'Once Upon My Cheek'

'Flight of the Bumblebee'

End of Year Dances

Upcoming Performances

Review Ideas

 

“how many days a week should we practice?”

Dr. Suzuki:  “Only on the days that you eat.”

 

Review comprises around 50% of our playing and practice time. 

Regular review cultivates “Effortless Mastery” : a high level of craftsmanship, confidence, musicality, easefulness and self-expression.

 

In the course of a year, we try different kinds of review in order to keep everything interesting, fresh and inspiring.

 

Try Reviewing for one week:

 

5 songs a day

One book per day

Everything by Bach

Everything in 3/4

Everything in 4/4

Everything in 6/8

Everything in G major

Songs you are in the mood for

Songs you are not in the mood for

All the Minuets

Polish 5 songs this week

4 or 5 review songs, and play them a home concert 

Songs that are like the weather is today

Songs that remind you of summer vacation

Everything with bow circles in it

Everything in a minor key

Songs with a shift to second position

Songs with an extended position

A song you avoid reviewing

Songs with quarter notes and eighth notes…or short and longs bow strokes

Songs that start up bow

Everything by a baroque composer

Everything by a classical composer

Everything by a romantic composer

Songs with one, or more slow bow strokes

Songs with staccato bow strokes

Songs with legato bow strokes

 

For best rich tone

For moving freely when you play

For “soft eyes”, looking around the room

For breathing freely when you play

With your eyes closed

As if you are performing on the radio

With Distractions

 

Concentrating on something your teacher is bringing to your attention

Songs with fast up bow to the frog, or to the grip

Concentrating on bow planning

Concentrating on Left elbow, right elbow, left wrist or right wrist

Concentrating on bow distribution

Concentrating on bow placement

Concentrating on bow speeds

Concentrating on what left thumb is doing, where it is, and why

Concentrating on bow changes at the frog

Concentrating on bow changes at the tip

Concentrating on smooth, accurate shifting

 

For creating dynamics that are written in the music

For articulations that belong in this piece

For shaping the phrases

For beautiful vibrato

For creating ends of phrases that are obvious.

For being aware of something today that you were not aware of before

 

You can discover another review idea, right?  Write it down below.  Bravo!!