LESSON SIX
The Lead-In
Sometimes a song does not begin on the first beat of the bar. Any notes which come before the first full bar are called lead-in or pick-up notes. When lead-in notes are used, the last bar is also incomplete. The notes in the lead-in and the notes in the last bar add up to one full bar.
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16 | When the Saints go Marchin’ in |
Staccato
A dot above or below a note indicates that the note is to be played staccato, which means short and separate from other notes. To play a note staccato, stop your bow stroke as soon as the note has sounded.
To gain control of the way you play notes, it is a good idea to practice alternating between ordinary (tenuto) notes and staccato notes.
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17 |
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18 | The Cuckoo |
This children’s song contains staccato notes and begins with one lead-in note. Remember to alternate your bow strokes even if there are rests between two notes. This will help you build a confident bowing technique.
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19 | The Mexican Hat Dance |
This piece contains many staccato notes. The waltz is a traditional European dance in ^ time which has always been popular in Austria. The violin often leads the orchestra when playing a waltz. There are many famous waltzes written by great classical composers such as Beethoven, Mahler, Schubert and Chopin.
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20 | Austrian Waltz |
