VIOLA

SOUND DEVELOPMENT
Warm-up Exercises for Tone and Technique
ADVANCED STRING ORCHESTRA

Bob PHILLIPS | Kirk MOSS

Sound Innovations: Sound Development continues the emphasis on playing with a characteristic beautiful sound.
What goes into producing this sound is broken into four levels, consistent with the revolutionary Sound Innovations
structure: (1) Sound Tone; (2) Sound Bowings; (3) Sound Shifting; and (4) Sound Scales and Arpeggios. The
levels can be used in the order that is best for your development, whether that means as individual warm-ups or as
structured units. Video demonstrations of key skills are indicated by and can be viewed at
alfred.com/SoundDevelopmentVideo.

Level 1: Sound Tone

More than just scales and arpeggios, this method builds sequences upon some of the most important variables of sound:
bowing lanes, bow weight, and bow speed. Detailed refinement of these concepts includes advanced exercises, excerpts, and
chorales.

Level 2: Sound Bowings

A string player’s right-hand technique is often called his or her voice. Refinement of martelé, collé, spiccato, hooked bowing,
portato, ricochet and the col legno stroke is developed in exercises and excerpts. Double stops and chords are sequentially
presented. Level 2 can be studied sequentially or as repertoire requires.

Level 3: Sound Shifting

Shifting technique is expanded using finger patterns. This level contains an extremely thorough unison presentation of 1st
through 7th positions for all instruments, making it easy to teach and learn shifting in a heterogeneous class as well as a private
studio. Thumb position, tenor clef, treble clef, and 8va are all introduced.

Level 4: Sound Scales and Arpeggios

Three-octave scales, arpeggios, and broken thirds are presented in all keys. The innovative format is flexible, allowing each
section or player to play one, two, or three octaves while the ensemble plays the same or different octaves. Fingerings are
idiomatic and carefully marked for each instrument.

© 2013 Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc.

Sound Innovations™ is a trademark of Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc.
All Rights Reserved including Public Performance
ISBN-10: 0-7390-9701-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-7390-9701-4
Instrument photos courtesy of Yamaha Corporation of America Band & Orchestral Division
 2

Level 1: Sound Tone

Bowing Lanes
Mezzo Piano Lane Piano Lane
A BOWING LANE is the area between the
Pianissimo Lane
fingerboard and bridge where the bow is placed: C
G
D
View video (Bowing Lanes) at A

alfred.com/SoundDevelopmentVideo
Mezzo Forte Lane
Fortissimo Lane Forte Lane

1 CHANGING BOWING LANES—Move your bow to the new bowing lane during each dynamic change.

≥œ œ ˙ œ≤ œ ˙ ≥˙ œ œ œ≤ œ œ œ ˙ ˙. ≥œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
,
4
B4 Œ Œ
F P f p ƒ pp

2 CHANGING BOWING LANES IN ONE BOW—Move your bow through all six bowing lanes in one bow. Challenge: Go back and

w≤ w w≥ w
play this exercise starting down bow.

B 44
pp ƒ p

3 THE DEATH OF ÅSE—Practice playing in all six bowing lanes. Challenge: Have a friend watch your bow to check all of the lane changes.

≥ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. ‰ ≤ œ ˙
Andante doloroso

B 4œ œ ˙
# ˙ œ œ ˙
Edvard Grieg
4
4 œ œ œ
p P pp
≥ # ˙ # ˙ >œ # >œ > >œ >œ >4 >o
# œ œ œ œ œ #œ ˙
4 4 ,
œ œ œ œ œ #œ ˙ Œ
B Œ
F f F f ƒ
4 SUL TASTO: SYMPHONY NO. 8—Sul tasto indicates to play over the fingerboard. Place your bow over the end of the fingerboard and
use a very-light bow weight with a very-fast bow speed in the upper third of the bow. Listen for an airy, flute-like, sound.
Allegro moderato

≥œ œ # œ œ œœ n œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ # œ œ œœ n œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ # œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ .
Franz Schubert
sul tasto
# 3
B #4 œœ œœ
pp

5 SUL PONTICELLO: SYMPHONY NO. 97—Sul ponticello indicates to play as close to the bridge as possible. Place your bow near
the bridge and listen for a bright, metallic sound.
Adagio ma non troppo

≥ œ œ œ œ œ œ N˙
œ œ œ œ # œ
Joseph Haydn
sul ponticello

B b 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœœ
4 4
Ó
f
 13

Level 3: Sound Shifting

Tenor Clef, Treble Clef, 8va and Thumb Position
Check your fingering chart for the new finger placements.

