Suzuki, Viola, Teaching, Learning, Loving
I have a confession to make: I love scales! There is nothing I like better than starting the day off right with a cup of coffee and some slow, mindful scale practice. I know that both students and professionals have differing opinions on scales, but love them or hate them, scales are an essential part... Continue Reading →
I work on bow hold a LOT in lessons because it is foundational to producing a beautiful tone. But even when my students have learned a correct, relaxed bow hand posture, that ease doesn’t always translate into the bow arm. To get the maximum tone, the bow elbow should generally rest slightly below the wrist. If... Continue Reading →
Even for a very well-prepared student, Minuet No. 2 in Book 1 can present some new hurdles. In this post, I will give some of my tricks for teaching this piece. New Skills When first previewing Minuet 2, I start with two spots which are tricky for most students: measures 15-16 and 33-34. I... Continue Reading →
In any given year, I will have a few students in my studio who struggle to play with a big, rich, projecting tone. Sometimes this is due to shyness or insecurity, or perhaps the student lacks the technical skills to play with a big tone. Often it is a combination of both. If left... Continue Reading →
