Beginning Orchestra 1.1.5 “What’s your secret ingredient?”

For practice instructions and helps for this lesson, go here.


How do you make practicing your instrument fun?

The recipe for fun begins with a positive, happy attitude with mixed an activity to which you bring your energy, personality, and variations. Those variations are the way you “change things” up to add variety. It’s like adding a spoonful of sugar or a pinch of spice.

One of my sisters loves to cook, and one of her secret ingredients is lemon zest. Try it next time you’re making something savory or even a dessert. One of my favorite places for lemon zest is in homemade marionberry syrup: poured over oatmeal pancakes hot off the griddle? Heaven!

There are many secret ingredients to cooking, but the things that most commonly add a special taste to a dish are salt, pepper, sugar, herbs, and spices. In music, the most important secret ingredient is a positive, pleasant attitude. That’s the easiest way to have fun! It’s NOT fun to be around someone who is complaining, negative, or critical. So “slap on a happy grin” and start looking for the good in what you and others are doing, and then see how you can add some of these fun ideas (or other ideas you come up with) to your practicing!


Fun sugar and spice ideas:

1. Name your instrument and make it your friend! “C’mon Elsa, let’s play!” 😉

2. Add movement: lift up one foot, then another while playing. March. Do “the twist.” Walk. Bend your knees. Tip toe. Bend at the waist. (When moving, just remember to be careful of your instrument, which is very expensive! It wouldn’t be very fun to have to pay a lot of money to get it repaired because you weren’t paying attention while having fun!)

3. Think of fabulous compliments to say about your practice helper. (I promise if you compliment your mom or dad, they will be so much happier while you practice together!)

4. Change the rhythm or tempo.

5. Play the assignment backwards, or start from the end of your lesson and work backwards.

6. Learn your song in another language:




Please email me YOUR fun ideas! liz@freedelicousmusic.org!