Introducing Alt Styles to Young String Students

Jen Smith
Navigating the World of Alternative Styles
Project
6/26/09

Introducing Alternative String Styles to Young String Students

The following is a list of alternative string styles and warm up techniques/artists I would introduce to my students when teaching the alternative styles. (Artist section is just an idea of artists, not all)

Fiddle
ALTERNATIVE STYLE ARTIST
Mark O’Connor
Bob Phillips
Michael Cleveland
Darol Anger
Alisdair Frasier
Natalie Haas
Brittany Haas
April Verch

WARM-UP TECHNIQUES
shuffle bowing trills
double stops/chords rolls
chop open string rolls
cuts slides
double cuts pizz. guitar style

Blues
ALTERNATIVE STYLE ARTIST
Randy Sabien
Julie Lyonn Lieberman
Matt Stedman

WARM-UP TECHNIQUES
12 Bar Blues I, IV, V chords
Blues Scales dominant chords
Slides modes
Chop swingin 8th notes
Trading 2’s solos
Trading 4’s
Study most commonly used keys – C, G, D, A, E, (B)

Jazz
ALTERNATIVE STYLE ARTIST
Randy Sabien
Christian Howes
Sara Caswell
Matt Turner
Martin Norgaard
Danny Seidenberg
Michael Fraser

WARM-UP TECHNIQUES
II, V, I progression
Slide techniques
Harmonics
Study ALL keys
solos

Rock
ALTERNATIVE STYLE ARTIST
Mark Wood
Tracy Silverman
Daryl Silberman

WARM-UP TECHNIQUES
Bo Diddley beat
Concept of 3/2
Slides (chordal as well)

Mariachi
ALTERNATIVE STYLE ARTIST
(not sure on the best bands)
Spanish language John Nieto

WARM-UP TECHNIQUES
Singing
Cultural instruments involved in this style
Pizz. guitar style (back up/bass chords)

All styles: lots of listening to original artists for each style