The Lead-In
Sometimes a song does not begin on the first beat of the measure. Any notes which come before the first full measure are called lead-in or pick-up notes. When lead-in notes are used, the last measure is also incomplete. The notes in the lead-in and the notes in the last measure add up to one full measure. On the recording, five drum beats introduce this piece. The drum beats and the lead-in add up to two measures (eight beats) of * time. There are five beats count in for this tune.
Staccato
A dot above or below a note indicates that the note is to be played staccato, which means short and separate from other notes. To play a note staccato, stop your bow stroke as soon as the note has sounded.
To gain control of the way you play notes, it is a good idea to practice alternating between ordinary notes and staccato notes.
This children’s song contains staccato notes and begins with one lead-in note. Remember to alternate your bow strokes even if there are rests between two notes. This will help you build a confident bowing technique. There are five beats count in for this tune.
Once again, because of the lead-in note, there are five drum beats on the recording to introduce this piece.
This piece contains many staccato notes. The waltz is a traditional European dance in ^ time which has always been popular in Austria. The violin often leads the orchestra when playing a waltz. There are many famous waltzes written by classical composers such as Beethoven, Mahler, Schubert and Chopin.
