Improvising and Varying Scale Practice for Musical Flexibility Plus Bowing Style Videos

Scales are the foundation of our music. Think of them as your musical vitamins and work on them every practice. This helps improve your intonation and to develop the physical patterns in your hands for easier sightreading and playing. The set of variations below is just a start on how you can use rhythms and bowing styles to give variety to your practice. There are also useful ideas for improvisation and creating your own music in the article excerpt.

From the American String Teachers Association journal article by Martin Norgaard:



Other ideas:

 all down bows in tiny circles at the frog to build power

 all up bows at the tip to help control the bow and create ringing tone

 use different bow strokes like martelé  (hammered) 

Video to show many types of bowing styles: Bowing technique video link


 Use your Twinkle rhythms on the scale or your name or a holiday

 Slur 
2 notes: Schubert
3 notes: Beethoven
4 notes: Happy Birthday
5 notes: Rimsky-Korsakov (Happy Halloween)
6 notes: 2 Beethovens
8: hold the tonic longer (1st note of the scale) so 1/4 note followed by 1/8th notes
Work up to 3 octaves in a bow

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