Bridget

Welcome to your lesson notes page Bridget!

Thu 18^th December 2025

Happy Christmas!!

Thu 13^th November 2025

Winter Merriment

• Practice the two arpeggios on the last line slowly, with long notes.

Song of the bagpipers

• Try the warm-up scale before you practice from the half-bar of bar 8.
• Move your 2nd finger to the A# on the barline of bar 9.

Thu 11^th September 2025

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

• Nice and strong on the first chord (bottom two notes), then shift on your 2nd note. Listen carefully to the tuning as you do this.
• In bar 5, use little bows and see how fast you can chug away.
• Try the double stops 4 bars before B as long notes. Keep your fingers on their tip-toes.
• In particular, deconstruct the bar 2 bars before B: just playing the bottom line, then just play the top line. Next, use your bow just on the A string but try double stops with your fingers, then try playing just the E string notes with your fingers on for all double stop notes. Finally, add the bow onto both strings.
• Be concise with your bow length at B, keeping the bow light and dainty.

Thu 26^th June 2025

Orchestral pieces – Work on the tricky bits in small chunks.

Tue 20^th May 2025

Marriage of Figaro

• Keep your 3rd fingers nice and high in the opening passage, and every other time it comes.

Elgar 3rd movement

• Practice and E major scale before you start working on the end section.

Thu 23^rd January 2025

Queen of the Night

• Practice the bracketed bit with a metronome at crotchet = 50 until you feel comfortable. Then up the speed

Kol Nidrei

• Practice the exercise at the top of the page slowly and with a good string tone, then add in the triplet. Remember the D on the 4th beat is an important landing point.

Thu 9^th January 2025

Schubert Rosamunde quartet

Mon 11^th November 2024

Orchestral parts

Thu 31^st October 2024

Get to know Elgar’s Serenade for Strings – follow along with your part whilst you listen.

Fri 18^th October 2024

Prometheus Overture

• Work on the quaver passages with a metronome, starting at 80 and only speeding up when you feel comfortable.

Wed 28^rd August 2024

Menuet – Presto

• Focus on making your slurs as smooth as possible (line 3 in particular).
• Try playing both notes in the pizzicato section. Use the rests to get the fingers ready. You can practice this with your bow, using the exercise I’ve stuck to the bottom of the page. Make sure your hand is ready for both notes before you start each slur.

Thu 23^rd May 2024

Abdelazer

• Practice the section from fig. A to make sure you’re keeping the tempo going in the quaver passages.

Dance of the Knights

• Practice the relevant arpeggios with the hooved bowing, the way we did in the lesson.
• Watch out for hooked bowings in new sections.
• Play bars 33-36 slower until you get used to the notes.
• Think about the tones and semitones in the passage from fog. F.

Thu 18^th April 2024

Stringbuilder

• N. 64 – practice this in the 3 suggested ways. For the whole bow version, make sure you keep returning to the heel. Focus on a fast bow and staccato notes for the other two ways.
• N. 65 – Try to keep all notes the same length, even the ones before rests. See how contrasting the dynamics can be.
• N. 66 – practice this for smooth shifts, and getting staccato notes in the upper and lower half sounding the same.

La Donna E Mobile

• In bars 1 and 3, think ahead to bars 2 and 4 and the finger positions you’ll need.
• Make a clear difference between staccato up bows and smooth slurs.

Winter Wonderland

• Work on getting your dotted rhythms really precise, making the dotted quavers nice and long.
• See how precise you can be with the bowing, including the retake in the 1st time bar.

Mon 25^th March 2024

Concert Day!

Wed 6^th March 2024

Mon 26^th February 2024

Mon 29^th January 2024

Telemann

• Warm up with G major using the rhythm of the first beat of the piece.
• Keep an eye out for bowings.
• Keep an eye out for accidentals further through the bar.

Fingal’s Cave

• Listen to a recording of this whilst following the music.

Tue 26^th September 2023

Suk

• Practice the tricky bits at a speed you feel comfortable.
• Play chromatic scale starting on G before practising the top of the 2nd page.

