The tunes
Every melody in the course, in order. Each one is our own annotated line — every note named, with its string and finger, a note on how to play it, and one-press playback. This is the “just let me play” door; Contents is the “teach me why” one.
open A / E · 1st (open) · the bow, before any fingers
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little StarStage 1
A major · 1st · 0–1–high 2–3 on the A string
- Ode to JoyStage 1
A major · 1st · a singing line, phrasing · in the PDF
- Lightly RowStage 1
A major · 1st · bow division — upper vs lower half
- Song of the Windcoming soon
A major · 1st · the 1↔3 jumping finger; bow retakes
Stage 1 · First position & the staff
- Go Tell Aunt Rhodycoming soon
A major · 1st · phrasing; a held, in-tune last note
Stage 1 · First position & the staff
- Au Clair de la LuneStage 1
D major · 1st · a completely even bow on repeated notes
- Long, Long Agocoming soon
D major · 1st · a singing line, whole bows
Stage 1 · First position & the staff
- French Folk Songcoming soon
D · 1st · minor colour; a smooth legato-feel line
Stage 1 · First position & the staff
- London BridgeStage 1
D major · 1st · step/skip reading across two strings
- Hot Cross BunsStage 1
G string · 1st · three notes, one string; the high-2 B
- Mary Had a Little LambStage 1
G string · 1st · stepwise motion on one string, even bows
- Frère Jacques (a round)Stage 1
D major · 1st · play it as a round against the playback
- Jingle BellsStage 1
D major · 1st · repeated notes, a still left hand
D major · 1st · pickup + dotted rhythm + held notes across bars
G major · 1st · compound time — 6/8, felt in two
- Perpetual MotionStage 2
G major · 1st · an even eighth-note stream — hold the pulse through everything
- Ode to Joy, shapedStage 3
A major · 1st · reading and playing a full dynamic scheme
- Twinkle, articulatedStage 3
A major · 1st · reading an articulation scheme — staccato / legato / tenuto / portato
- Minuet in G (Petzold)Stage 3
D major · 1st · binary repeats + 1st/2nd endings; f/p terracing
- Amazing GraceStage 3
G major · 1st · reading a line of expression marks — mp/cresc/mf/dim/rit/fermata
- Gossec Gavottecoming soon
D major · 1st · staccato — dot vs slur vs plain; D.C. al Fine
Stage 3 · Score symbols
- Scales and arpeggios to playStage 4
G / D / A / C major, E minor · 1st · the NOW one-octave scale & arpeggio set · in the PDF
G major · 1st · arpeggios as music — a I arpeggio answered by a V7 arpeggio; the rocket
- Canon in DStage 4
D major · 1st · hearing a chord progression — I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V under a floating melody
- Scarborough FairStage 4
E Dorian / E minor · 1st · modal colour — a minor key with the 6th raised; the period
- Für Elise (theme)Stage 4
A minor · 1st · a minor key + hearing the leading tone pull; question and answer
- Vivaldi — Spring (theme)Stage 4
E major · 1st · a ritornello + an f/p echo; arpeggio and trill figures
- Aura LeeStage 4
C major · 1st · the C-major first-position hand; a IV-heavy harmony
- Tone and strokes to playStage 5
G / D / A / C · 1st · the daily bow routine — son filé, détaché, slurred and martelé scales, the bowing-variation drill · in the PDF
G major · 1st · martelé and grand détaché in real music — the prepared bite with a purpose
- Bach — Musette in DStage 5
D major · 1st · the Foundation-gate piece — even détaché, string crossings, a drone dance, in tune
- Bach — Air (opening)coming soon
D major · 1st · legato and son filé — a seamless singing line, bow distribution
Stage 5 · The bow
- Gossec — Gavottecoming soon
D major · 1st · the détaché piece — détaché, staccato, retakes, hooked bows, slurs · in the PDF
Stage 5 · The bow
any · 1st · the daily vibrato + expression routine — the pulse ladder, start/stop, every finger, one phrase three ways · in the PDF
G major · 1st · making a set of expressive choices (vibrato, rubato, colour, character) and repeating them