BARENREITER’S Sussiittsinshaus | THE SASSMANNSHAUS TRADITION EARLY START ON THE VIOLIN VOLUME 2Table Of Contents Preface 4 The Third Finger Is The Tonic 5 Triads In C major, G major And D major & Songs With The New Finger Pattern 10 The Dotted Quarter Note /4 The Second Finger Changes Between High And Low Positions 17 The First Finger Is The Tonic 24 Triads In E major, A major And 8 major 27 Songs With The New Finger Pattern 28 The Third Finger Changes Between High And Low Positions 33 The Three Finger Patterns 35 Playing In Different Positions With The Three Patterns 37 Double Stops 38 The Second Finger Is The Tonic 39 Triads In F major, B-flat major And C major 41 Songs With The New Finger Pattern 43 Sixteenth Notes 46 The First Finger Changes Between High And Low Positions 49 C major Notes In First Position 54 Exercises And Pieces In C major 55 Major And Minor Scales And Arpeggios Across Four Strings 63Preface Early instrumental instruction has become an accepted component of childhood education. Many methods have been written enabling young children to learn the first steps on stringed instruments. This volume goes beyond providing easy pieces in one finger pattern. It offers easy learning steps with additional finger patterns in a range of different keys and in different positions on the violin. The materials in our volume include nursery rhymes and easy dance pieces that are appropriate for young players and advance their ability to read music. The introduction of new steps is always done within familiar contexts and not compounded by simultaneous demands of new rhythms or techniques. Thus each goal can be reached effortlessly. Most importantly, the result is controllable by the child. This approach necessarily requires the repetition of easy material to introduce new skills — this repetition is age-appropriate, fun, and allows the child to gain security on the instrument. Only after this initial step will new reading materials be introduced in each chapter. In this way, playing in position by transposing known material becomes an easily mastered skill, while reading music in the new position becomes a secondary step, since the initial challenge can be accomplished by listening to a simple song which is already memorized. Issues like violin and hand position are easily addressed, motions previously learned are stabilized, and intonation as well as the overall physical approach to the instrument are improved. Please familiarize yourself with the finger patterns and the possibilities for position playing on pages 35-37 right away. This is a key element for the success of this method. The exercises for finger patterns can be introduced at any time while working in this volume. These pages introduce the student to the habit of daily technique exercises. Our experience with this method has shown that consistent practice of scales in different positions, shifting and double stops at this early stage allows young players in just a few months to develop the necessary skills to perform easy violin concertos. Some theoretical explanations and drawings give children and parents insight into specific tasks. A child should at this point, only be exposed to the theory necessary to accomplish the works in this volume. The joy of music making is the most important prerequisite for successful learning. Egon Sassmannshaus Kurt Sassmannshaus Munich/Cincinnati, May 2008The Third Finger Is The Tonic New finger pattern: The second finger is low. This exercise relies on known songs, but starts with the third finger. To prepare the third finger use the following known finger pattern: Set-up exercise: 0 2 = 18 Finger eoastgeve Half step. Cae 2nd Finger low 3°4 Finger 4" Finger Up The Ladder = zs 0 lad-der wait here. Up the lad-der to our tree house, up the oO 3 es stay here. Up the lad-der to our tree house, down the lad - der BA 9677 © 2008 by Barenreiter-Verlag, KasselBought Me