œ œ œ œ
TREBLE CLEF is often used as pitches get higher to reduce the number of ledger lines needed. The same F Major

œ œ œ œ
[P13
scale graphic]
œ œ œ œ
is notated in both clefs.

B b 44 œ œ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œB œ œ
F G A Bb C D E F F G A Bb C D E F F G A Bb C D E F

Viola Left-Hand Patterns

23 12 3 2 3 2
1 1 1 3
4 4 4 4

Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 Pattern 4

55 THUMB POSITION—Cellos and basses practice placing the thumb to play in thumb position. Violins practice playing 8va while violas
practice playing in treble clef.

≥
2
4 ˙ ˙3 ˙ ˙
o
b ˙
3
˙
1 2
& 4˙ ˙

56 THUMB POSITION EXERCISE NO. 1—Cellos and basses play in thumb position. Violins practice playing 8va while violas practice

≥˙ ˙
-1 playing in treble clef.
Sul A
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
B 44 &
˙1 ˙ ˙ ˙

57 THUMB POSITION EXERCISE NO. 2—Cellos and basses play in thumb position. Violins practice playing 8va while violas practice

≥˙ ˙
-1 playing in treble clef.

b˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ b˙ ˙
B 44 ˙1 ˙ ˙ ˙
Sul A

&

58 THUMB POSITION EXERCISE NO. 3—Cellos and basses play in thumb position. Violins practice playing 8va while violas practice

≥˙ ˙
playing in treble clef.
-1

˙ ˙ #˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ #˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
B 44 ˙1 ˙ ˙ ˙
Sul A

&

59 THUMB POSITION EXERCISE NO. 4—Cellos and basses play in thumb position. Violins practice playing 8va while violas practice

≥˙ ˙
-1 playing in treble clef.

˙ ˙ #˙ ˙ #˙ ˙ #˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
Sul A

B 44 &
˙1 ˙ ˙ ˙
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Level 4: Sound Scales and Arpeggios

C Major
(This is often required as an all-state audition scale.)
Check your fingering chart for finger placements. Mark in the half steps as directed by your teacher.

104 C MAJOR SCALE—Learn the third octave of the C major scale.

œ2 œ3 œ4 œ1
œ
B.

B 44 œ
A.

œ œ œ
2

œ
o o 1 o
œ
1 2 3 3 3 1 -1

œ œ œ œ
œ 2nd Pos.
1st Pos.

˙1 ˙2 ˙2 ˙3 ˙4 ˙
˙ ˙
C. x4

B
3 -1

&
5th Pos.

˙ ˙4 ˙3 ˙ ˙2 ˙1
˙ ˙
D. x4
2 1

&
-3
B
2nd Pos.

œ1 œ œ4 œ œ
E. F.
œ œ
-1

B œ œ
2

œ
3 1 o
œ
2 1 4 3 3 4 3 2 1

œ œ œ œ
1st Pos.
œ

105 C MAJOR SCALE SLURRED TWO PER BOW—Play the C major scale with two notes slurred per bow at Œ = 60.

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
x4

œ
4

B 44 œ œ œ
-1

œ
-1

œ
o

œ œ
œ œ œ œ
&

œ œ -3œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
-1

& B œ œ œ œ œ Ó
œ

106 C MAJOR SCALE SLURRED FOUR PER BOW—Play the C major scale in a traditional pattern with four notes slurred per bow

œ -1 œ œ œ
at Π= 60.

œ œ œ œ
B 44
o
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
-1

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
&

œ œ4 œ œ œ -3
œ œ œB œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
x4
-1

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó
œ ˙