Introduction
For Parents
Welcome to Karate Strings!
As the parent of a beginning string player, you have just taken on a very important role in
your child’s musical education. Lessons can introduce new concepts and skills. They
also provide guidance in your child’s development. However, the real progress occurs
between lessons when the teacher is not present. Therefore, the better informed you are
about how and what your child should be learning, the better equipped you will be to help
him or her through the daily process of practicing. Please take a moment to read through
this introduction so that you can best support your child’s journey to success in strings.
Audiation
Before your child learned how to read and write words, he or she had to master three
levels of literacy: listening, thinking, and speaking. Music has levels of literacy which are
nearly identical: listening, audiating (‘thinking musically’), performing, reading, and
composing. All too frequently, students are asked to learn how to read notation before
they have learned how to audiate. (This is like learning how to pronounce words without
understanding their meaning or usage.)
Making matters worse, this occurs during the very onset of technical instruction on an
instrument, forcing those students to learn two instruments at once: their physical
instrument and their mental instrument. The end result is a player who decodes musical
symbols without any clear understanding of what it is they are playing. There is no
musical independence gained, and thus it is a skill with limited value.
To be musically literate, a student must develop a musical vocabulary. This does not
mean learning terms such as “allegro” or “rallantando” because those have linguistic
rather than musical meanings. In music, there are two basic vocabularies: tonal
(involving patterns of different pitches) and rhythm (involving patterns of different beat
functions). The combination of these vocabularies is what makes melody, which is where
we find all of the tunes that we love to hear and play.
Karate Strings is designed with this in mind. Your child will learn a string instrument,
but, more importantly, he or she will build his or her musical vocabularies and audiational
skills so that performing, reading, and composing can be done with comprehension.
Furthermore, your child will also learn the basics of improvising, which is to music what
“telling a story in your own words” is to language. This is what will make your child
musically literate and provide a lifetime of musical involvement and appreciation.
Using the Book and CD
This book is sequenced according to belt colors resembling those that are found in
karate. Please try to follow the instructions as attentively as possible and don’t hesitate
for a more detailed description from your child’s teacher. Additionally, there is a CD
which is to be used daily for practicing. Please be sure that your child has regular access
to a CD player so that he or she can properly learn to audiate. Your support of singing
and movement activities is especially critical to their success.
Tuning
String instruments can go out of tune often, and significantly, making practice time
anything from mildly frustrating to completely unproductive. Eventually, your child will
learn ‘what to turn’, ‘in what direction’, and ‘how much’. However, it takes time to
develop both the audiational skills and the physical coordination necessary for success.
Therefore, you will be given the opportunity to learn this early in his or her studies.
Please take advantage of this important service so that you can use the first track of the
CD to ensure that your child’s instrument is as it should be.
Practicing
To learn a musical instrument, your child should practice every day, especially on the
day of his or her lesson (to maximize retention). Also, it is better to come back to the
homework more often rather than to practice for one large block of time. Therefore,
practicing need not be done all at one time during the day. (There is no value to ‘going
through the motions’ if the attention and focus are simply not there.) Throughout the
year, your child will be trained in good practice habits that approach the idea as one of
problem solving rather than a routine of mindless repetition.
Throughout this book, you will see practice logs to be completed and brought to your
child’s next lesson. These are general templates for what should be practiced and how
much time should be spent overall each day. (Feel free to copy these logs as need for
each belt level.) The more involved you are in your child’s practicing, the more success
they will have. Therefore, you are asked to please remember to initial each log to confirm
the results. You child is always encouraged to do more than the daily practicing goal.
Belt Tests
Each belt has a ‘test’ which your child will perform for his or her teacher in order to earn
that belt color. Every student is encouraged to work at his or her own pace and test as
often or as infrequently as desired. However, it is likely that each belt will take about
four weeks of preparation prior to mastery. This will allow you and your child to estimate
overall progress. If your child is having difficulty with any of the belts, please contact his
or her teacher to schedule extra help to avoid frustration and disappointment.
White Belt
Rest Position and Playing Position
REST POSITION – Instrument is tucked under right arm just behind the
bridge. Bow is held in the right hand. For added support, the left hand
can be placed on the lower shoulder. Not shown is a nice straight
stance with feet together.
