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Warm-up

*Repeat after me*


● Tappers
● Stompers
Now grab your instrument and play the Tappers on open D (PIZZICATO)
Now play clappers on an open D string (PIZZICATO)

Violins will play Tappers while Viola Cello Bass will play Stompers (Open D)
● Okay now we are going to play a D scale - upper strings then lower - do you remember your rhythm?

Now I want you to pick a friend in your section and make sure that your first beat is lining up with their first
beat. *MODEL with accent on first beat*
● Start the D scale

Okay we found the first beat, but what about the third beat *MODEL with accent on third beat*
● Start D scale

Now can you combined the two and make sure you and your friend are lining up on beat one AND beat three?
*MODEL with accent on beat one and three*

Cellos, Viola, Bass! Why was this exercise so easy for you? Now that we know the lower strings are all moving
on beats one and three, I want you to find a friend from across the orchestra and make sure that your beat one
and three are lining up.

Okay now let’s take a look at the piece.


1. Who starts in measure 1
2. What is your rhythm?
3. Who starts in measure 2
4. What is your rhythm?

Run the Piece


*Play from beginning until m. 36

M. 19-27:
● Ask just the Viola, Cello, Bass to play while Violins air bow until m.23
● Now I know you are switching over from pizz to arco, but lower strings right now you sound like a herd
of elephants. Rather than elephants, can I get a whale? Elephants tend to be clumsy, but whales are
fluid. I want to keep the intensity but lose the clunky.
● PEANUT BUTTER!*Rather than dig into the string can you feel like you are spreading peanut butter? I
want you to think of the best PB&J sandwich you have ever made. Would you rather have one side be
more peanut butter while the other side is all skimpy, or have an even layer of peanut butter? I want
even strokes.
● SMOOTH BOW Violins, let’s help the lower strings can we all play quarter notes on an open D with
smooth middle bows at a mezzo forte
● PIANO Be graceful baby whales. Turn your bow to the side. I want the same amount of pressure, just
more angle of the bow and less hair on the string
● FORTE Now do the opposite. I still want the same amount of pressure, but can you tilt the bow so that
the hair is flat against the string.
● Which of the two examples do you think would help the lower strings play big like a whale, the first or
second?
● Play through m.19-23 with lower strings arco and upper strings airbow
● Violins, join us. Before we start, what is your dynamic? Do you think we want to sound like whales, or
friendly dolphins who want to play with the whale? So what might we have to do with our bows, turn
them on the side, or have them flat?
● Join us violins!
● Play from m.19-27
● Okay what measure do the upper strings and lower strings switch animals? M.23 Then switch!

V Ritardando and Transition M.23-31


● Just lower voices play from m.23-27 Focus on tie/syncopation in m.25-26 while violin 1 plucks their part
(3x perfect!)
● SWITCH Have lower voices pluck m.23-27 while violin 1 bows their part (3x perfect!)
● Have both parts bow from m.23-31
● Strive for a together pizzicato M.27-28
● Once they are together have them play the crescendo in m.27
● I want lighter bows and spin the bow hair from flat to side of bow

Transition M.11-22
● Have group play m.18-19
● Work on clear entrance at m. 19 (3x perfect!)
● Back up to m.17-19
● If clear and together, back up to m.11 and play until m.28

Fermata M.36
● Have whole group play from m.23-36
● START TOGETHER Next have them focus on starting the fermata together *Start the note on the string
not from the air*
● BALANCE POINT I want the note to start at the balance point
● Do the turn with your bow. Start flat and turn to the side.
● Now start at m.35-36 (3x perfect!) *to work on pizz to bow*
● Now go from m.33-36 (3x perfect!)
● Finish with m.28-36

End of rehearsal
● Have group run the piece
● Go over what animal do we want for forte (WHALE) / piano (DOLPHIN)
● How do we create those animals? Flat vs tilt / smooth vs short
● Make sure you don’t forget your partner from earlier and if you feel you are rushing, check in!!
● Don’t be surprised by pizz vs arco

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