Violin Violin: Foundation Level Performance Exam Requirements Duration of examination: 10 minutes ►Scales and Arpeggios (Memory Highly Recommended) One scale: One-octave D or A major scale, starting on open string Metronome: quarter note = 60–69 Bowing for scales: Separate quarter notes using half or whole bows No arpeggios required ►Etudes and/or Pieces (Memory Highly Recommended) Two pieces of at least eight measures showing the use of two or more strings and fingers ►Sight-reading None Recommended Goals for the Foundation Level Good posture Good left hand position Good bow hold Good intonation Correct rhythm Use of half bows or whole bows Meters 2/4 and 4/4 Violin Repertoire: Foundation Aligned and Additional Repertoire for Study and Exams Pieces designated “NS” do not currently appear in the ASTA String Syllabus Scale Books String Title (Publisher) Syllabus 1 Herfurth: A Tune a Day, A Beginning Scale Book- Bk. 1 NS Whistler/Hummel: Elementary Scales and Bowings Etudes and Pieces String Title (Publisher) Syllabus 1 Anderson/Frost: All for Strings, Bk. 1 1 Applebaum: String Builder, Bk. 1, Nos. 1-88 1 Avsharian: Mississippi Hot Dog Lonely Hamburger Band 1 Avsharian: Songs for Little Players, Bk. 2 1 Doflein: The Dolflein Method, Vol. 1 1 Duncan: Easy Solos for Beginning Violin 1 Fletcher, New Tunes for Strings, Bk. 1 NS Frost/Fischbach: Artistry in Strings, Bk. 2 1 Keyser: Violin Playtime, Bk. 1 1 Muller/Rusch/Fink: Quick Steps to Note Reading, Vols. 1 & 2 NS Sassmannshaus Violin: Vol. 1 (Bärenreiter) 1 Suzuki: Violin School, Vol 1, Nos. 1-9 Alt. 1 Wicklund, Brian American Fiddle Method, Vol. 1 Alt.2 Dabczynski, Andrew & Bob Phillips (arr) basic tunes Note: Teachers may choose any other works of comparable literature Scales Violin: Level 1 Performance Exam Requirements Duration of examination: 10 minutes ►Scales and Arpeggios (Memory Highly Recommended) Play one from each category: ● One-octave major scale and tonic arpeggio in D or A, starting on open string ● Two-octave major scale and tonic arpeggio in G Metronome: quarter note = 60–69 Bowing for scales: Separate quarter notes or two eighths slurred Bowing for arpeggios: Separate quarter notes. Use half or whole bows on all. ►Etudes and/or Pieces (Memory highly recommended) Two total, showing different skills At least one of the two must have 16 or more measures without repeats. At least one should show low second finger. ►Sight-reading None Recommended Goals for Level 1 Good posture Good left hand position Good bow hold Good intonation and clear tone Correct rhythm Use of four fingers and four strings Use of low second finger Bowings: half or whole bows, legato, détaché, staccato Awareness of bow division Meters: 4/4, 3/4, 2/4 Violin Repertoire: Level 1 Aligned and Additional Repertoire for Study and Exams Pieces designated “NS” do not currently appear in the ASTA String Syllabus Scale Books String Title (Publisher) Syllabus 1-2 Anderson: Essentials for Strings (Kjos), 1-octave scales and arpeggios 1 Herfurth: A Tune a Day, A Beginning Scale Book, Bk. 1 NS Whistler/Hummel: Elementary Scales and Bowings Etudes and Pieces (continued on next page) String Title (Publisher) Syllabus NS Applebaum: First Solos from the Classics 1 Applebaum: Building Technique with Beautiful Music, Bk. 1 NS Avsharian: Fun with the Basics 1 Avsharian: Songs for Little Players, Bk. 