Overview
In the introductory strings class, 5th grade students have the opportunity to begin taking group lessons on the violin, viola, cello, or bass. Students will gain a foundation in the basics of properly playing and holding their instrument along with reading, notating, and interpreting music.
5th grade string students meet a total of three times a week. Two meetings are as a complete group for between 30 and 45 minutes per class. Once a week they meet for 45 minutes in smaller sectional rehearsals.
All students who take part in the string program are required to perform in both the winter concert and the spring concert, in addition to practicing the class materials at home.
Objectives
The 5th grade string student will:
A. Learn to hold the instrument and bow properly.
B. Learn to play alone and in small groups keeping an independent, continuous steady beat.
C. Demonstrate an understanding of proper posture and appropriate performance stage presence.
D. Demonstrate the ability to make a critical and informed decision about the accuracy of other’s performances, as well as that of their own.
E. Demonstrate an ability to sight-read music at the most basic level. This includes 4/4, 3/4, time signatures, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and their corresponding rest values.
F. Demonstrate an understanding of dynamics, articulation, and tempo indications/notation at the most basic level.
G. Demonstrate the ability to give the letter names of notes written on the musical staff.
H. Identify the key signatures that correspond to the keys of C, D, and G major.
I. Demonstrate the ability to properly play both an “up” and “down” bow.
Content
In the fall, the content of 5th grade strings class is built around All for Strings Book 1, studied in preparation for the winter concert. In the spring, the orchestra continues to spend time on developing good playing technique, but also begins learning the basic first-position scales, up to three sharps. Basic two, three, and four part pieces are introduced early in the spring. All rehearsals begin with a major scale or arpeggio as a warm up, executed in a variety of rhythms, which includes quarter notes, eighth notes, and triplets.
Methodology
Learning and memorizing a variety of four-eight measure melodies/exercises from All for Strings Book 1
String playing that is done with piano accompaniment for a harmonic context to develop a trained musical ear
The playing of major scales with varying rhythms to develop physical dexterity
Sight-reading exercises, which include only quarter notes, half notes, and quarter rests.
Participation on both the Winter and Spring concert
Students are required to practice a minimum of twenty minutes a day, five days a week.
Evaluation
A daily participation grade is given to each student based on the following:
1. Posture
2. Enthusiasm
3. Effort
4. Intonation
5. Overall focus
6. Playing tests
7. Sight-reading exercises
8. Amount of time spent practicing outside of school
Resources
MENC K-12 National Standards
Collaboration with colleagues
All for Strings Book 1