To move into playing position, the left hand needs to be on this
shoulder.
OUT – Hold the instrument away from you with your left hand. At the
same time, take a small step with your left foot out for added
balance.
UP – Rotate the instrument counter-clockwise so that it is upsidedown.
ON – Bring the instrument up and onto your shoulder and under
your chin (which is near the middle of the instrument). Your left
jaw will make contact with the chin rest.
Parts of the Instrument and Names of the Strings
The bow
The strings
The viola
Belt Song: “The Posture Song” (CD Tracks 2 & 3)
Use your left hand to point to the appropriate part while singing in playing position.
Listen to the first track. Sing the melody along with the second track.
(To the tune “Head and Shoulders”)
Scroll and shoulder, bridge and nose, bridge and nose
Scroll and shoulder, bridge and nose, bridge and nose
Pegs and strings and two F-holes
Scroll and shoulder, bridge and nose, bridge and nose
Open D String
This note is called D natural or D.
Tonal Patterns: Resting Tone Responses (CD Tracks 4 & 5)
After
1)
2)
3)
each pattern on Track 4:
Wait one click. (Use it to take a nice, deep singing breath.)
Pluck the D string.
Sing “DO” (pronounced “doh”) on that same pitch.
After
1)
2)
3)
each pattern on Track 5:
Wait one click. (Use it to take a nice, deep singing breath.)
Pluck the D string.
Sing “LA” (pronounced “lah”) on that same pitch.
Bow Hold
Hold out your right hand,
palm upward. Make sure to
keep all of your fingers and
your thumb, curved and
relaxed.
Using your left hand, place
a pencil so that it rests on
the tip of your pinky and in
the middle crease of your
pointer.
With a bow in your hand, aim your thumb for
the bottom of the ‘cut-out’ of the frog. Notice
that you still hold the stick primarily.
Rest the side of your thumb
on the pencil across from
your middle finger. Use this
to hold the pencil gently.
Turn your hand over.
When flipped over, a good viola bow hold
should look something like this. Notice how
the hand “leans” to the left into the stick.
Rhythm Patterns: Connected & Separated Styles (CD Tracks 6 & 7)
1) Make a good bow hold in your right hand.
2) Hold your bow (or pencil) vertically (up and down).
3) When asked, echo the example given using the syllable DOO (for connected style)
or TOOT (for separated style). Move your bow up and down to match what you are
chanting, keeping it straight up and down at all times.
Duple Connected
Duple Separated
Triple Connected
Triple Connected
These diagrams show:
a) The direction your hand moves (either down or up).
b) Heavy bows (thick lines) and light bows (thin lines).
c) Connected bows (“turn-around” arrows
arrows
) and separated bows (“stop sign”
).
d) Full bows (long lines) and half bows (short lines).
e) Where your hand is for half bows in triple (lower half or upper half).
For FULL bows, your hand should travel between your nose and your navel.
For HALF bows, your hand should travel between your nose and your neck (upper half) or
between your neck and your navel (lower half).
NOTE: The above diagrams do NOT show how many times total you
must move your bow during the CD patterns.
TEST FOR WHITE BELT
 Perform (sing and point) “The Posture Song” accurately and with good playing
position. Move properly between rest and playing positions.
 Perform (sing and pluck) resting tone responses on D-DO and D-LA.
 Perform (chant and bow) connected and separated vertical bowing for patterns in
duple or triple. Keep a good bow hold throughout.
Weekly Practice Log
DAY
Day
Day
Day
Day
MINUTES
Belt Song
MINUTES
Tonal Patterns
One
Two
Three
Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Parent’s Initials (confirming the above log) ______
White Belt Practice Goal = 10 minutes every day
MINUTES
Rhythm Patterns
TOTAL
MINUTES
Yellow Belt
Open A String
Open G String
This note is called A natural or A.
This note is called G natural or G.
Tonal Patterns: Echo Responses in Major (CD Track 4)
After
1)
2)
3)
each pattern:
Take one click for a nice, deep breath.
Echo the pattern as heard.