Thu 31^st August 2023

Lord Cutt’s March

• Work on making a difference between staccato and tenuto quavers.
• Well done on your shifts – work now on getting rid of any gaps as you shift. Looking ahead will help, and work in small sections from about 1 bar before the shift to 1 bar after.
• Practice the 6 bars at the start of the 2nd half very slowly to give yourself time to think about the distance of each shift.

Start looking at Grande Valse Brillante in this book too.

Stringbuilder Book 3

• Keep going with the same pieces to iron out any little issues, then look ahead at the next few pieces too.

Fri 11^th August 2023

Stringbuilder book 3

• When warming up with a scale and arpeggio, play the arpeggio a little slower and focus on tuning.
• No. 89 – on the 2nd line, think of being in 3rd position all the time, but just reaching down for F#s and up for harmonics. Watch the rhythm in bars 2 and 6.
• No. 90 – be nice and tight with your dotted rhythms in bars in 1 and 2. Remember that the shift in bar 3 is 2 tones, so aim a bit higher and maybe do some shifting exercises like we did in the lesson. Keep your Cs nice and low in places like bar 3 and 4. It’s especially tricky if its after a harmonic!
• No.91 – aim to make the dotted rhythms really precise- it’s easy to make this rhythm sound like the triplety, so try to subdivide them into 4 in your head.

Lord Cutt’s March

• Take a moment to look at the articulation before you start.
• Start the trills on the upper note.

Thu 22^nd June 2023

Vivaldi Concerto in D major

• We’ve written in lots of 4th fingers and open strings now – feel free to write in some more if you need them.
• Remember the C#s on the G string in the section from bar 48.
• Try the E#/F natural fingering in bar 72.
• Watch out for the notes in bars 42 and 91.
• Try 98 in 3rd position

Tico Tico

• Try starting this with an up bow, and make sure you’re not playing the second note too long.
• At A, make sure your long note is the down bow.
• Play bar 12 quite a lot, then bars 11 and 12 quite a lot. The main thing is getting down to the G string without delay.
• Practise bars 32 and 33 very slowly to try and get used to the half position fingering. HOWEVER, if you find it’s not working, just try to do the fingering I’ve suggested in bar 33.
• Practise bar 41 quite a bit, as the pattern is different in this bar.

Mon 29^th May 2023

Grade 3 scales

• Try to keep the pulse steady throughout your scales.
• Try to decide before you start each scale whether you’ll do open strings or 4th fingers.
• Be really careful of your tuning on the last few notes on all the scales.
• In the chromatic scale, remember that you need 4th fingers and open strings, and that you can check your 3rd finger tuning on both strings with the open strings below.

Fantastic Beasts

• See if you can find the app MobileSheets on your tablet – then you’ll be able to put fingerings in.
• Try to start this in 2nd position. You’ll move to 1st position in bar 21.
• Tackle any really tricky fast bits slowly and then in small chunk and different rhythms, the way I showed you in the lesson.

Tue 16^th May 2023

Grade 3 scales

• 1 octave scales and arpeggios of Ab major, E flat major and E major.
• 2 octave scales and arpeggios of B flat and D majors.
• 2 octave scales and arpeggios of A and D minors (harmonic or melodic).
• 1 octave chromatic scale starting on D (we can learn this next lesson together if you’re not sure).

Abba

• In bar 2, it’s easier to tell yourself which note you’re not playing – it’s just a 5 note scale missing out the G.
• Remember the 3 types of “slur”: slur (different notes), tie (same notes – don’t repeat or pull the bow), and a bowing (different or same notes with dots, like bar 34).
• Practise from 32 and try to keep the pulse by looking ahead as you play so the pulse isn’t disturbed. In bar 34, try to make the two up bows sound the same as separate bows.
• At bar 40, use your knowledge of the melody help your bow with the rhythm even though the notes are harmony.
• Practise trying 86-93 inclusive in 3rd position. Try to think of the rhythm of the tune to help you here.
• Practise 105 slowly, using 3rd position for the first 3 beats. Speed it up once you feel comfortable.

Tue 2^nd May 2023

Grade 2 scales

Try to keep the speed comfortable to make room for thinking about the tuning.

