Sassmannshaus 2 Skills Analysis

Key: New = a new skill; Review = piece reviews a skill from an old work

By Rohan Joshi

1. “Up The Ladder”

a. Left Hand
i. Knowledge of Tonic (New)
ii. Basic major scale finger pattern in first position (New)
1. (That is, half-whole-whole)
iii. All left hand skills from Sassmannshaus One (Review)
b. Right Hand
i. All right hand skills from Sassmannshaus One (Review)
2. “Summer Song”
a. Left Hand
i. Knowledge of complete major finger pattern (Review)
ii. Knowledge of scale structure and octave division (New)
iii. Knowledge of changing low and high two between lower/upper octaves (New)
b. Right Hand
i. All right hand skills from “Up the Ladder” and prior (Review)
3. “Up the Ladder” (A Major)
a. Left Hand
i. Knowledge of whole-whole-half finger pattern (“high three”) (New/Review)
ii. All prior knowledge (from before “Summer Song”) (Review)
b. Right Hand
i. All right hand skills from prior (Review)
4. “Summer Song” (D Major)
a. Left Hand
i. Knowledge of changing low and high three between lower/upper octaves (New)
ii. All prior knowledge (Review)
b. Right Hand
i. Portato Stroke (New)
ii. All prior knowledge (Review)
5. The Three Finger Patterns
a. Left Hand
i. Introduction of all diatonic finger patterns (New/Review)
b. Right Hand
i. All prior knowledge (Review)
6. F Major Notes In First Position
a. Left Hand
i. “Low One – High Four” Finger Pattern (New)
ii. All prior knowledge (Review)
b. Right Hand
i. All prior knowledge (Review)
7. The First Finger Changes Between High and Low Positions
a. Left Hand
i. Knowledge of changing low and high one between lower/upper octaves (New)
ii. All prior knowledge (Review)
b. Right Hand
i. All prior knowledge (Review)
8. The Second Finger Is The Tonic
a. Left Hand
 i. All prior knowledge (Review)
b. Right Hand
i. All prior knowledge (Review)
9. “Hunter’s Minuet”
a. Left Hand
i. Understanding accidentals (New)
ii. All prior knowledge (Review)
b. Right Hand
i. All prior knowledge (Review)
10. “Hunter’s Minuet”
a. Left Hand
i. Understanding accidentals (New)
ii. All prior knowledge (Review)
b. Right Hand
i. All prior knowledge (Review)
11. “Double Stops”
a. Left Hand
i. Sixths/Thirds/Fourths Fingerings (for double stops) (New)
ii. All prior knowledge (Review)
b. Right Hand
i. Balancing the sound of a double stop (New)
ii. All prior knowledge (Review)
12. Spohr, “Allegretto”
i. Left Hand
1. All prior knowledge (Review)
ii. Right Hand
1. Thorough introduction of on the string staccato (New)

Comment:

It is important to note that the Sassmannshaus Volumes area intended to be used in succession to progress a beginner
into a well-balanced intermediate player. The beauty of the progression of these books is that they are recursive,
implying that technique that is needed in more advanced exercises will have already been gained, utilized, and
understood before the student has even reached the exercise. On top of this, the exercises have a hidden complexity:
they can be in multiple positions on the instrument (second, third, etc.). While the analysis above oft derives itself
into calling “all prior knowledge”, it is unnecessary to relist all of the requirements needed for the more complex
parts of the book, as the content necessitates that the player (and more importantly, the teacher) understand how to
properly progress through the book.

For example, in order for a student to play Spohr’s “Allegretto”, they must to be able to play the prior exercises in
the book, and be able to execute the techniques. Of course, this progression will be independent, depending on the
capabilities of each student, but regardless, this recursive, progression based, understanding of Sassmannshaus is
necessary to properly understand the thought needed to teach and navigate through these encyclopedic technique
books, and my approach to the skills analysis above.