A Cat Preparation: * Bought me oa cat, the cat pleased me; co} A fed my cat un-der yon - der tree. Cat went fid - dle fee, fid-dle-i - fee. Bought me a dog, the dog pleased me; fed my dog un-der yon - der tree. Dog went bow, wow, bow, wow. n Cat went fid-dle-i - fee, fid-dle-i - fee.All The Little Hamsters a 31 Oe erle2 3 4 Al the lit - tle ham - sters run-ning in the wheel, 0 3 al - ways get-ting hun - gry wait - ing for a meal. A 3 0 1 2 = 4 All. the lit - tle ham - sters run-ning in the wheel, 0 3 al- ways get-ting hun - gry wait -ing for a — meal. Scales with the new finger pattern: Bowings: ) 2) n Vv be 0) Wb. Tip Wb. Frog Practice this in the middle of the bow, at the frog and at the tip. C major a) #0 0, 0, C £3 A See 8 ee eee G majorTriads In C major, G major And D major Preparation: The C major triad: (esi ieee 2) oe (e E G The G major triad: G B D The D major triad: 2 Pit A Pat Rain = 1 3 1 can - not play out - side. Drip, drip, drip, drop! Pit a pat, pit a pat, when will it stop? Pat-A-Cake 5 3 1 Pat - a - cake, pat - a - cake, ba - ker’s man; a bake me oa cake as fast as you can.Pat - a - cake, pat - a - cake, ba - ker's man; bake ome a cake as. fast. as. you can. Pat - a - cake, pat - a - cake, ba - ker's man; bake me a cake as fast as you can. Tower Song Germany, 17% century a 3 3 3 gle 3Bye, Baby Bunting Bye, ba- by bunt - ing, Dad-dy’s gone a’ hunt - ing to get a lit-tle rab-bit skin to wrap his ba-by bunt-ing in. Song Of The Nightingale a 1That's One HOT Potato I 3 Frog 0 | Hot po - ta - to, one po-ta-to, two po - ta - to, three po - ta - to, 0 2 Wb. < 2 eee eo sooo hot po - ta - to, one po - ta - to, two po - ta - to, three, Vv 2 Tip 0 3 three po - ta - to, two po -ta- to, one po - ta - to, hot po - ta - to, 0 3 Wb. three po - ta - to, two po - ta - to, one po - ta - to HOT! Exercise n uSpielstiick Louis H. Debes = 30 320 Children’s Song Ancient DanceC major and G major scales in broken thirds Bowings: 1) 2) mA rf Vv v Wb. Wb. Tip Wb. Frog C major | 3 eee Ae 5* elas 40 Gmajor = By lee 0722 4 0 Are You Sleeping? (Frére Jacques) = 3 0 1 3. Are you sleep-ing? Are you sleeping? Broth- er —_John, = 4 4 Broth - er John? Morn-ing bells are ring - ing. Morn-ing bells are fe cal ring - ing. Ding, dang, dong, ding, dang, dongThe Dotted Quarter Note be Preparatory exercises: a n Basic rhythm Basic rhythm, different notation Emphasizing the second beat with a finger motion makes the slur easier: n i 1 n joe ee The slurred note without a left hand motion: A von Vv a The slurred eighth note is easier Finally, this is what the new to write with a dot: rhythm looks like: Neeser eV A v p CanonFive German Folk Tunes Waltz | From the beginning to the end (fine) da capo al fine Waltz II da capo al fine Traditional iBirds Announcing The Spring n Traditional v Vv MiThe Second Finger Changes Between High And Low Positior The distance from the first to the eighth tone of the scale is called an octave. Scales in two octaves need different finger patterns: Lower octave: second finger high a9) > o| oe a. 90D Ea re a Higher octave: second finger low The second finger alternates between high and low positions Summer Song A Vv 1 Finger Half step low 24 Finger high ’ H| | Half step 3 Finger 4% Finger ‘Traditional vA little scale exercise: n Spring Has Arrived ‘Traditional Vv Triads with mixed finger patterns: a CanonReturning Home n A Fiddler In The Circus n The States Song n 4 Mass - a - chu - sets, Mis - sis - sip - pi, Tex - as, 4 n Ca - li - for - nia, Co-lo - ra-do, Maine, New York, Vir-gi - nia, O-re-gon, Rhode Is - land, these are States that | would like to see.The accidentals ¢ or} are valid only for the bar in which they are notated. Accidentals notated at the beginning of the piece (called a key signature) are valid for all bars. A natural sign, 3, cancels an accidental and is valid for the entire bar. Hunter’s Menuet a Folk Dance _ Gallop Karl Gottlieb Hering (1766-1853) 7 aa 3 ieee 20Sur le Pont ie <- French Children’s Song 4, Sur le pont dA = vig - non Ven y dan - se, en y dan - se, Sur le pont dA ~ vig - non Ven y dan - se, tout. en_rond, Cotillon Esprit Philippe Chédeville (1696-1762) 21Dance (Gavotte) Esprit Philippe Chédeville 2x V Minuet Esprit Philippe Chédeville Exercise to prepare the Gavotte by Handel: oS 22Gavotte George Frideric Handel (1685~1759) Allegro Rigaudon Esprit Philippe Chédeville 2 23The First Finger Is The Tonic Finger pattern: third finger high 1" Finger 24 Finger 314 Finger high Half step 4 Finger \ Up The Ladder 5 CO) a 0, sag 2ied ab SUE 1 Up the lad - der to our tree house, up the lad - der wait _—_ here. a0 eS 9, Up the lad - der to our tree house, down the lad - der stay here. To better control the intonation we will first use the open A string. 24All The Little Hamsters E 7 All the tit - tle ham - sters. run - ning in the wheel, al - ways get - ting hun - ory wait - ing for meal. Children’s Song Traditional 25Bought Me A Dog Bought me a dog, the dog pleased me; fed my a dog un-der yon - der tree. Deg went bow, wow, bow, wow. Cat went fid -dle- i - fee, fid - dle - i - fee, Scales with the new finger pattern: Bowings: = Emajor = @ @) 1 0 0, Bmajor 5 ® «ag @ 7 o ° Amajor = @ @) 0 0 Folk Song Traditional n x v 26Triads In E major, A major And B major E major triad: A major triad: B major triad: A Eo opr 8. Pit A Pat Rain = 7 | can-not play out-side. Drip, drip, drip, drop! Pita pat, pita pat. When will it stop? Pat-A-Cake 1 3 > Pat - a - cake, pat - a - cake, ba + ker's man; bake me a cake as fast as you can. Ode To Joy Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) 7 3 °o, Tower Song a 7 1 Try practicing these songs on different strings. 27Songs With The New Finger Pattern Canon = 0, al four vic - es let us sing! GB This will sound so fine that we should —_let. it ring! Old MacDonald o Old Mac-Do-nald had a farm, £-1-E-1 - © and on his farm he had a cow, E-1-E-1 - 0 witha moomoo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, eve-ry-where a moo moo. Old Mac-Do-nald had a farm, E-1-E-1 - 0, Lightly Row ie) 4, Light - ly row, light = ly row, o'er the glass - y waves we go Smooth - ty glide, smooth - ly glide, on the si - lent ride. a Let the winds and wa - ters be min - gled with our mel - 0 - dy. Sing and float, sing and float, in our fit - le boat. 28Go Tell Aunt Rhody F ——e <— ——4 Go tell Aunt Rho = dy; 90 tell Aunt = Rho - dy. Go tell Aunt Rho - dy the old grey goose is dead. Winter Song = 3 4, Rocky Mountain High 7 Rock - y moun-tain, rock - y moun-tain, rock - y_ mountain high, When you're on that rock - y moun-tain, hang your head and cry. do, do, do re - mem - ber me. Do, do, do, do, do re - mem - ber me, * Move the bow back to the frog. 29Good Night Noisy Cricket = 1 1 Good night Moth - er, good night Fa- ther, 1 am go-ing off to sleep. Good night Moth - er, good night Fa - ther. You won't hear an - oth - er peep! 1 There's a cricket in. my bedroom. 1 can- not get an - y_ rest. Moth - er please go catch that crick- et. He is such a _—nois - y_ pest. Visit www.violinmasterclass.com and look at the martelé exercises. 30Fast Eighth Notes Tun. Lh. = Lower-half = Uh. = Upper-half = Wb. = Whole bow The Hippo Song a 1 Wo. There's a hip - po. in. my _bed - room. can - not get an-y rest v There's a hip - po in. the bath-tub. He is such a gi - ant’ quest. 