A gallery of kid-made violins
and what we do with them
Anything goes for
building materials as long as it's not too heavy, and the
thickness and length match the child's real violin.
Try a styrofoam tray with a plastic paperclip for a bridge
and a chin-rest marked out in felt pen. Pluck the rubber-band
with either hand to develop finger independence.
Or how about one of those ubiquitous cyberfrisbee packages?
A rolled piece of junk mail serves as a bridge. If the box
is flimsy, tape it shut and stuff it with paper.
Here's the same
assortment, bottom view. The styrofoam tray, being concave,
needed a thick sponge for a shoulder pad.
The shoulder pad for the cyberfrizbee box is
a "tire cleaner" sponge with a nice concave edge
to fit the shoulder.
Hannah's violin
Now we get fancy. If you enjoy
art projects, go ahead and make it fancy as Hannah and her
dad did. Doing this kind of project helps you notice different
parts of the instrument.
Such elaborate creations are not required, but they can be
fun for the child so inclined.
We
use box violins often during the lessons in which the parent
learns to play the Twinkle Variations, but we continue to
use them after the child has begun to use the real one. We
use the box violins (way less delicate!) to practice movement
and freedom of movement. (How many things can Nina (right)
do freely without dropping that violin? Stories, drama, and
rhythm games are essential and fun components of this phase.
Nina – no hands
• Suzuki teachers invent many games to build both rest
position and playing position. Both are important in stage
etiquette and in coordinating a large group of small beginners.
The more times one gets in and out of those two positions
correctly, the more easily the body falls into movement patterns
that allow the child to play in reasonable comfort, and become
one with the instrument. Too often we waste precious practice
time just learning the notes, and we lose all but the first
three minutes to bad habits and frustration.
• To reinforce good left hand movement, one story we
use is the Three Billy Goats Gruff. The left hand, stationed
at the shoulder of the violin, makes tapping sounds as each
goat crosses the bridge. Use different rhythms as sound effects
for this part of the story. The right hand plays the role
of the troll. (Left hand - right hand independence is sometimes
an issue for little ones, and the game helps.)
• You can attach things that make a little joyful noise.
Children in a group session who are listening to others play
a piece they have not yet learned can add rhythm in key places
using the box violins. At home, explore the soundmaking possibilities
of everyday objects. Below is a great
add-on; a classroom chime.
Attach the chime to the box with a rubberband. The "frog"
on the mallet is an eraser. Hold the box violin in the usual
way (the blue foam is the chin-rest on this one.) Head and
shoulders hold the violin for amazing hands free operation.
Hold the mallet as you hold the bow. Practice rotating the
wrist without losing the correct bow grip. At first the chime
may sound thuddy when you play it, but as you loosen the wrist
and let the mallet bounce off the chime, the sound improves.
This is the same lightness of touch you need for bowing. (See
pencil exercises
for bow hold)
If you would like to receive notification
as new Suzuki resources are added to this site, you can
send an email to grandma@grandmaskite.com.
Your email will not be sold, shared, traded, or used for
any other purpose than that which you requested. As it turns
out, I have been adding a topic in a parent letter about
once a month for my own Suzuki families.
Twinkle Rag –
a twinkle variation with a new twist on half of
the rhythm in Variations A and D. Same four sixteenth
notes in a ragtime setting
Daisy Daisy uses a
three four twist on "Mississippi without
the hot dog." The whole accompaniment is
open D and G. The song and bass line can be played
as a violin / 'cello duet or on the piano.