2 NS Avsharian: More Songs for Little Players 1 Doflein: The Doflein Method, Vol. 1 1 Duncan: Easy Solos for Beginning Violin NS Duncan: Solo Pieces for the Beginning Violinist 1 Frost/Fischbach: Artistry in Strings, Bk. 2 1 Keyser: Violin Playtime, Bks. 2 and 3, selections Alt. 1 O'Connor: Method, Bk. 1 NS Pracht: Album of Easy Pieces, op. 12 (Boston) NS Rolland/Fletcher: First Perpetual Motion (Boosey and Hawkes) NS Rose: Fiddlers 10 (Novello) NS Sassmanshaus: Vol. 2, pp. 5-36 (Bärenreiter) Violin Repertoire: Level 1 (continued) Etudes and Pieces (continued on next page) 1 Suzuki: Violin School, Vol. 1, Nos. 10-13, 15, 16 (Summy-Birchard) Alt. 2 Dabczynski, Andy & Bob Phillips, (arr.), Fiddler's Philharmonic Basic Old Time (violin), advanced tunes Alt. 2 Dabczynski, Andy & Bob Phillips, (arr.), Fiddler's Philharmonic (violin) Cripple Creek - Old Joe Clark Alt. 2 Dabczynski, Andy & Bob Phillips, (arr), Fiddler's Philharmonic Encore, (violin) Mari's Wedding - Finnegan's Wake Alt. 2 Fitzhugh Perry, Geoffrey, Fiddle Jam, A Way-Cool Easy Way to Learn to Improvise, Violin Note: Teachers may choose any other works of comparable literature. Suggested Teaching Materials not appropriate for use at the exam Avsharian: Fun with Rhythm (Shar) Ayola: Winning Rhythms (Kjos) Croft: Violin Theory for Beginners, Bk. 1 (Southern) Fletcher: New Tunes for Strings, Bk. 1, selections (Schott) Muller, Rusch, Fink: Quick Steps to Note Reading, Bks. 1 and 2 O'Reilly: Fiddle Magic, selections (Kjos) O'Reilly: Fiddle Rhythms (Kjos) Scales and Arpeggios Violin: Level 2 Performance Exam Requirements Duration of examination: 10 minutes ►Scales and Arpeggios (Memory Highly Recommended) Play one from each category: ● One-octave major scale and tonic arpeggio in Bb (lower octave) or F ● Two-octave major scale and tonic arpeggio in G, A, or C ● One-octave melodic minor scale and tonic arpeggio in D Metronome: quarter note = 60–69 Bowing for scales: Two eighths slurred Bowing for arpeggios: Separate quarter notes Use whole bows for all. ►Etude (Memory not required) One (a second short piece may be substituted) ►Pieces (Memory Highly Recommended) One piece at least one page long, or two shorter pieces ►Sight-reading Sight-reading is currently only part of the In Person exam. Two-octave range; G, D, or A Major High second finger Meters: 4/4, 2/4 Note values: half, quarter, eighth, quarter rests Separate bows Recommended Goals for Level 2 Good posture Good left hand position Good bow hold Good intonation Clear tone Correct rhythm Use of four fingers and four strings Bowings: half or whole bows, détaché, staccato and legato Use of bow division Meters: 4/4, 3/4, 2/4 Simple dynamic contrast Violin Repertoire: Level 2 Aligned and Additional Repertoire for Study and Exams Pieces designated “NS” do not currently appear in the ASTA String Syllabus Scale Books String Title (Publisher) Syllabus 1-2 Anderson: Essentials for Strings (Kjos), 1 & 2 octave scales and arpeggios 3 Brown: Two Octave Scales and Bowings for the Violin (Ludwig) NS Flor: Scales for the Violin (Boston Music) NS Herfurth: A Tune a Day String Method, Violin, Bk. 2 (Boston Music) 2 Hrimaly: Scale Studies (Schirmer) Etudes and Technical Studies String Title (Publisher) Syllabus 2 Applebaum: Building Technic with Beautiful Music, Bk. 2 (Belwin) 1 Cohen: Superstudies, Bk. 1 (Farr) 