31Down At The Station e Down at the sta - tion ear - lyin the mom - ing see the lit - tle puff- er bel-lies all in. arrow. See the en-gine driv - er pull the it tle throt - le. Tug, tug, = tut, stu, ff we. go! Are You Sleeping? (Frére Jacques) e v ‘Are you sleeping? Are you sleep-ing? Broth er John, Broth - er John? (ea) m2 oe Morn-ing bells are ring-ing. Morn-ing bells are ring-ing. Ding, dang, dong, ding, dang, dong. Scales in broken thirds: E major - 7 A major 7 a ° 4 3 Se cl SS Sees Try the stroke patterns from pages 7, 13 and 40. eeThe Third Finger Changes Between High And Low Positions For the A major scale we again need different finger patterns for the lower and the higher octave. Lower octave: third finger high > >| oe BAC) OWE Fh ck LA es Higher octave: third finger low The third finger alternates between high and low positions. Summer Song - 0, v 1 Finger 24 Finger Half step low 3 Finger high ' Half step 4m Finger \ Traditional Two little exercises: n so 4 4 33Winter Song v Triads with mixed finger patterns: rile, 4, Bear Dance ei 4, 9, ad 34The Three Finger Patterns The exercises on the next four pages should be practiced a few minutes every day from now ‘on. Regular practice of these scales, shifting exercises, and double stops in different keys are the most important element of a daily practice schedule. Within a few months young players will develop the necessary technique to play easy pieces and concertos. From here on, we will name the different finger positions patterns |, II and Ill. I II Til ag see ee These patterns are the basic building blocks of any scale technique. Before combining them into scales, we move them chromatically up the finger board, one half step at a time. This should become a daily exercise between first and fourth positions. After each half step shift start the row from the beginning. The same shifting can be used as a “climbing game” for all pieces and songs on pages 24-33. Read and play in the first position, then at every repeat move the first finger up one half step. 35When we play pattern | on two adjacent strings, we play a major scale: ' 1 t 1 7 aie ae When we play patterns Il and | ascending, and patterns Ill and II descending, we play a melodic minor scale: ape ae On the D and A strings: Major On the G and D strings: Major! We can now play all major and minor scales by moving the first finger to different positions. 36Playing In Different Positions With The Three Patterns At this point in the method the teacher can go back to already familiar songs and have the student play those in different positions. First the songs on pages 24-31 are transposed by memory to higher positions. Page 25: third position, pattern | (the third finger is high) 1 2 eel ete. By changing the fingering, the songs on pages 5-16 can be played as a reading exercise in the third position. Page 6: third position, pattern | (the third finger is high) 5 7 3 etc. Page 12: third position, pattern | (the third finger is high) i nassaee eel Beeaae By changing the fingering, the songs on pages 39-44 can be played as a reading exercise in the second position. Page 39: second position, pattern | (the third finger is high) = 1 7a 4 1 Learning to read notes in different positions is made easier this way because the children are already familiar with these songs. The teacher can show that many of the songs we have learned can be played in different positions. This is an easy way to find the new positions: 37Double Stops Preparatory exercise: » no Preparatory exercise: D a Preparatory exercise: v \ \e \ \ 38The Second Finger Is The Tonic New finger pattern: The first finger is in the low position. 1" Finger low 2°4 Finger 3° Finger 40" Finger Up The Ladder i Z 0, 9, Up the lad - der to our tree house, up the lad - der wait _—_—here. Up the lad - der to. our tree house, down the lad - der stay —here. Bye, Baby Bunting 1 Bye, ba - by bunt - ing, Dad - dy’s gone a hunt - ing to get a lit - tle rab - bit. skin to wrap his ba - by —bunt- ing in. 39All The Little Hamsters n 6, All the lit tle ham - sters run-ning in the wheel, run-ning in the 9, wheel, al - ways get - ting hun - gry wait - ing for a_—_meal F major and B-flat (Bb) major scales: Bowing patterns: » 2) 3) 4) n n F major Bb major Children’s Song = — Folk Tune a 40Triads In F major, B-flat major And C major F major triad: Bb major triad: Pit A Pat Rain Na @) 0, | can-not play out-side. Drip, drip, drip, drop! Pita pat