TN Musician Vol. 71 No. 2

velopment. More advanced students can play a phrase
or line of music taking the thumb completely off neck
of the instrument. The student soon finds a relaxed,
more natural, thumb position that releases the tension
in both the thumb and left hand.
D. MENTAL PICTURES ARE ALWAYS IMPORTANT FOR YOUNGSTERS. Try
this: pretend that you are in a swimming pool shoulder
deep in water – relax the arms. They will float to
the surface. That is how you want the arms to feel
when set up correctly. I used what I called the “Flab
Technique” for some time. Without an instrument,
I demonstrated flipping the relaxed flab on both my
forearm and upper arm and told my students that is
how you want your arms to feel – not clenched or tight.
This worked for a while until one young fourth grader
said with plaintive eyes, “But Dr. Tom, I don’t have
any flab.” You may have your own visuals – something
to do with Jell-O or perhaps with Neil Armstrong and
weightless space, but whatever story you concoct, it is
important pedagogically to give youngsters something
they can visualize.
E. STUDENTS FROM SECOND YEAR THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL can learn
a scale on one string beginning on the first finger or using
first finger alone. Or, try Au Clare de la Lune, Mary
Had A Little Lamb or some other simple linear melody
on one string and first finger only. Make sure students
keep all their fingers lined up with the string.
An educational festival for
elementary, middle, and
high school students in band,
choir, and orchestra
2019:
April 12
April 26
May 3
2020:
April 3
April 7
April 24
www.SMMFestival.com
or call:1-855-766-3008
THE ROLLAND SHUTTLE
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 35