Putting It All Together - Twinkle Variation A
Now we are finally putting it all together! You should already have isolated the right hand to get the proper rhythm and motion. Hopefully, you have all the fingerings worked out from this lesson. Now it is time to put it all together in Variation A. Practice along with me in this video or with a metronome to do your best to keep time. One of the most common challenges students face in learning Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Variation A is staying with the beat. As you switch strings, place fingers, hold posture, and read music all at the same time, do not be surprised if you hesitate or start and stop.
Coordinating the left and right hand is the true test of all the work we have done up to this point. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is not the most musically satisfying piece of music, but it is perhaps the most well-known tune in Western Culture. The hope is that you already know the tune well enough that there is no need to read music or spend much time memorizing the tune, that leaves more mental energy to do the difficult work of coordinating the left and right hands.
At the foundation of the Suzuki method is listening! Whether you are a using these materials with young learner still acquiring language or an adult, lots of listening will without a doubt accelerate your progress. It creates a blueprint in the mind that the hand and ear can follow. Each of us learned to understand language by listening. Listening is the natural precursor to all communication musical or otherwise. I recommend purchasing the actual Suzuki CD and an old-school CD player then having it play in the young learners room at night and in the morning. The more you listen, the faster you learn!
Pro Tip
Slow and steady wins the race! Some of you are combining for the first time the left and right hand techniques in a way that requires metronomic accuracy. If the video goes too fast at first, use YouTube’s menu to slow down the playback speed to .75 or even .5 speed. Better to be slow and steady that full tempo with stops and starts!
As you work out Twinkle Variation A, make sure that your posture is setting you up for success down the road. Here is a handy posture checklist:
- Posture – feet flat on the floor, cello between your knees, touching at your sternum, sitting straight up, shoulders relaxed, elbow out like a kickstand, straight EWP (elbow-wrist-pinkie)
- Left hand – thumb and fingers bent (making a “C”), fingers arched and contacting the string with the pad of the fingertip, thumb bent and under 2nd finger
- Bow path – bow travels straight across the string (t-bow), midway between the fingerboard and the bridge (forte-freeway)
- Bow hand – thumb slightly bent, index finger touching the stick between the first and second knuckle, hand pronated, fingers slightly apart — not overly spread or bunched together
- Keep fingers down as you play – as you ascend the string don’t lift the finger you just played when you place the new finger. As you descend place all 4 fingers and then peel off the fingers one by one.
- Check intonation – verify your intonation. Play with the video, use a tuner, watch your hand in a mirror to check that you are on the tapes. Don’t assume, verify.
HAPPY PRACTICING