The Ideal Practice Plan Made into Reality
Monday
Scale &
Arpeggios
What: GM
How:
- Stopped
- Slurred
Etude #1
(Schrad)
What: #1
Lines 1-4
How:
- rhythm
variations
Skills I want
to improve
Minute Bow
- stopped
- slurred
Piece #1
What:
How:
Piece #2
What:
How:
Piece #3
What:
How:
Piece #4
What:
How:
Piece #5
What:
How:
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Practice Routines
Stopped Bows
2- - - , 3- - -, 4- - - , up to 16- - - at least
PURPOSE:
- Perfect bow division while maintaining
quality tone/sound
- Clean and clear nger placement prior to
bow movement
- Can be done w/ + w/o metronome for
different skill focuses
Slurred Bows
Begin with 2 notes per click, and incrementally
increase speed using the metronome (3/click,
4/click, etc. up to at least 8/click)
PURPOSE:
- Perfect bow division while maintaining
quality tone/sound
- Clean and clear nger placement during
bow movement
- Always do this with the metronome
Rhythm Variations
2-note variations
- pizza (long-short)
- Orange (short-long)
3-note Variations
- strawberry (long-short-short)
- Butterscotch (short-short-long)
- Chicken-pa (short-long-short)
4-note Variations
- short-short-short-long
- Long-short-short-short
- Short-long-short-short
- Short-short-long-short
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
PURPOSE:
- Finger dexterity + mobility
- Muscle memory
Shifting
Questions
1) What kind of shift do you need?
- Old- nger shift
- New- nger shift
- Is a slide needed?
2) What is your start note?
3) What is your anchor note?
4) What is your end note?
Practice STEPS
1) Without the metronome, slowly and carefully
place your ngers in each of the 3 spots
necessary for shifting (start, anchor, end)
2) Turn on the metronome to 60
3) SN — click — AN — click — EN (3x up + down)
* at this step, you are playing the Anchor
Note as though it were written in your
music.
* during these next steps, focus on the
feeling of your nger/wrist/hand/arm/
shoulder movements, mentally visualize
where each note is and how you’re getting
there
* DO NOT VIBRATE
4) Fudge: SN — AN — EN (3x)
5) Candy: SN—AN—EN
6) Chocolate: SN—AN—EN
7) Peanut butter: SN—AN—EN
8) SN — click — EN
* at this step, you stop playing the Anchor
Note. However, you MUST still place it as
though you were playing it.
* There may be “sliding” sounds. That is ok.
Lighten your ngers and focus on hitting
your Anchor Note.
9) Fudge: SN—EN
10) Candy: SN—EN
11) Chocolate: SN—EN
12) Peanut butter: SN—EN
13) Turn off metronome and play in context