Molly Cahlink

Professor Rathgeber

MUS 206 Instrumental Methods

September 25, 2018

String Techniques

After reading each description for the string techniques page, I chose to learn about Chapter 4:

Foundations Part 1- Posture, Instrument and Handpostion. The first video of this serious uses a

foot chart to establish how to stand correctly. The second video talk about how to stand with a

violin or viola. First stand together, then slightly make a V with your feet. You can also just

slightly separate your feet The third video talked about sitting and playing violin and viola, the

goal for sitting is to be able to stand if needed from sitting.

The forth video talks about how to prepare to hold the violin and viola with your left hand

correctly. The game the used was smell the pickle to teach kids. They would hold their hand

move it towards their face, and then move it back out. The fifth video talks about how to hold the

violin and viola. The first method was the most complex called Two hand lift from above Use the

phrase “nose, scroll, elbow, toe, all in a row” to help students adjust once you have put the

instrument over your head and followed the steps to secure it. That was method one. Method 2

is Statue of Liberty, and with one hand. And you rotate it 3 ways to eventually get it under your

chin. This method is how I was taught. Method 3 is C shoulder to Shoulder. It is the easiest for

younger children and is done in two steps.

In the sixth and seventh video you learned how you sit with the cello and adjust it based

on the students hight, and with the bass you must stand and then adjust to the students hight.

The ninth video talked about placement for Violin and Viola and how you use the index and

mark a x to help children position it on the instruments right under the head. For holding a cello
and bass with your left hand you need to be relaxed in the hand and have a floating position but

also be steady in a way.

The tenth video talked about games you could use for learning to strum, pluck and play

which will help establish strong fingers. In the eleventh video it talked about how playing

Pizzicato might be easier for students then the bow to start out, and how to use it like a bow.

The twelfth video talked about finger placement on the strings and how you should just slightly

on each each and how tape to show placement might be helpful. Their are games such as

finger lift off the help with placement. The thirteenth video talked about how to play the bass with

your fingers and how the 1st and 2nd fingers. In the final remaining videos it talked about how to

help students who hold or have bad placement and how to help them improve.