Christmas Concert Success

You should all be very proud of the Christmas performance! All your hours of practice paid off.

 

 The Maxwell women run the Vineyard Violin program. Rachel Maxwell is the director. Rachel is a Sophomore at BYU. She plays in the BYU orchestra. Rachel has taught private violin lessons for several years. Robin Maxwell is Rachel's mother. Robin has volunteered with the Vineyard Violins since Rachel was a student at Vineyard Elementary. Gretchen Maxwell is Rachel's younger sister. She also played at Vineyard and now helps out every week. Brooklyn is the youngest Maxwell and takes private lessons as well as playing for the Vineyard Viking orchestra. Thank you Maxwell family! 

Marsha has been a 3 day a week music volunteer at Vineyard Elementary for many years. She ran the violin program in the past and accompanies the choir. We are so grateful you share your talents:

Violinist Chloe and volunteer mom Jessie:

This is a violinist Faythe and his mom who has volunteered at rehearsals Inez:

Good job everyone who participated in any way to this semester. We appreciate all you do and look forward to a great Springtime!

Coventry Carol

Coventry Carol  in 2 parts:

Outside Part:

Inside Part:

Together:

The Coventry Carol is an English traditional carol depicting the second chapter of Matthew.

Up On The Housetop

Part for "A" students:

For Part B Students:

 

Part for "C" Students:

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Part for "A" students:

 Part for "B" students:

Special instructions for "B" students:

Part for "C" students:

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Part for the "A" students:

 

Part for "B" students:

Part for "C" students:

 

We Three Kings

Part for "A" Students:

Part for the "B" Students:

 

Part For "C" Students:

Good King Wenceslas (Christmas Concert Piece)

"Good King Wenceslas" is an uplifting Celtic Christmas Carol of serving other less fortunate.

"Good King Wenceslas" Part A (advanced students):

"Good King Wenceslas" Part B (intermediate students):

"Good King Wenceslas" Part C (beginning students):

Greensleeves (Christmas Concert Song)

"Greensleeves" in a traditional English Folk tune that we hear a lot at Christmas with the lyrics to "What Child is This?".

"Greensleeves" Part A (advanced students):

"Greensleeves" Part B (intermediate students):



Obbligato:

Silent Night (Christmas Concert Song)

"Silent Night" Part A (advanced students):

Amazing Grace (Spring Concert Piece)

"Amazing Grace"  Part A (advanced students):


"Amazing Grace" Part B (intermediate students):

"Amazing Grace" Part C (beginning students):

 

Extra Lesson Link

Fun Violin Etude (exercise)

This exercise must be learned slowly and then sped up over time.

"Fun Violin Etude" Part A (advanced students):

"Fun Violin Etude" part B (intermediate students):

Scarborough Fair (Spring Concert Piece)

Old Joe Clark

"Old Joe Clark" is a taditional bluegrass song and a fun exercise to get your fingers going.

"Old Joe Clark" part 1 (melody):

"Old Joe Clark" part 2 (harmony ):

Note Hierarchy

Understanding the difference between a whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth note is important to the timing of every song you play. These videos will help all beginners and intermediate students:

G Major Two Octave Scale

The video below shows Rachel Maxwell playing a "G Major" 2 octave scale:

The video below shows the figering for you to play a 2 octave "G Major Scale":

One Octave G Major Scale

Here is Rachel playing a One Octave G Major Scale:

The video below shows you the fingerings you need to play the same scale as above:

One Octave D Major Scale

The video below is Rachel Maxwell playing a one Octave "D Major" scale:  

This video shows the fingerings you need to know to play the same "D Major One Octave Scale:

Note Nicknames

This video eplains some reasons for the "note nicknames" Rachel will be using in class:

This next video explains which note nicknames go with each string and finger positions:



This is the finger postition for an open string. No fingers are touching strings. The note depends on the string you play with your bow. So if the teacher asks you to play an "Open D" this is the figer position you want. You just have to make sure you are playing the "D" string with your bow:

This is a "D 1" finger position:

The photo below shows a "D2" position:

The picture below shows a "D3" finger position":

Note "Nicknames"

Bow Do's and Don'ts

This video goes over ways to take care of your bow so that it will last a long time and so that it will sound great every time you play:

Arching String Fingers

This video explains the correct way to press down on violin strings to make a beautiful sound. Hint: don't put your left hand fingers flat on the strings always use round or curve fingers so that the tips of your fingers press the strings into the finger board.

Changing Strings

The following video reviews how to change strings (meaning how to properly bow from string to string):

Here are the elbow positions for each string:

G string elbow position

D string elbow position

A string elbow position

E string elbow position

Bow Hold

The following video reviews how to hold your bow:

Here are some views of how to hold your bow properly.

First try holding a pen:

Basic Posture

The following video reviews basic posture practices:

This is how we expect our students to sit and hold their violins during practices at home and rehearsal as a group:

Sitting forward with back NOT against chair

Proper playing posture