At the Critter Hop (viola and piano) level 0.5

Title: At the Critter Hop

Composer: traditional children’s game songs, arr. David Gable

Instrumentation: Viola and Piano

May be performed with the violin and cello versions.

Printout: 2 pages

Note: Children enjoy the way the piano accompaniment for this medley imitates the hopping and scurrying of rabbits and squirrels. Imagining Old Squirrel hopping from branch to branch helps students remember the technique of recovery bow lifts. This is an excellent selection for beginning players and readers. Audio sample gives beginning of both tunes.

Skills: A Major; 2/4 time; double up bows; bow recovery lifts; familiar rhythm patterns; uses only two fingers (1 and 2) throughout; mostly on A string. Difficulty approximately equivalent to the early pieces in Suzuki Vol. 1.