pit a pat. When will it stop? Pat-A-Cake Dean, 4 no n 4 [eee Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, ba-ker’s man; bake me a cake as fast as you can. Little Peter Rabbit Music by Peter Heilbut Lit - tle Pe - ter Rab bit likes to go and play. Sudden - ly he hopped and then, Pe - ter Rab -bit's gone a - gain! a Canon a 2 4 ro r All four voic-es let us sing! This will sound so fine that we should let it ring! 41Ode To Joy Ludwig van Beethoven rs 9, 3 4, Tower Song Germany, 17" century 2 ° German Folk Song no Horn Call With Echo piano (p ) means soft 42Songs With The New Finger Pattern Down At The Station fa Down at the sta - tion ear - ly In the morn - ing see the lit - tle puff-er bel-lies all = in. arrow, See the en-gine driv - er pull the lit - tle throt - tle Tug, tug, tut, tut, off we 90! Are You Sleeping? (Frére Jacques) Are you sleep - ing? Are. © -you— sleep - ing? Broth - er John, Broth - er John? Morn - ing bells are ring - ing, Morn - ing bells are 3 2 n 2 ring - ing. Ding, dang, dong, ding, dang, dong, 43Cuckoo Cuck - 00, cuck - 00, we hear your call What are you say - ing, where are you stay - ing? Cuck - 00, cuck - 00, we hear you all. Canon rs All four voic = es let us sing! This will sound so fine that «we should let. it ring! Lightly Row 5 Light - ly row, light - ly row, oer the glass - y waves we go; 0, Smooth - ly glide, smooth - ly __ glide, onthe si - lent — ride. A 0, Let the winds and wa - ters be min - gled with our mel - 0 - dy. Sing and float, sing and float, in our tit = tle boat. Children’s Dance v 44Go Tell Aunt Rhody a Go tell Aunt = Rho - dy; 90 tell Aunt = Rho = dy. Go tell Aunt Rho - dy the old grey goose is dead. Allegretto After Bartolomeo Campagnoli (1751-1827) 4 a —_ 5 Sets ck ite ee ie a te ee ee ee Allons, bergers French Christmas Carol S 4 A 45Sixteenth Notes Sixteenth notes are twice as fast as eighth notes: They have two flags (AAA) or are grouped together with two beams ( J That’s One HOT Potato im 2 0, Tenderly v Lively 46Scales in broken thirds: F major 4 2 4 4 Bb major _ Rocky Mountain High 3 2 Rock-y moun-tain, rock - y moun-tain, rock -y moun-tain high. When you're on that Fi rock - y moun-tain, hang your head and cry. Do, do, = do, do, do re-mem-ber me, do, do, do, do, do. re-mem-ber me. Old MacDonald Old Mac-Do-nald had a farm, E-1-E-1-0 and on his farm he had a cow, Boel Sb pe IO) with a moo moo here and a moo moo there here a moo, there a moo eve - ry-where a moo moo. Old Mac - Do - nald had =a farm, eee - 0. afGood Night Noisy Cricket! = 5 2 Good night Moth - er, good night Fa - ther, | am go - ing off to. sleep. Good night Moth - er, good night Fa - ther. You won't hear an - oth - er peep! 2 2 There's a crick - et in. my_ bed - room. can - not get an - y_— rest. Moth - er please go catch that crick - et. He Is such a —nols. - y_ pest. Allegro x England, 18" century ° ° 48The First Finger Changes Between High And Low Positions The first finger is high in the lower octave of the F major scale. Lower octave: first finger high eee eee eG cae Cr eer eeer Higher octave: first finger low 1 Finger high The first finger alternates between 24 Finger high and low positions. 3° Finger ath Finger Summer Song Traditional S Ba, Sabo data: v A little scale exercise: = 49Winter Song Canon Triads with mixed finger patterns: no an In C major the first finger changes position between the A string and the E string: Fy at : san In Bb major the first finger changes position between the G string and the D string: Sarabande From a collection of Lute Music 7 a 50Molto Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) v 51The States Song a, 2 From A Contredanse Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart a 52Two Pieces From An Historical Collection v 53C major Notes In First Position The four finger patterns we have learned are the basis for all other finger patterns. By simply moving the hand we reach other 1 Finger keys. For example: Transpose the songs on Te pages 29-34 from E major to E-flat major or from A major to A-flat major by playing them low ‘one half step lower. 