Try to learn the scales with even notes, rather than lengthening the key notes, and slurring in pairs.

• C major scale and arpeggio 1 octave – 3rd position if you’d like.
• F major scale and arpeggio 1 octave – 2nd position (starting 1st finger on the D string).
• G melodic minor scale and arpeggio 1 octave – low 3rd note, high 6th and 7th notes on the way up, then as you put your finger on for the top note, move the 6th and 7th notes down a semitone.
• D melodic minor scale and arpeggio 1 octave – just like G minor.
• G major scale and arpeggio, 2 octaves starting on open G.
• A major scale and arpeggio, 2 octaves.
• B flat major scale and arpeggio, 2 octaves (using 4th fingers on every string).

Stringbuilder book 3

• Keep practising from the 2nd bar of the 2nd line in ex. 86.
• Keep practising 87, remembering that we find a harmonic where our hand meets the shoulder of the violin. Keep the bow strong throughout.
• 88 – use your open G to help check your starting note. Listen really carefully to the tuning of the A and B in the first bar too. Whenever you have an A after a harmonic, careful not to shift down too low.
• 89 – keep the bow nice and smooth on the slurs. Try to keep your left thumb opposite your 1st finger which will help with consistent tuning.

Tue 18^th April 2023

Scales

Learn these Grade 1 scales for next lesson, both separate bows and slurring in pairs.

• D major scale and arpeggio, 1 octave starting on open D.
• A major scale and arpeggio, 1 octave starting on open D.
• G major scale and arpeggio, 2 octaves starting on open G.
• E minor scale and arpeggio, 1 octave starting 1st finger on the D string (this is a “natural minor” scale, not harmonic or melodic, so do exactly what the key signature suggests, ie. F# only and all other notes are natural).

My Song is Love Unknown

• Practise this using the paper I gave you, imagining you are singing it to help with the phrasing.

Stringbuilder book 3

• Turn ahead to exercise 86 to practise some 3rd position notes.
• Practise 87 too, aiming to mirror the smooth motion of your bow arm in your shifting hand.

When practising your orchestra music at home, focus a bit more on bowing as this will often help the rhythms to come more naturally.

Tue 14^th March 2023

Warm up with a 2 octave D major scale, shifting to 3rd position on the a string for the second octave. Try the arpeggio too.

Stringbuilder book 3

• 28: When shifting, make sure you’re always thinking about the tone and a half distance.
• 28: in the E string version, try to move your 1st finger as you place your 2nd finger to avoid any panic movements.
• 28: as you shift, make sure your left thumb isn’t gripping.
• 29: stop and think about the rhythm before you start. When you start playing it, make sure you start with an up bow.
• 30: have a look at the dynamics before you start.
• 30: watch out for the tuning of the B and the dotted crotchet rhythm as you shift back down.
• Start looking at p.11.

Tue 21^st February 2023

Ruslan and Ludmilla

• Experiment in bars 3 and 7 with whether an open string or 4th finger feels better on the 3rd note.
• Try to identify patterns in the semiquaver runs

Rhosymedre

• Count yourself in with “1& 2& 3& 4& 1” Make sure the slurring is right in bar 5 – the tied G is slurred to the A.
• Save bow on the dotted semibreve in bar 7.

Tue 31^st January 2023

Sit down with a cuppa and a scrap piece of A4 paper and see if you can recreate the major keys in the circle of fifths.

Ruslan and Ludmilla

• Warm up with D major 2 octaves. Make sure your bowing is confident and you stick to a relaxed tempo.
• In bars 1&2, 5&6 make sure the last crotchet isn’t a double stop.
• Bow a little closer to the bridge to avoid catching the corner of your violin.
• When you have chromatic notes, like at the end of line 3 and the start of line 4, try to slide your fingers instead of lifting and replacing.

