This Beginning Violin Class (PART 1) is a basic, but thorough, introduction to the instrument taught by a State-Certified music educator and professional violinist. It is designed to teach students from the very beginning with lots of visuals and close-ups, and provide a quality foundation for future studies in private instruction, school orchestras, and other learning experiences. This is a fun class for students to get started learning the violin the RIGHT way.

          Experience: NO experience required!

         What students will learn:  Proper posture and hold / Pizzicato / Basic Theory / Notes on the D and A strings / Bow Hold / Producing a good tone / "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" / "Baby Shark" / "Old Macdonald Had a Farm" / "Hot Cross Buns."

        This class is a FLEXIBLE Schedule class in which students interact with me and each other through professionally pre-recorded videos, in-class performances, games and group discussions. Every week, I will post the videos for that week (each ranging from 30-55 minutes in length), as well as the assignments. Learners will post a video of themselves playing the song of the week (whether the whole thing or just their favorite part) and turn in their written assignments, if any. I will provide feedback on both types of assignments in written, audio, or video format, and encourage students to give their peers feedback as well. 
       
       Homework: To practice the designated pieces or exercises for the week.     

       Supplies:  “Essential Elements Violin Method Book 1” / Music Stand / Rosin / Shoulder Rest / Violin Tapes   
        
       
       The topics covered each week are:

WEEK 1: Instrument care, stance, and violin hold / Tuning/ Pizzicato or Plucking
- In this week's class, students will learn about the violin. They will learn how to hold it and take care of it. They will also practice tuning their instrument using the "Simply Tuner" application. We will learn how to perform pizzicato (plucking) on the open strings. 
PRACTICE: Practice holding your violin standing up, and setting up your shoulder rest to the position that is most comfortable for you. practice tuning your instrument. Memorize the names of your strings by playing in pizzicato.

WEEK 2: Review of week 1 / Pizzicato on all 4 strings with basic rhythms / Basic theory 
- In this week's class, students will continue to review tuning. We will learn about the music beat and what is the difference between beat and rhythm. They will practice playing beat and rhythm on their violin to different familiar tunes. Then, we will introduce theory fundamentals such as the staff, bar lines, and measures in order to understand the music in the book. Finally, we will play pieces 2–5 from the Essential Elements book. 
PRACTICE: Continue to practice tuning your instrument. Review the difference between beat and rhythm. Practice pieces 2 and 3 in the book. 

WEEK 3: Review of week 2 / Practice pizzicato using string crossings / "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."
- In this week's class, students will play piece 5 as a review and will go on to learn 4 and 5 as well. We will review the quarter note and quarter note rest rhythms, and will learn how to play eight notes. Finally, students will learn how to play the beginning of one of their favorite childhood songs, "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."
PRACTICE: Pieces 4 and 5 in the book. Review rhythms with the document provided by the teacher. 

WEEK 4: Setting up the left hand / Introducing notes E, F#, and G on the D string, and B, C#, and D on the A string / The Music Alphabet / "Baby Shark" / "OldMacDonald Had a Farm" / "A Mozart Melody"
 - In this week's class, students will learn how to place their left hand on the violin including how to correctly place their fingers on the fingerboard. They will need to have their fingering tapes ready, of course. We will understand the music alphabet, where the notes are on the music staff, and what a scale is (ascending and descending). We will learn the "Baby Shark" song. And we will also learn how to play notes E, #F, and G with the left hand and practice it in the rest of the "Old Macdonald Had a Farm" song. Lastly, we will learn "A Mozart Melody" (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star) from the Essential Elements book.
PRACTICE: Setting up the left hand correctly without touching the neck of the violin with the wrist. Playing any of the three songs we learned. 

WEEK 5: Counting exercise / Holding the bow and making our first sounds 
- In this week's class, students will learn how to hold the bow correctly and produce their first sounds on the violin using the bow. We will do various rhythm exercises on the bow to prepare us to play with it. Lastly, we will revisit previous pizzicato exercises, but this time, playing through them using the bow!
PRACTICE: Holding the bow and playing with it.

WEEK 6: Review how to hold the bow / Good tone production / "Hot Cross Buns" / "A Mozart Melody"
- In this week's class, students will review how to hold the bow and then learn what ingredients are necessary for producing a good tone on the violin using their bows. They will also learn the concept of using "bow lanes" when playing with their bows.  We will also revisit more previous pizzicato exercises and play them with the bow. Lastly, students will learn how to play "A Mozart Melody" (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star) with their bows. 
PRACTICE: Holding the bow.