Welcome to the Violin and Viola Studio of Angela Schauer!
Music binder
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 by Angela Schauer | Uncategorized
This is a great music binder that one of my students brought to their lesson today. I hate sheet protectors for music because it's difficult to take the music out to make appropriate markings, but this binder solves that issue. This also lessens glare from lights. Please consider getting one of these for your orchestra student.
Online metronome and tuning page
Friday, January 20, 2023 by Angela Schauer | Uncategorized
For those of you who have misplaced your metronome, here is a useful online option from the Violin Lounge:
For those of you who need to tune up your instrument, here is another useful option from the Violin Lounge:
https://violinlounge.com/free-online-violin-tuner-with-mic-and-tuning-notes/
Build a bow hand
Monday, April 4, 2022 by Angela Schauer | Uncategorized
Here is how I build a bow hand. This is a Franco-Belgian style hold, popularized in the U.S. by famous pedagogue Ivan Galamian. If you watch a lot of videos of violinists past and present, you will notice some bow holds look more angular with a straighter pinky. That type of bow hold is called the Russian bow hold. The Franco-Belgian hold is what I teach, because it is what I learned. Key characteristics of the Franco-Belgian bow hold are flattened knuckles and a curved pinky. The amount of space between the pinky and ring fingers, and the middle and index fingers will largely depend on individual hand size and shape. 
The first step is to always have the stick of the bow supported - either with your left hand or the strings of the violin. If you don't support it, your pinky will get stuck holding all the weight. Hold the bow vertically (tip towards the ceiling) if you want to hold the bow with just the right hand.
I start with a curved thumb placed at the bottom of the wrap, careful not to place it thumb in the cut-out part of the frog. The tip of the thumb, not the pad, should be touching the stick.
Next, I round my middle finger over the stick and across from the nail of the thumb. My ring finger is placed next to the middle finger, with the pad of my finger touching the frog.
My index finger is placed next, landing on the bow between the top two joints and with a little from the middle finger.
Lastly, I place my pinky on its tip while maintaining an arched shape. The pinky touches the bow just on the side/corner just before the flat top of the bow.
From the side.
Paired with the violin.
Another way to practice building your bow hand is with a pencil. Regular yellow octagonal pencils work best.
