually the week when I stop putting them out for small groups.  Students can choose where they sit, and I can usually figure out the names of all the students that I haven't learned yet either by using the small group schedule and process of elimination, or I can peak at the label on their folder or case, or just ask if I'm struggling :)  I use name cards on stands the whole year for full orchestra, but stop during small groups at about this time of the year.

In full orchestra this week, students count the distance between the notes of the open strings and learn that violins/violas/cellos are tuned in perfect 5ths, while the bass is tuned in perfect 4ths.  We play some student compositions that I have chosen in advance, and we air-bow our different bowing pages (without bows out--we'll save that for the next week!).

Again for this lesson plan's sample script, I will assume this is a violin group.  This lesson plan is for a 30-minute small group, designed for groups of about 3-4 students all on the same instrument.

ON THE BOARD:

• Agenda on screen
• The five D string notes written on the staff (D, E, F#, G, A), not labeled yet

ALSO NEEDED:

• Pile of student compositions from last week, in order of the order I will be seeing students that week
• Grade/attendance sheet ready to write down marks for Three-Point Shot for anyone who was absent
• Have spare folders and Orchestra Expressions books handy in case students forgot theirs
• CD player with Orchestra Expressions CD
• Spare instrument for me
• Link to flashcards on Quizlet
• 1-page Google Doc condensed version of this lesson plan (includes lesson plan for full orchestra too)

UNPACKING:

Welcome!  Go ahead and unpack instruments.  Sponge or shoulder pad on.

p. 10--THREE POINT SHOT:

[If anyone was absent last week, I have them play #11 "Three Point Shot" quickly while the others are unpacking.  We do not play it all together afterwards, but rather move on right away.]

INSTRUMENTS PARTS:

While you're unpacking instruments today, I bet you already know the names of a lot of instrument parts.  For example, we pick up the violin by its...neck.  We have four [pluck strings]...strings.  We put our jaw on the...chin rest.  (I think it should be called the "jaw rest" but it's really called the chin rest.)  The most delicate part of the instrument that we are careful to protect is the...bridge.  This long black thing is...we put our fingers on the...it's the board where we put our fingers...yes, fingerboard.  At the end here we have the...end button.  Did anyone catch the name of this wooden part here that shows off the craftsmanship of the violin maker?  Have you ever seen ancient papers that are all rolled up?  They are called...scrolls.  And this is the scroll; it looks like a scroll would, all rolled up.  What about these?  I'm not sure if I've mentioned this to you yet.  These are the pegs.  We do not touch the pegs.  I use the pegs to help tune the instruments.  I don't want you to turn them yet because I don't want anyone to accidentally break a string.  

ECHO:

[If the small group is starting late or I know this is a group that needs extra support I may skip this part and move right to the D string notes to save time]

From rest position, let's find playing position.  L shape, plant the thumb.  Please echo what you hear. [Pluck a 4-beat pattern using different open strings]

[Name], could you play 4 beats for us to echo?  Any open string is fine.  [I help prompt the others which string they started on when we echo]

[Let each student lead a pattern]

Nice job improvising and using your ears to know what to echo!

LEFT-HAND PLAYING POSITION/D STRING NOTES:

Let's find our new left-hand playing position.  Last week we found that when we press fingers on the D string, we get new notes.  As we add fingers, we get higher sounding notes.

Playing position.  Left hand underneath, way up high, jawbone on chin rest.  Now, instead of making an L shape, let the right hand hang on to whatever is comfortable for you so that the left arm can do an arm swing.  Swing all the way up to look at the palm.  Notice wrist is straight, fingers are curvy.  Balance the neck of the violin on the knobby pointer finger bone, thumb touches lightly across (by the red tape).  [Make some individual adjustments, as needed]

Right hand, L shape, plant the thumb.  Pluck open D, no fingers.  Now, we're going to add first finger, pointer finger, on the D string to cover the red tape.  Give that a pluck.  This is called..."E," not open E, but E on the D string. [I'm helping getting the right finger on the right tape and pressed down enough to get a clear sound]

I did not give you a tape for the second finger.  There's going to be a space between 1 and 2, so 2nd finger falls just under the black tape.  Press down the 2nd finger on the D string, just behind the black tape and give that a pluck.  2nd finger is called..."F#."

