Loreta Fin, Mousey At The Door & Wombat Waltz - Grade 1

Mousey at the Door - Every teacher knows the dangers of pizzicato and the need to train the internal metronome to resist the temptation to rush. This very simple piece is pizzicato throughout. It begins in unison, so anyone who comes in early after the rests or knocks will be “caught out”! Ask the students to say “Don’t rush” or “Not fast” in the two beats that the mousey “knocks”. They only get one chance each time the mouse squeaks, so it must be together! The second and third times through, harmonic and rhythmic variations are added, but the knocks and squeaks remain the same. Wombat Waltz -The ensemble should be encouraged to use whole bows for each note, regardless of whether it is a dotted minim, a minim or a crotchet. Therefore, the students need to “plan” their bow speed, so that it moves faster for the crotchets and slower for the longer notes. Care should be taken not to rush the tempo in the pizzicati. The rhythms are often the same between sections of the orchestra and the harmonies are quite easy. The speed should resemble a big cuddly, waddling wombat going for a walk.