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Essential Elements for Strings: Violin, Book 1: A Comprehensive String Method
(Essential Elements). Original series (red cover) Tailored to beginning students, Essential Elements for Strings Book 1 covers techniques such as instrument position, fingerings, and bowings while incorporating theory and history lessons throughout. Features a broad scope, comprehensive detail, great pacing, thorough reinforcement, and much more!
- GenresMusic
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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January 16, 2021
When I first started studying violin in 2018, this series was recommended to me. I dutifully got Braille copies from the Library of Congress. But I didn't really get into them. I started with "A Tune a Day" and the Suzuki method books, with forays into "Abracadabra Violin" and other things. (There's nothing like a good fiddle contest to force one to improve very quickly in order to stave off the prospect of public humiliation!)
Now I've finally gone through the books, if not to play every piece then at least to read them and look at how they've been organized from a pedagogical standpoint.
There's a lot to like about this series. The publisher, Hal Leonard Corporation, is a recognized industry leader in music educational books. This series gives students and teachers a wide range of styles to play in while setting out musical concepts clearly. Brief paragraphs about specific pieces put the music in a broader perspective, including discoveries or other historical events that were happening at about the same time the music was composed.
There was a minimum of cheesy exercise titles, although boing or rhythm concepts were introduced progressively using the same title ("Lift Off," or "Rhythm Rap" as examples).
The Braille edition contained helpful descriptions of illustrations, important for blind students and teachers alike.
I've also had the privilege of hearing students who have gone through the series at their school. They play in tune, with a consistently good tone, and are solid music readers.
If you're looking for a book to start your violin education or to shore up on basic concepts, this one would be a great one to try.
Now I've finally gone through the books, if not to play every piece then at least to read them and look at how they've been organized from a pedagogical standpoint.
There's a lot to like about this series. The publisher, Hal Leonard Corporation, is a recognized industry leader in music educational books. This series gives students and teachers a wide range of styles to play in while setting out musical concepts clearly. Brief paragraphs about specific pieces put the music in a broader perspective, including discoveries or other historical events that were happening at about the same time the music was composed.
There was a minimum of cheesy exercise titles, although boing or rhythm concepts were introduced progressively using the same title ("Lift Off," or "Rhythm Rap" as examples).
The Braille edition contained helpful descriptions of illustrations, important for blind students and teachers alike.
I've also had the privilege of hearing students who have gone through the series at their school. They play in tune, with a consistently good tone, and are solid music readers.
If you're looking for a book to start your violin education or to shore up on basic concepts, this one would be a great one to try.
Displaying 1 of 1 review