Fri 6^th January 2023

Stringbuilder 2

• Add to ex. 109 by adding a 1st position version (like bars 1&2) at the start of each section.
• In ex. 110, listen out to make sure you aren’t tickling any next-door strings, especially in line 1.
• In 111, try to clear the open string right from the start of bar, 2, 6 and 10. Count 2 beats on all minims.
• In 113, full-length on your minims and try to keep he tuning constant throughout each line.
• 115 – keep playing this for fluency.
• 117 – make sure the 4th finger is close enough to the 3rd on both lines.
• 118 – The tone between your 3rd and 4th fingers will feel incredibly small – why not use your tuner app to double check the tuning?
• 119 – try not to disturb the flow with the pizzicati. Use this one to work on dynamics and again keeping the bow just on the string you’re playing on.
• 120 – work on the bowing and up the speed.

Stringbuilder book 3

28.

• Make sure the acciaccaturas don’t disturb the rhythm and flow of the crotchets. This will probably mean having to play the crotchets after the grace notes a little longer than you naturally do.

29.

• Count yourself in with “1 2 3 1 2”.
• Play just the first phrase (up to the first comma) in 1st position to familiarise yourself with the rhythm.
• Once that feel secure, try the whole piece as written.

Feel free to start looking at no. 31 and beyond, always listening for the things mentioned in the points above.

Mon 28^th November 2022

Artful Dodger

• Challenge yourself to memorise the trickiest bits.
• Use memorisation to help put triggers in place too – for example, if you know there is a shift coming up, choose a place a few bars before where you will practice from, and try to link those previous bars with the thought of “I need to be ready for what’s coming up next!”.

Tue 8^th November 2022

The Empire Strikes Back

• Keep the bow nice and light on line 2 and use more bow in the 4th bar.
• Work in tiny sections, then work on the links beween sections like we did in the lesson. Take the time to look at the notes before you play them, and keep looking ahead so you’re ready for what’s coming up.

Fri 2^nd September 2022

• In the shifting warm-ups, keep your left hand fingers light whilst keeping your bow strong.
• Always listen for the tuning of the last note in your shifting bar.
• Always think about the distance you are shifting.

22.

• Count yourself in to make sure you’re not making the 2nd and 3rd notes into quavers.
• Keep an eye out for the left hand pizzicato!

23. (and 25. and 27.)

• Start by focusing on the tuning.
• Download a free metrnome app to help you with the 5/4 time signature.

24.

• Listen out to make sure all your Cs are low enough.

26. Travelling

• Before you play this piece, practise an F major scale with crotchet two quavers on each note. Then practise any groups of 4 quavers that have the first two notes slurred.

Ups and Downs

• Be strict on your tuning at the start – shifting 2 tones in bar 1 and a tone and a half in bar 2.

Mon 4^th July 2022

In all your exercises, look for dynamics.

110. Keep playing this for the p dynamics, fluency and smooth bow changes.

112. Play a G major scale beforee startimg, then listen really carefully when you reach open string to see if the tuning matches.

114. On the first line, notice that we shift every bar. When you’re in 1st position, listen for the tuning of the 1st finger. It tended to be a bit high.

115. Aim low with your C natural at the start, then try to remember the tuning of the last note of bar 1 to match with the last note of bar 2. Then listen really carefully to match the 3rd position E to the open E, bars 4-5.

Book 3

22. Have a good think about the beat before you start. Keep your bow light all through the verse (you might need to remind yourself every few bars!), then make the contrast at the start of the chorus, staying strong until the end.

23. Stay on the D string for the first 4 bars. Practise doing the shifts really slowly so you can really hear when you’ve got the equivalent open string ringing.

Tue 14^th June 2022

Stringbuilder 2 p. 30

• In ex. 110, keep the bow nice and light.
• In ex. 113, listen out for your 1st position tuning matching your 3rd position tuning.
• In ex. 114, look through the piece before you play play it to see when you need to shift. Try not to disturb the pulse of the melody as you shift, and remember that the first bar only has one dotted crotchet.
• In ex. 115, place your first note so that it is clear of the E string. You can then keep your 2nd and 3rd finger on as you play the open string. Keep your both as smooth as possible on the slurs.

Stringbuilder 3 p. 8

• In ex. 21, keep your thumb as relaxed as possible. Try to make your shift down just as slidy as your shift up – careful not to just leapfrog back down instead.
• In ex. 22, keep the crotchets evenly paced in the first 2 bars. See how you get on with looking ahead now that we’ve coloured in the 3rd position sections.

