![]() So, try to choose from as many of the above-mentioned categories as possible. I believe this is an approach worth trying.įor me the repertoire categories one can select from are the following: small pieces, scales, technical exercises, concertos, show pieces, pieces for solo violin, sonatas for violin and piano and pieces for chamber music ensembles. ![]() The third is above the student’s level, in order to keep them on their toes (ego intact) and make sure they know there are always new tasks to be mastered (See ). The second is at the student’s level which allows them to feel good because the challenge is attainable. The first is lower than the student’s level and it helps to keep the confidence high. The famous violin pedagogue Mimi Zweig has her students prepare pieces of three different levels concurrently. ![]() To give a specific example, you can show to your student all the scale patterns in the third movement of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto so they will realize that by practicing scales properly they will be able to play this beautiful piece in the future.Īnother aspect of consideration when choosing repertoire is the level of difficulty. What is more, you must find interesting ways to “sell” the scales and technical exercises to the students, by giving them meaning and purpose so the student realizes their value. Furthermore, a piece that they select might counterbalance the technical exercises that you proposed, which probably look boring to many students. This will make your students feel important. So, you must try whenever possible to include your students’ preferences in the process of repertoire selection. Your choices of repertoire must support the goals and priorities you have set, but it is equally important those choices to motivate the students. Another one is intonation, which should be addressed before fast playing. I believe that correct posture is a vital precondition to fix other technical and musical deficiencies. Although, every teacher will prioritize their goals based on their own experiences and approach to teaching, I believe that some issues must be addressed before others. Decide what the most important issue to resolve is (technical, musical, approach to learning) and focus on it. The next step is to prioritize those goals. The primary analysis of the technical and musical abilities and learning approaches of each student could lead you to set technical and musical goals for them. ![]() Dounis used to spend a significant part of his lengthy lessons discussing with his students and he did that to understand them as learners in order to adjust his teaching accordingly. Another important aspect of this analysis is the student’s response to your teaching. Furthermore, as Ivan Galamian states in his book ‘Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching’, the teacher must investigate less obvious problems like weak fingers or joints that could block a student’s further development. The analysis should extend to the subcategories, too, for example, the basic bow strokes, shifting, and fast playing. ![]() This analysis can be based on the four pillars of violin playing that I have mentioned in several prior articles: Pitch, Sound, Rhythm and Ease. The student’s technical and musical abilities, and learning approachesīefore the selection of any repertoire, you must thoroughly analyze your student’s playing. Therefore, I decided to use the second person, as if I am having a friendly conversation with the reader. In this article I propose ways of selecting repertoire for teaching which I hope will help the teachers make more informed decisions. The thinking behind this approach is that the music corresponds to the technical and musical abilities of the student. Many teachers don’t pay the necessary attention to this, and they just choose for their students, pieces that they have learned themselves during their studies, they copy graded repertoire lists or just pick etude books like Kreutzer or Rode. An important aspect of teaching the violin is the task of selecting what repertoire the students will work on. ![]()
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