String Riffs Volume One Teacher’s Score

String Riffs D and A

Sing and pizzicato your way through the steps of reading, playing, and counting while learning good posture, how to visually track notes, and the elements of rhythm. String Riffs D and A teaches:

• singing and pizzicato
• reading, counting, playing
• posture
• elements of rhythm

 

Dawg-n-Abby

A-String Abby takes D-String Dawg for a walk across open strings, leading the way through half and quarter notes and rests scattered with a few eighth notes. Dawg-n-Abby teaches:

• open strings
• half, quarter, and eighth notes with rests

 

Scary String Stories

“The Mummy’s String Picture” by Elizabeth Gonzalez

“The Night of the String-Eating Marshmallow” by Elise Johnson and Payton Brown

Fiddle Me This

Rosin up for circle bows on open strings, alternating pizzicato and arco with string changes and practicing posture. Fiddle Me This teaches:

• circle bows
• open strings
• alternating pizzicato and arco
• string changes

D-String Dawg

Lift and place fingers while exploring every D-string nook and cranny while changing rhythms, and try your advanced skills in the “challenge” section. D-String Dawg teaches:

• finger placement
• D-string practice
• changing rhythms
• “challenge” section

 

A Walk in the Park

Using scalar motion to stroll through syncopation offers plenty of opportunities to practice note names, bow distribution, and steps vs. skips. A Walk in the Park teaches:

• scalar motion
• syncopation
• note names
• bow distribution
• steps vs. skips

Ghoulash

Send shivers down your spine with sound effects — harmonics and glissandos help squeaky mice scamper past cows with a low, sliding “moo.” Rhythms take the stage with col legno technique and “Pep-per-o-ni Piz-za” patterns. Ghoulash teaches:

• sound effects
• harmonics
• glissandos
• rhythms and patterns
• col legno

 

Waddle You Do?

Get your ducks in a row with string crossings encouraging different arm heights. Smooth bow and string transitions work with scales in both directions. Waddle You Do? teaches:

• string crossings
• different arm heights
• bow and string transitions
• scales

 

Wispy Waltz

Drift through new rhythms in a ¾ time signature with circle bows and dotted half notes. Wispy Waltz teaches:

• new rhythms
• ¾ time signature
• circle bows
• dotted half notes

 

Peacock Prance

It’s easy to flaunt those tail feathers with rhythmically different scales, skips, and steps mixed with stop and circle bows. Peacock Prance teaches:

• rhythmically different scales
• skips
• steps
• stop and circle bows

 

Pizz. and Bows and Pizz. and Bows

Choose your own line of music for a different ensemble adventure each time — it’s all up to you. Decide between pizzicato and arco with eighth and quarter notes encouraging multi-part fun and independence. Pizz. and Bows and Pizz. and Bows teaches:

• choose a line
• pizzicato
• arco
• multi-part
• independence

 

The Little D-String That Could

Faster and faster rolls the D-string engine as it moves onward with arpeggios, accents, less bow and new rhythms. The Little D-String That Could teaches:

• arpeggios
• accents
• bow use
• new rhythms

 

Hootenanny

Hold that fermata! This friendly get-together features dotted half, half, quarter, and eighth notes joining forces for a stop-bow party. Hootenanny teaches:

• fermata
• dotted half, half, quarter, and eighth notes
• stop bows

 

A-String Abby

She’s your best friend on the A-string, offering different lines to learn while exploring every note. Assemble the ingredients to make a piece, supplemented with another “challenge” section for eager players. A-String Abby teaches:

• assemble different lines into a piece
• “challenge” section for eager players

 

Water From the Moon

Learn shifting accuracy as glissandos pour liquid sound across dynamics ranging from piano to mezzo-forte, with the new experience of tied notes in ¾ time. Water From the Moon teaches:

• shifting accuracy
• glissandos
• dynamics
• tied notes
• ¾ time

 

Chipmunk Chatter

Those adorable rascally rodents help review dynamics, counting, and bow distribution with familiar notes and a steady beat. Chipmunk Chatter teaches:

• review dynamics, counting, and bow distribution
• familiar notes
• steady beat

 

Scampering Squirrels

Focus on a straight bow and “motorcycle” rhythm to chase dynamics up and down the A- and D-string trees. Scampering Squirrels teaches:

• straight bow
• “motorcycle” rhythm
• dynamics
• A-string and D-string work

 

Bisbee Broomsticks

Flying fingers use ¾ time and the D major scale to cross strings with diminuendos and slow-to-fast practice. Bisbee Broomsticks teaches:

• ¾ time
• D major scale
• string crossings
• diminuendos
• slow-to-fast practice

 

Kung Fu Choo Choo

The pentatonic scale lends the colors of Asia to a trainload of half, quarter and eighth notes with accents, dynamics and the exotic fermata. Kung Fu Choo Choo teaches:

• pentatonic scale
• half, quarter and eighth notes
• accents
• dynamics
• fermata

 

 

Rhythm Chart – 4/4 Time