Tue 26^th Apr 2022

Stringbuilder 2 p. 20

• Warm up with a 2 octave D major scale with minims on all the Ds and slurred crotchets. Keep the bow smooth as you play the slurs, as if your bow is playing minims all the time.
• Work on any of the pieces on this page, but count yourself in with two bars before each piece, especially when you are in 3.

Stringbuilder 2 p. 30

• Even when you are playing exercises and studies here, try to keep the bow sustained and the rhythms exact.
• Play the exercise at the start of p. 8 in Stringbuilder 3 as a cmpanion exercises, making sure to slide very slowly and with a light finger so you can hear when you’re approaching your destination.

Whistle Down the Wind

• Start from the upbeat to bar 43 and work to the end of the page taking things apart and practising the shifts like in the Stringbuilder exercises.

Sun 27^th Feb 2022

When playing your warm-up scales, try to think about your left thumb position. This will feel alien at first, but the more you try it the more natural it will become.

Stringbuilder 59

• Watch out for left hand pizzicato symbols (+) and aim for the tempo not to be disturbed by these.
• Aim for a really smooth bow on slurred crotchets.
• Keep listening for the tuning.

Stringbuilder 61

• Warm up with F major in 2nd position.
• Aim for no hesitations on this, especially when changing to your 4th finger.
• Watch out for smooth up bow slurs.

Mrs McLeod

• Check the tuning of your 2nd note before you start. If it’s in tune, the A string should ring too.
• Keep pushing yourself to go that little bit faster, looking ahead so your know what’s coming and using less bow.
• From the second secont (letter A), listen for the tuning of your 1st fingers if you’ve had a 4th finger recently.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

• Practice the lower line of the piano right hand.

Don’t Cry For Me Argentina

• Be a little stricter on your rhythms.
• If you ever feel the bowing is awkward, see if you could have started in a better part of your bow at the previous rest.

Mon 14^th Feb 2022

Some warm-up exercises for you:

When tuning your violin, try keeping your bow as calm and smooth as you can. This is helpful both for the tuner and your ears!

In your scale warm-up, watch in the mirror for a straight bow. This is easiest to see if you stand with your bridge at a right-angle to the mirror.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

• In the second half, play the first 4 notes using open A to hear the tuning, then try with your 4th finger.
• Just slightly smoother with the bow – string the notes together as you would the words if you were singing it.

In Heavenly Honour

• Any upbeat quavers will work better on up bows.
• Make sure the up beats aren’t longer than the other quavers.
• Be careful which notes you are playing longer than others in the verse.

Scottish Tunes

• Using a slightly lighter bow and looser arm, up the tempo slightly on these. Channel your inner fiddler!
• In Mrs McLeod, listen out for tuning as this went a little sharp.

Stringbuilder 59

• This is great exercise for reliable in-tune fingers.
• Try to keep all your slurs really smooth.
• In any bars like bar 1 with repeated alternating notes, be listening really closely for tuning.

Mon 1^st Feb 2022

Whistle Down the Wind

• Keep practising the C major scale, noticing the spacing between the fingers whilst listening really carefully for your tuning. Keep this steady.
• Use the 2nd joint of your index finger to find the nut at the end of your fingerboard to help get your 1st position really secure.
• Remember that 15 starts one note lower than 13.
• Keep your 2nd fingers nice and low in 1st position for F and C naturals.
• Be really picky about playing quaver upbeats nice and short.

Scottish tunes

• How smooth can you make your slurs?
• For the double stops, make sure your bow is lying across both strings before playing.

Mon 17^th Jan 2022

Whistle Down the Wind

• Warm up with C Major in 2nd position. Think about where the tones and semitones are to help you.
• Have a go at the arpeggio too.
• Keep an eye out for fingering suggestions.
• Make sure your dotted rhythms are nice and neat.
• Feel free to look past the key change, but you’re also welcome to leave this for us to look at together next lesson!

All Things Bright and Beautiful

• Warm up with a D major scale in 3rd position.
• Listen out for whether you are cleanly on the right string with your bow. Think about your right elbow levels when focusing on this.