2d Finger high To play all the notes of a C major scale we = only need three patterns: SNe 4" Finger y} (extended) 5 ° on the G string ontheAstring 4 eae ee Et CA peetorete re A = eo g == Ti Peo ‘Tepe ct" se 0 on the D string on the E string This key makes it easy to play with other instruments, for example flute or piano. The highest note of the C major two octave scale is rarely needed at this juncture. If it is, we just stretch the fourth finger by a half step to reach that C on the E string. 54Exercises And Pieces In C major Notes on the D and G strings: Louis Spohr (1784-1859) From Louis Spohr's violin method 55Notes on the A and E strings: Louis Spohr o F c A eae aco 8 ¢ Dea 4 From Louis Spohr's violin method A Little Exercise = Hubert Ries (1802-1886) 0 4 0 4 One 4 - From Hubert Ries’ violin method 56Two Scale Studies Hubert Ries 25 a From Hubert Ries’ violin method 57Dance Allemande = oe = — Andantino Charles-Auguste de Bériot (1802-1870) 4 o 58eh ge a Oe eee From Bériot's violin method Gavotte Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) 5 Wolfgang Amadeus MozartTrumpet Piece Leopold Mozart (1719-1787) y . ig _Simile* * simile = continue in the same manner Minuet Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) = = Fine 60Allegretto Louis Spohr a Use the upper third of the bow From Louis Spohr's violin method 61Hubert Ries no o 0 o 4 0 o Before we finish this volume with major and minor scales across four strings in one position, we can further develop playing and note reading skills in Volume 3 of this series Early Start on the Violin (BA 9678) by playing duets in many keys. On pages 24-33 we played in different positions by moving memorized pieces higher on the finger board, As the next step we introduce reading in positions. Alll exercises on pages 5-20 are designed to be read in the third position. The second position can be read on pages 39-53. Since all melodies and rhythms are already familiar, players will make far fewer mistakes than the introduction of new text would cause at this stage. Using already learned material will help our young players become secure and confident while making this complicated step. 62Major And Minor Scales And rpeggios Across Four Strings Now we use all four finger patterns in the A major and A minor two octave scales: A major Aminor eo By moving the scale several times up a half step we can play in many new keys from memory. The teacher should explain how to play in high positions. After each half step shift we start the scale from the beginning. Bowing patterns: » 63We can also move arpeggios into higher positions using the same method: 7 4 4 4 4, 4, 4 4 4, Bowing patterns: 0 Vivace Leopold Mozart 64(Sassidiinshaus THE SASSMANNSHAUS TRADITION Offto a good start. For more than three decades The Sassmannshaus Tradition has been one of the leading violin methods for children in German-speaking countries. In fact, more than half a million players have successfully learned to play the violin using this method. The Sassmannshaus Tradition is now available in English and has been adapted, both in content and songs, for today’s English speaking children, What makes this violin method so unique? + Large print notes and texts as well as many colorful illustrations are ideal for pre-school as well as school children. + Note reading is emphasized from the first lesson, encouraging ‘ensemble playing from the very beginning. + Songs and scales in different positions are easily mastered within the first year of playing to ensure that children are not confined to first position playing. + Advanced violin techniques such as varied bow strokes and shifting are introduced in a basic form. ‘The Sassmannshaus Tradition ensures success on the violin! BA9677