Welcome to our string pedagogy course!

The purpose of the course is to provide students with knowledge, understandings, and skills related to teaching beginning and intermediate strings students in group settings and private lessons. The course will start by providing students with insights into seven string pedagogy approaches/methods that are applicable to teaching beginning and intermediate level students. It will continue with explanations and demonstrations of instructional steps and strategies for teaching string foundations and for teaching left- and right-hand playing techniques. Gained knowledge, understandings, and skills will then be put into practice through supervised teaching opportunities within and outside of the class.

The course will be divided into four modules. Each module will have three lessons for a total of twelve lessons:

  • MODULE 1: Survey of Seven Beginning/Intermediate String Pedagogy Approaches/Methods
    • Lesson 1: Applebaum, Bornoff, Havas
    • Lesson 2 :Kievman, Rolland, Sassmannshaus, Suzuki
    • Lesson 3:  Method Books and Supplemental Reading Materials/Websites
  • MODULE 2: Teaching Foundations
    • Lesson 1: Stance and Instrument Hold
    • Lesson 2: Bow Hold
    • Lesson 3: Special Topic:
      • Tips and Tricks Related to Teaching Bow Hold
  • MODULE 3: Teaching Left-Hand Techniques
    • Lesson 1: Foundational Left-Hand Techniques
    • Lesson 2: Advanced Left-Hand Techniques
    • Lesson 3: Special Topic:
      • Teaching Shifting and Vibrato
  • MODULE 4: Teaching Right-Hand Techniques
    • Lesson 1: Foundational Right-Hand Techniques
    • Lesson 2: Advanced Right-Hand Techniques
    • Lesson 3: Special Topic:
      • Teaching Bow Strokes

Each lesson will be accompanied by a 3-10 minutes long video that students will watch before they come to the class as part of  a flipped classroom instructional strategy. The purpose of the videos is two fold: 

  • To provide students with an opportunity to gain insights into the topic of the day before they come to the class, which will prepare students for a deeper exploration of learning concepts during the class
  • To provide students with an opportunity to revisit videos after the class for further refinement of their knowledge, understandings, and skills