After echoing the final pattern, sing the resting tone on DO.
Rhythm Patterns: Connected & Separated Styles (CD Tracks 6 & 7)
1) Make a good bow hold in your right hand.
2) Hold your bow (or pencil) diagonally (slanted).
3) When asked, echo the example given using the syllable DOO (for connected style)
or TOOT (for separated style). Move your bow up (left) and down (right) to match
what you are chanting.
Belt Song: “Land of the Silver Birch” (CD Tracks 8 & 9)
1) After listening to the song on the first track, echo the phrases on your instrument,
using your open D, A, and G strings.
2) After listening to the song on the second track, play the whole song along with the
accompaniment (background music).
TEST FOR YELLOW BELT
 Perform (sing) echo and resting tone responses to patterns in major tonality.
 Perform (chant and bow) connected and separated diagonal bowing for patterns in
duple or triple. Keep a good bow hold throughout.
 Perform (play) “Land of the Silver Birch” accurately and with good playing position.
Move properly between rest and playing positions.
Weekly Practice Log
DAY
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
MINUTES
Tonal Patterns
MINUTES
Rhythm Patterns
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Parent’s Initials (confirming the above log) ______
Yellow Belt Practice Goal = 15 minutes every day
MINUTES
Belt Song
TOTAL
MINUTES
Orange Belt
1st Finger on the D String
3rd Finger on the D String
This note is called E natural or E.
This note is called G natural or G.
Tonal Patterns: Echo Responses in Minor (CD Track 10)
After
1)
2)
3)
each pattern:
Take one click for a nice, deep breath.
Echo the pattern as heard.
After echoing the final pattern, sing the resting tone on LA.
Rhythm Patterns: Connected & Separated Styles (CD Track 11)
1) Make a good bow hold in your right hand.
2) With your instrument, go into playing position.
3) Place your bow on the D string about halfway between the end of the fingerboard
and the bridge.
4) When asked, echo the example given using the syllable DOO (for connected style)
or TOOT (for separated style). Move your bow up (left) and down (right) on the
string to match the style of what you are chanting.
Belt Song: “Jim Along Josie” (CD Track 12 & 13)
1) After listening to the song on the first track, echo the phrases on your instrument,
using the following notes on your D string: D, E, and G.
2) After listening to the song on the second track, play the whole song along with the
accompaniment (background music).
TEST FOR ORANGE BELT
 Perform (sing) echo and resting tone responses to patterns in minor tonality.
 Perform (chant and bow) connected and separated bowing on the open D string for
patterns in duple or triple. Keep a good bow hold throughout.
 Perform (play) “Jim Along Josie” accurately and with good playing position. Move
properly between rest and playing positions.
Weekly Practice Log
DAY
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
MINUTES
Tonal Patterns
MINUTES
Rhythm Patterns
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Parent’s Initials (confirming the above log) ______
Orange Belt Practice Goal = 15 minutes every day
MINUTES
Belt Song
TOTAL
MINUTES
Green Belt
1st Finger on the A String
3rd Finger on the A String
This note is called B natural or B.
This note is called D natural or D.
Tonal Patterns: Echo Responses in Major (CD Track 14)
After
1)
2)
3)
each pattern:
Take one click for a nice, deep breath.
Echo the pattern as heard.
After echoing the final pattern, sing the resting tone on DO.
Rhythm Patterns: Bowing in Duple (CD Track 15 & 16)
1) Make a good bow hold in your right hand.
2) With your instrument, go into playing position.
3) Place your bow on the D string about halfway between the end of the fingerboard
and the bridge.
4) Echo the examples by moving your bow up (left) and down (right) on the string. You
should practice echoing in both the connected style and the separated style.
Belt Song: “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (CD Track 17 & 18)
1) After listening to the song on the first track, echo the phrases on your instrument,
using the following notes on your D string: D, E, and G; and the following notes on
your A string: A and B.
2) After listening to the song on the second track, play the whole song along with the
accompaniment (background music).
TEST FOR GREEN BELT
 Perform (sing) echo and resting tone responses with tonal syllables in major
tonality.
 Perform (chant and bow) rhythm patterns in duple meter. Keep a good bow hold
throughout.
