If you've been following my content for awhile, hopefully by now you understand the importance of warming up at the start of your practice session. Having some sort of warm-up routine is imperative to progressing on any instrument, and will ensure that you are both physically and mentally prepared to take on more difficult material.
Let's talk about what makes up a solid warm-up routine, then take a look at my favorite warm-up exercises that take you through four different keys!
Elements Of A Good Warm-Up Routine:
Scale
What it is: A scale is a sequence of notes that ascend in order by pitch.
Why it is important: Scales allow us to familiarize ourselves with a particular key, by playing a series of notes in order. They help us to learn finger patterns we may come across in pieces of music.
Arpeggio
What it is: An outline of a chord, in which the root, third, and fifth are played individually and in ascending order. In scalar terms, the first, third, and fifth scale degrees are the notes present, omitting every other scale degree.
Why it is important: Arpeggios allow us to dive deeper into the study of keys, by presenting an alternative finger pattern that is exceedingly common in music. By omitting certain scale degrees, they allow us to practice "skips" or "leaps", and help with training the ear. Learn more by watching this video.
Broken Thirds
What it is: A sequence of notes presented in an ascending arpeggio pattern that include every note of a scale.
Why it is important: Broken thirds, like scales and arpeggios, help us to earn specific finger patterns that are integral to the study of keys. Because they are slightly more challenging that scales and arpeggios, they also help violinists to improve string crossings and ear training ability.
Now that you know what creates a great warm-up routine, take a look at the exercises below that will allow you to practice and get acquainted with some of the most common key signatures for violinists/fiddle players - C, G, D, and A!
Download the PDF file below:
....AND if you're interested in learning more about arpeggios and why they are an essential component of your warm-up routine, watch this video!
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