Take a deep deep dive, descending chromatically in semitones (half steps) and then make sure you come back up for air! Oh, and don’t get eaten by any sharps!
Take a deep deep dive, descending chromatically in semitones (half steps) and then make sure you come back up for air! Oh, and don’t get eaten by any sharps!
This famous Viennese Waltz by Johann Strauss II was inspired by the river Danube, one of the longest rivers in Europe.
This famous sea shanty from the 1800s tells the story of sailors hunting whales near New Zealand. Here's an exclusive ViolinSchool / Violin Orchestra version!
My Bonnie lies over the ocean, My Bonnie lies over the sea, My Bonnie lies over the ocean, Oh bring back my Bonnie to me … a delightful traditional Scottish folk song.
I like the flowers, the daffodils, the mountains, the rolling hills, and the fireside when the nights are cold and I’m singing, “Doo wappa doo wappa doo wappaty wop!
Hark! I hear the foe advancing … where are those Men of Harlech! This is a traditional Welsh song about the seven-year siege of Harlech Castle between 1461 and 1468.
Who will win in this game of two halves … the lower half or the upper half of the bow?! Each half is competing to be the most exact and the most pleasing to the ear!
Are you a major or a minor? A perfect or an augmented? Find out if opposites really do attract in this excellent exercise … a great way to improve your intonation!
Yeeeeeee-haaaaaaaaaw! Get your feet tapping with this romping barn dance, great for practising open string double stops! See how fast you can get the ending!
Paganini's 24th Caprice is the last of his epic set of caprices. This catchy theme has been the inspiration for a huge number of pieces ... an absolute classic!
For a piece about witches, this is a surprisingly chirpy tune! It's full of crisp bowing and sparkling arpeggios. Play it nicely, or you may discover their dark side!
Practise the perpetual motion of your fingers - lifting and dropping with speed, dexterity, evenness and accuracy! - in this chirpy Perpetuum Mobile by Ernst Schmidt.
Each finger experiences the highs and lows of first position in this super-useful exercise! Listen really carefully to make sure you don’t go too high, or too low!
Juuuuuuump! You’ll need really agile, accurate shifting and string crossing for this exercise. If you miss, the Lazy Dog could very quickly become an Angry Dog!
Drill those scales with these punishing exercises! Get the metronome going and then lift and drop the fingers with energy and precision of timing and tuning.
This lovely duet by the lovely Jacques Féréol Mazas has lovely tunes and lovely interplay between the two lovely parts. What could be more lovely!
Greetings! A warm welcome to The Bureau of B-flat major … a key department of major importance in which everything operates perfectly efficiently! Honest!!
Time to go on some enlivening excursions in the key of Eb major. Practise the different note and bowing patterns to become familiar with the 1 octave Eb major scale.
Move up and down in half steps (semitones) on each string to play part of the chromatic scale. Making sure everything is nice and smooth and nicely in tune!
Leap acrobatically up and down the chromatic scale, checking each note in relation to the open string to make sure you are jumping exactly the right distance!
Time to Cast Your Note! Move smoothly up and down in half steps (semitones) on each finger and on each string. Remember … Every Note Counts!
Jump from the open string to the notes of the chromatic scale with grace, agility and precision! Listen carefully to the intervals as they expand and contract.
These arpeggios are audacious indeed as they move between different major and minor keys. Keep the string crossings nice and smooth and watch out for the accidentals!
Try these exercises and you’ll soon be double stopping at the double! Practise getting the bowing arm at just the right level to play two open strings at the same time.
Turkey in de straw, Turkey in de hay, Roll 'em up an' twist 'em up a tune called Turkey in the Straw … a riotous American folk song from the early 19th century!