Third finger is best friends with 2.  Set 3rd finger, ring finger, on the black tape, on the D string, right next to the second finger.  3rd finger makes "G."  Not open G, but high G.

Stretch 4th finger, pinkie, all the way up to the blue tape on the D string.  4th finger makes "A."  It sounds the same as open A.  Press all the way down to the fingerboard for a clear sound.  Rest position.

What we just played sounds like "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol."  Let's see what these notes look like on the staff.  [look to dry erase board with notes already on the staff].  We've seen this note before.  This is open D, no fingers.  Now the note gets higher so we're on the bottom line and this is...E.  Good, how many fingers?  1.  Does this look like open E?  No, open E would be way up here on the top space, so this E is E on the D string.  Next we go from the line to the space.  This is 2nd finger to make...F#.  After F# we go to the line for...G.  How many fingers?  3.  Does this G look like open G?  No, open G would be way down low, below the two ledger lines, so now you know two different Gs too.  And then this note we've seen before.  This on is...A.  We could play open A or on the D string we could play all 4 fingers to make A.  They sound the same.

In your folder you have a handy dandy fingering chart.  Open your folder and grab your pencil.  Let's fill out the fingering chart.  Find the D string, 1st finger.  1st finger makes...E.  Write a capital E in the first finger bubble.  [Walk around and point to the D string 1st finger bubble so students know where to write]  2nd finger on the D string makes...F#.  Write a capital F plus the sharp sign--looks like a hashtag--in the 2nd finger bubble.  Third finger is...G.  Write a capital G in the 3rd finger bubble.  And then fourth finger makes...A.  Yes, write A in the fourth finger bubble.  Great.

Let's open books to p. 14 now.  "New Note F#"  Which note are we playing?  Notice only the first F# in a measure gets the sharp sign; the sharp sign is good for the whole measure so this next note is automatically still F#.

[Play with the CD, track 24--press pause at the end of the line and skip the repeat--"You can play with the repeat at home"]

"New Note E."  How many fingers does it say we need for E?  Good, first finger covering red tape.

[Play with the CD, track 25; again I skip the repeat]

Rest position.  Take a little break.  Before playing "Shuffle Back and Forth," let's say the letter names first.  "F#, F#, E, E, F#, F#, E, rest..." [while I play on the piano and say letters with the students].  Now say finger numbers.  "2, 2, 1, 1..."  Do you see why it is called "Shuffle Back and Forth"?  That was a lot of back and forth between F# and E!

Playing position, let's play "Shuffle Back and Forth."  Starts with 2nd finger F#, so first finger covers red tape, big space for second finger, just under the black tape.

[I accompany on the piano--I go a little slower than the CD does]

Now go ahead and try "Mary Lee" on your own.  See if it sounds familiar to you.

[I go around and help students as needed]

Did you recognize it?  [If not, I may play a little and that's usually enough to recognize it as "Mary Had a Little Lamb."]

Let's flip back a page now, to p. 12.  Look at "Pumping Iron #1."  Which notes do we need in this piece?  How many fingers?

We'll start all four fingers, blue tape, for A, and then for G, 3 fingers, all we do is pick up the pinkie finger, the 4th finger.  The only movement for this piece is the pinkie pressing down for A and picking up for G.

[Play with the CD, track 19]

Okay, that's all we're going to do with the left hand fingers today.  Are you noticing little grooves in your fingers?  Yup, that's normal; they'll go away soon.

BOWING:

Let's take the bow out of the case.  The first thing we do is...tighten the bow.

Find your bow hold.  Next week I'm going to go around and look at everyone's bow hold to make sure everyone is comfortable with pinkie on its tip, middle fingers hug the frog, little space for pointer, thumb is bent. [Make adjustments as needed]

Now, with your left hand, pick up your instrument by its neck and find rest position.

Let's play #21, "A String Level."  I see the word arco which tells us to play with...the bow.  Do we start down-bow or up-bow?  Yes, down-bow, from the frog, pull the bow out.

Set the bow near the frog on the A string, between the bridge and the end of the fingerboard.  

