Student Info Page
Student Information: The  winter schedule is posted below






















          Links
to Favorite Sites
Need an online tuner for your violin/fiddle?
click here: http://www.get-tuned.com/violin_tuner.php

How about an online Metronome?  Here are 2 choices:
www.metronomeonline.com/flash/metronome.swf

www.thecellosite.com/online_metronome.html
Old Time Fiddle Tunes - These are some of my favorites written out and played
Digital Library of Appalachia - Amazing authentic recordings of Appalachian Fiddlers playing all sorts of archaic AND commonly known tunes
Hetzler's Fake Book - great list of tunes in the keys they are most commonly played
Hill Country Tunes by Sam Bayard - lots of sheet music of Appalchian tunes collected in Southwestern Pennsylvania
Studio Children's Recital Feb. 2010
Jim Wood announcing
Pop Wagner, fiddler
at a house concert that followed fiddling workshops
Carp Celtic Slow Jam Tune Book -
hundreds of great Celtic tunes to download

Pegramjam.com - a site with free guitar chords for many of your favorite fiddle tunes, over 60 pages of tunes
Fall/winter 2009/10 Studio Schedule
MonTueWedThursFri

2:30 –3:15      2 - 2:45    X     2 - 2:45       Possible
open  open Erin             floating
   lessons
3:15 - 4:15     3:00 - 3:45        x     3pm - 3:45          Scheduled
Renee      Ted    open          on a
                                                                                                            week to
4:30 - 5:004 - 5:15     x     4 -4:45                week
Hanila       Temp    open          basis    
                                                  
5-5:45     availablex     5 - 5:45                   4 - 5:15    Ashlynn                                                                 Leila     Hannah
                5:15 - 6:15        6:30 - 8:30                                             &
6 - 6:45         Zachary       Metro class   6:15 - 7                    Grace
Pat                                                                        John K
                6:15 - 7                                     
7 - 7:45           Tristan                                        7 - 7:45
Peter                                                                      Henry
                        7:15 - 8                             
8 - 9                Kate                        7:45 - 8:30 
Informal                                                                  Travis W.
Drop-In                                                                    
Group  


Jessica - floating days 5pm or later

Questions or additions to this page?
Email me:  mhunke@cox.net
Gail Heil fiddle workshops - March 12th & 13th
  • intermediate/advanced  7:30pm Fri. March 12
  • beginning/intermediate   1pm Sat. March 13
  • at Mindy's Violin Studio

Group Drop In Advanced Beginner lessons Mondays at 8pm all students are welcome. 
No pre-registration/reservation necessary
(no group lessons on Wednesdays at this time)


Rivertown String Band
Playing St. Patrick's Day March 17th
American Legion Post # 1
78th & Davenport
5 - 7:30pm
there is a cover charge


Big Muddy Fiddle Club Reminder  (link)
Meeting Saturday, March 27th, 3pm at Jim Harvey's house.  email me if you need the address  Mindy



Contra Dance
Come dance or just come for the music of Rivertown String Band and Friends 3rd Saturday, every month Seymour Elementary School - Ralston  adults $7 admission, kids free

Violinmasterclass.com - a site with lots of violin tutorials for proper bowing, left hand and many other interesting topics
Metro Class Assignments

Week #1
1.  Essential Elements exercises 1 - 8
2.  Essential Elements exercises 9 - 13
3.  Ode to Joy (in handout packet)  first 4 measures
4.  Memorize the string names (G-D-A-E) Good Dogs Always Eat - and where the open D string note and open A string note are positioned on the staff

Technique
Be sure your violin is held up and in front just slightly to the left (not out to the side).  You should be able to sight down the fingerboard. 

Check your bow hold.  Your thumb should be bent and should sit betweent he frong and the wrapping on the stick (thumb doesn't stick through).  First finger is on the stick between two knuckles.  Middle two fingers relaxed over the stick.  Pinky to the inside of the top with pinky bent.

Don't smash your imaginary mice with your left hand.  Thumb and first finger sit approximately an inch from the end of the fingerboard.  Bend your fingers at both knuckles and push down on the string with the fleshy part of the finger. 

Down bow:  pull the bow from the frog towards the tip
Up bow:  push the bow from the tip towards the frog

Extra Credit
Show a co worker, family member or friend how to hold a bow using a pencil.

Clap your hands or tap your feet to the beat of songs you are playing on cd or the radio

Define pitch, tone and rhythm

Helpful Tips
If you don't like the tone you are producing, check your shoulder.  Is it moving back and forth?  If it is, make it stop!  Try to bow from your elbow, wrist and fingers.

Having a hard time getting a good bow hold?  Wave "Bye Bye" and let your hand flop, bring your bow up to your relaxed hand.