 Perform (play) “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” accurately and with good playing
position. Move properly between rest and playing positions.
Weekly Practice Log
DAY
MINUTES
Tonal Patterns
MINUTES
Rhythm Patterns
Day One
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Parent’s Initials (confirming the above log) ______
Green Belt Practice Goal = 20 minutes every day
MINUTES
Belt Song
TOTAL
MINUTES
Purple Belt
Low 2nd Finger on the D String
High 2nd Finger on the D String
This note is called F natural or F.
This note is called F sharp or F#.
Tonal Patterns: Echo Responses in Minor (CD Track 19)
After
1)
2)
3)
each pattern:
Take one click for a nice, deep breath.
Echo the pattern as heard.
After echoing the final pattern, sing the resting tone on LA.
Rhythm Patterns: Bowing in Triple (CD Track 20 & 21)
1) Make a good bow hold in your right hand.
2) With your instrument, go into playing position.
3) Place your bow on the D string about halfway between the end of the fingerboard
and the bridge.
4) Echo the examples by moving your bow up (left) and down (right) on the string. You
should practice echoing in both the connected style and the separated style.
Belt Song: “Tumbleweeds” (CD Track 22 & 23)
1) After listening to the song on the first track, echo the phrases on your instrument,
using the following notes on your D string: D, E, F, F#, and G.
2) After listening to the song on the second track, play the whole song along with the
accompaniment (background music).
TEST FOR PURPLE BELT
 Perform (sing) echo and resting tone responses with tonal syllables in minor
tonality.
 Perform (chant and bow) rhythm patterns in triple meter. Keep a good bow hold
throughout.
 Perform (play) “Tumbleweeds” accurately and with good playing position. Move
properly between rest and playing positions.
Weekly Practice Log
DAY
MINUTES
Tonal Patterns
MINUTES
Rhythm Patterns
Day One
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Parent’s Initials (confirming the above log) ______
Purple Belt Practice Goal = 20 minutes every day
MINUTES
Belt Song
TOTAL
MINUTES
Blue Belt
Tonal Patterns: Creative Responses in Major (CD Track 4)
After
1)
2)
3)
each pattern:
Take one click for a nice, deep breath.
Create your own pattern using the syllable “bum”.
After creating the final pattern, sing the resting tone on DO.
Rhythm Patterns: Bowing in Duple (CD Track 24 & 25)
1) Make a good bow hold in your right hand.
2) With your instrument, go into playing position.
3) Place your bow on the D string about halfway between the end of the fingerboard
and the bridge.
4) Echo the examples by moving your bow up (left) and down (right) on the string. You
should practice echoing in both the connected style and the separated style.
Belt Songs: “Hot Cross Buns” & “Cold Cross Buns” (CD Track 26 & 27)
1) After listening to the song on the first track, echo the phrases on your instrument,
using the following notes on your D string: D, E, F, and F#.
2) After listening to the song on the second track, play the whole song along with the
accompaniment (background music).
TEST FOR BLUE BELT
 Perform (sing) creative and resting tone responses in major tonality.
 Perform (chant and bow) rhythm patterns in duple meter. Keep a good bow hold
throughout.
 Perform (play) “Hot Cross Buns” and “Cold Cross Buns” accurately and with good
playing position. Move properly between rest and playing positions.
Weekly Practice Log
DAY
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
MINUTES
Tonal Patterns
MINUTES
Rhythm Patterns
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Parent’s Initials (confirming the above log) ______
Blue Belt Practice Goal = 25 minutes every day
MINUTES
Belt Songs
TOTAL
MINUTES
Red Belt
Tonal Patterns: Creative Responses in Minor (CD Track 10)
After
1)
2)
3)
each pattern:
Take one click for a nice, deep breath.
Create your own pattern using the syllable “bum”.
After creating the final pattern, sing the resting tone on LA.
Rhythm Patterns: Bowing in Triple (CD Track 28 & 29)
1) Make a good bow hold in your right hand.
2) With your instrument, go into playing position.
3) Place your bow on the D string about halfway between the end of the fingerboard
and the bridge.