2 Cohen: Technique Takes Off! (Faber) 2 Doflein: The Doflein Method, Vol. 2 (Schott) 2 Wohlfahrt: Studies, op. 45, Nos. 1-30 (Schirmer) 2 Wohlfahrt/Aiqouni: Foundation Studies, Bk. 1 (Fischer) Pieces (continued on next page) String Title (Publisher) Syllabus NS Applebaum: First Solos from the Classics (Schirmer) 2 Barber: Simple Folksongs (from Solos for Young Violinists, Vol. 1) (Summy- Birchard) Alt. 2 Dabczynski, Andrew & Bob Phillips, Fiddler's Philharmonic, (violin) Kesh Jig to end Violin Repertoire: Level 2 (continued) Pieces (continued) Alt. 2 Dabczynski, Andrew & Bob Phillips, Fiddler's Philharmonic Encore, (violin) Lannigan's Ball to end NS Duncan: Solo Pieces for the Beginning Violinist, Nos. 9-16 2 Elgar: Six Very Easy Pieces in First Position (Bosworth) NS Herfurth: Classical Album for Early Grade Pieces (Boston Music) NS Keyser: The Young Violinist's Repertoire, Bk. 2 (Faber) NS Kuchler: Concertino G, op. 11 (Bosworth) NS O'Connor: Method, Bk. 2 NS Sassmanshaus: Vol. 2, pp. 37-64 (Bärenreiter) NS Sassmanshaus: Vol. 3, pp. 3-6 (Bärenreiter) NS Silverman: Kid Fiddle (Mel Bay) 1 Suzuki: Violin School, Vol. 1, Nos. 14 and 17; Vol. 2 (Summy-Birchard) Note: Teachers may choose any other works of comparable literature Suggested Teaching Materials not appropriate for use in the exam Ayola: Winning Rhythms (Kjos) Croft: Violin Theory for Beginners, Bk. 1 (Southern) O'Reilly: Fiddle Magic (Kjos) Scales and Arpeggios Scales and Arpeggios (continued) Violin - Level 2, p. 2 Violin: Level 3 Performance Exam Requirements Duration of examination: 10 minutes ►Scales and Arpeggios (Memory Highly Recommended) Play one from each category: ● Two-octave major scale and tonic arpeggio in A, Bb, C, or D. Shifting or fixed position ● One-octave major scale and tonic arpeggio in Ab (lower octave), Eb, or E ● One-octave melodic minor scale and tonic arpeggio in G, D or A. Start on open string. Metronome: quarter note = 60–69 Bowing for scales: Slur two or four eighths. Use whole bows. Bowing for arpeggios: Slur two or three quarters. Use whole bows. ►Etude (Memory not required) One ►Pieces (Memory Highly Recommended) One or two, Memory Suggested. A sonata or concerto movement counts as one piece. ►Sight-reading Sight-reading is currently only part of the In Person exam. Two-octave range G, D, A, or F Major; Meters: 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 6/8; Note values: whole, half, quarter, eighth, dotted half, dotted quarter, and quarter rest; Two notes slurred. Recommended Goals for Level 3 Good posture Good left hand position Good bow hold Good intonation Clear tone Correct rhythm Bowings: détaché, staccato, martelé and legato Introducing shifting above the first position Confident use of whole bow and bow division Dynamics: crescendo and diminuendo Beginning of vibrato on longer notes Ritardando Violin Repertoire: Level 3 Aligned and Additional Repertoire for Study and Exams Pieces designated “NS” do not currently appear in the ASTA String Syllabus Scale Books String Title (Publisher) Syllabus 1-2 Anderson: Essentials for Strings (Kjos), 2-octave scales & arpeggios NS Applebaum: 20 Progressive Solos for String Instruments (Belwin) 3 Brown: Two Octave Scales and Bowings for the Violin (Ludwig) 2 Hrimaly: Scale Studies (Schirmer) NS Flor: Scales for the Violin (Boston Music) NS Wohlfahrt: Studies, op.