Start Your String Programme with FREE Resources from SMT!

It’s the beginning of the school year and there is so much to do.  Did you know you can download a bunch of helpful free teaching materials at Smart Music Teacher?   Teach beginner tunes by ear.  Download a note-reading reference for violin, viola, cello and bass.  Teach a lesson on how to set up a string orchestra classroom.

Here are some SMT Member favourites:

Start Stringed Instruments Playing By Ear

It is very common for string teachers, whether they be classroom teachers or private violin, viola and cello teachers, to start their students off playing by ear.  This sets up a foundation for intonation and listening. Because playing a stringed … Read More

String Orchestra Seating Plan Lesson

The set-up of a string orchestra can be a bit bewildering to beginners. One of the first things I do in September is use this handout with my beginning students to illustrate how a string orchestra is seated.  Through this … Read More

Seating Plan Template for String Orchestra

  Time to get organized! It’s the beginning of the school year and it’s time to make up some new seating plans.  I thought I’d tweak my seating plan and share it with those of you who don’t have one, … Read More

Music Sign-Out Sheets and Music Collection

It took me a few years to streamline my system of signing out and collecting the many, many pieces of music that we go through every year.  My first few years of teaching, I didn’t even even bother signing out … Read More

Teach By Finger Pattern: Get Started With Free Finger Pattern Handouts!

Using just six finger patterns can greatly simplify how you teach violin, viola, cello and double bass and help you achieve more in less time.  I first wrote about The Six Basic Finger Patterns back when I started this blog.  Since … Read More

Teach by Finger Pattern: Free Blank Fingering Charts

When I started to teach by finger pattern, one of the first activities I had my students do was to draw the fingering charts for each of the keys they were learning.  This is a great way to give students … Read More

Hoodie-Free Zone!

Highschoolers…. They seem to live and sleep in their hoodies these days!  But they get in the way of holding the violin and viola properly. Finally, tired of reminding my violin and viola students to remove their hoodies, I made … Read More

Custom Lesson Planner for Smart Music Teachers – FREE for a limited time!

Looking for the perfect teacher planner?  Tired of agendas that don’t meet your needs as a music teacher?  Perhaps you are someone who ends up scribbling things in different notebooks or scraps of paper, or somewhere in your agenda only … Read More

Start Your String Programme with FREE Resources from SMT!

It’s the beginning of the school year and there is so much to do.  Did you know you can download a bunch of helpful free teaching materials at Smart Music Teacher?   Teach beginner tunes by ear.  Download a note-reading reference … Read More

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