4) Echo the examples by moving your bow up (left) and down (right) on the string. You
should practice echoing in both the connected style and the separated style.
Belt Song: “Lightly Row” (CD Tracks 30 & 31)
1) After listening to the song on the first track, echo the phrases on your instrument,
using the following notes on your D string: D, E, F#, and G; and on your A string: A.
2) After listening to the song on the second track, play the whole song along with the
accompaniment (background music).
TEST FOR RED BELT
 Perform (sing) creative and resting tone responses in minor tonality.
 Perform (chant and bow) rhythm patterns in triple meter. Keep a good bow hold
throughout.
 Perform (play) “Lightly Row” accurately and with good playing position. Move
properly between rest and playing positions.
Weekly Practice Log
DAY
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
MINUTES
Tonal Patterns
MINUTES
Rhythm Patterns
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Parent’s Initials (confirming the above log) ______
Red Belt Practice Goal = 25 minutes every day
MINUTES
Belt Song
TOTAL
MINUTES
Brown Belt
Tonal Patterns: Improvisation Responses in Major (CD Track 14)
After
1)
2)
3)
each pattern:
Take one click for a nice, deep breath.
Improvise your own pattern using the syllable “bum”.
After improvising the final pattern, sing the resting tone on DO.
Rhythm Patterns: Bowing in Duple (CD Tracks 32 & 33)
1) Make a good bow hold in your right hand.
2) With your instrument, go into playing position.
3) Place your bow on the D string about halfway between the end of the fingerboard
and the bridge.
4) Echo the examples by moving your bow up (left) and down (right) on the string. You
should practice echoing in both the connected style and the separated style.
Belt Song: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” (CD Tracks 34 & 35)
1) After listening to the song on the first track, echo the phrases on your instrument,
using the following notes on your D string: D, E, F#, and G; and on your A string: A
and B.
2) After listening to the song on the second track, play the whole song along with the
accompaniment (background music).
TEST FOR BROWN BELT
 Perform (sing) improvisation and resting tone responses in major tonality.
 Perform (chant and bow) rhythm patterns in duple meter. Keep a good bow hold
throughout.
 Perform (play) “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” accurately and with good playing
position. Move properly between rest and playing positions.
Weekly Practice Log
DAY
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
MINUTES
Tonal Patterns
MINUTES
Rhythm Patterns
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Parent’s Initials (confirming the above log) ______
Brown Belt Practice Goal = 30 minutes every day
MINUTES
Belt Song
TOTAL
MINUTES
Black Belt
Low 2nd Finger on the A String
High 2nd Finger on the A String
This note is called C natural or C.
This note is called C sharp or C#.
Tonal Patterns: Improvisation Responses in Minor (CD Track 19)
After
1)
2)
3)
each pattern:
Take one click for a nice, deep breath.
Improvise your own pattern using the syllable “bum”.
After improvising the final pattern, sing the resting tone on DO.
Rhythm Patterns: Bowing in Triple (CD Tracks 36 & 37)
1) Make a good bow hold in your right hand.
2) With your instrument, go into playing position.
3) Place your bow on the D string about halfway between the end of the fingerboard
and the bridge.
4) Echo the examples by moving your bow up (left) and down (right) on the string. You
should practice echoing in both the connected style and the separated style.
Belt Song: “The Blue Bells of Scotland” (CD Tracks 38 & 39)
1) After listening to the song on the first track, echo the phrases on your instrument,
using the following notes on your D string: D, E, F#, and G; and on your A string: A,
B, C#, and D.
2) After listening to the song on the second track, play the whole song along with the
accompaniment (background music).
TEST FOR BLACK BELT
 Perform (sing) creative and resting tone responses in minor tonality.
 Perform (chant and bow) rhythm patterns in triple meter. Keep a good bow hold
throughout.
 Perform (play) “The Blue Bells of Scotland” accurately and with good playing
position. Move properly between rest and playing positions.
Weekly Practice Log
DAY
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
MINUTES
Tonal Patterns
MINUTES
Rhythm Patterns
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Parent’s Initials (confirming the above log) ______
Black Belt Practice Goal = 30 minutes every day
MINUTES
Belt Song
TOTAL
MINUTES