[Play with the CD, track 21; I go around and spend about 2 measures per student helping pull the bow straight while they are playing each of these bow level pieces]

Raise the elbow a little to play "D String Level"

[CD track 22]

Raise the elbow even more for "G String Level."  Start down-bow, near the frog.

[CD track 23]

Rest position and turn the page.

Let's talk through "Cross Bows" on the top.  Let's say the letter names: D, D, rest, rest, A, A, rest, rest.  We've just run into a...repeat sign, which sends us back to...the beginning.  So again we will play: D, D, rest, rest, A, A, rest, rest.  Now we're at...Circle B and we keep playing: D, D, D, D, A, A, A, A.  Now we've run into another...repeat sign, which sends us back to...do you see the backwards repeat sign at Circle B?  We go back to Circle B and play again: D, D, D, D, A, A, A, A.

Did you notice there are different open strings in this piece?  We'll have to adjust our elbow level for the different strings.  Let's try "Cross Bows" [slowly, no CD or accompaniment, not really in time].  Up into playing position, find your bow hold, set the bow near the frog, between the bridge and the end of the fingerboard on the D string so we can pull the bow down.  

Ready, play. D, D, rest, lower the elbow for A, A, rest repeat/raise the elbow D, D, rest, lower the elbow for A, A.  Now we're at Circle B.  Raise the elbow to find the D string level, and we play: D, D, D, D, lower for A, A, A, A, repeat back to Circle B, D, D, D, D, A, A, A, A.  Now you're ready to play this whole page at home with the bow this week.

PACKING UP/CLOTH/FLASH CARDS

We had tightened our bow before, so now we...loosen.  Lefty-loosy, counterclockwise.  You'll notice the stick and hair getting closer together; you may see some individual hairs start to separate.  Gently slide the tip end of the bow back into the case.

[I run my finger over the strings on my violin]

Has anyone noticed some white rosin dust on their strings or instrument?  If you have a cloth in your case, go ahead and take it out.  If you don't, I'm going to throw a cloth at you.  Just a heads up, I'm not a very good thrower :) [It would probably be better to just hand students a cloth, but it is entertaining to see how bad my aim is even from a short distance]

Wipe the rosin dust of the strings of the instrument (no, not the bow hairs, the strings of the instrument) [there are always a few students who start wiping the bow hairs...], the body of the instrument, the fingerboard...anywhere you might see the white rosin dust building up.  It is a good idea to wipe the rosin dust off the instrument every time you pack up so the rosin dust doesn't build up and get caked on.

If you don't already have a cloth for your case, this would be a good time to find one at home that you can use.  If you have a clean, dry washcloth, that would work.  Or if you have a sock at home that doesn't have a match, you could put a clean sock in your case and use that.  Or if you have an old T-shirt at home and you get permission to cut it up, you could put a piece of fabric in your case to use as a cloth.

Okay, sponge/shoulder pad off, instrument flat in the case.  Go ahead and zip up or clasp up the case.

Let's go through the practice assignment for this week.

This week you're ready to play the pieces on p. 12, 13, 14, and 15 in the book.  We have the green sheet from last week that has "Barcarolle" on it.  In the white packet, we're ready for p. 3, that starts "Pumping Iron #3."  I'll show you flashcards on Canvas in a minute, and then we already talked about finding a cloth at home.

On Canvas, to find the flashcards, click on "Modules," then scroll all the way down to the bottom.  There you will find "Flashcards."  I'll click on that.  There are flashcards for the open string notes and D string notes.  Let's do D string notes.  We're violins in here, so I'll click on "Violins" and then let's play the Matching game.  Which note is this?  How many fingers? [Go through the Matching game; I click on a note and the correct answer once someone has said it]  That was ___ seconds.  There are some fast times on here!  I wonder how fast of a time you will get when you practice these at home!  If you get a record, you'll have to take a screen shot and share it with me!

Okay, let's check the schedule to see when I'll be seeing you for small groups next week.  And next up should be ____, so you can send them on down if you don't see them in the hallway on their way down yet.  Instruments back on the rack.  See you at the end of the day when you come to grab your instrument!

• Go to Lesson Plan for Week 6