No comments about La Corda d'Oro, Vol. 8 (La Corda D'oro).

No comments about Introducing The Positions for Violin Vol. 1, 3rd & 5th positions.

3 comments about Great Romantic Violin Concertos in Full Score.

1. A good song for who love romantic



2. Three of the greatest concertos for violin ever composed are in this volume.

   With concertos by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky, it is impossible to determine which is superior of the three. Each is such a masterwork that it has to stand by itself. Dover's edition is easy to read, clearly printed, and as usual is inexpensive.

   By the way, there is but one other violin concerto that is in the same league as these three, and that is the one by Brahms. But have no fear, Dover has a volume of Brahms' concertos that includes the violin concerto! Recommended for the dedicated music lover!




3. Superb book - clear and easy to read. Three of the very best concertos for violin and orchestra in the one book - as they should be! One should purchase this book to appreciate these works to their full potential. A must have for anyone who is studying these works from an academic point of view or for the general listener who wishes to further enhance their listening pleasure or their general musical knowledge.

No comments about The ABCs of Violin for the Advanced- BK.3.

2 comments about Foundation Studies for the Violin.

1. This book was a helpful book of etudes. There were various rhythms in many keys. The book is all in first position. I would recommend it to middle scool students. It is all around a good music book.



2. Some mistakes in the book, but very helpful etudes and they sound a little less like like etudes and more like songs, which isn't as boring. All in first postition, but it helps more with bowing and finger techniques, not positions.

1 comments about The Suzuki Violinist : A Guide for Teachers and Parents Item # 0605 (Suzuki Method International).

1. I bought this book to help me learn more the Suzuki method and how to teach/encourage me and my 6 yr old son with our home violin practice. While our violin teacher does a few things a little different from the recommendations in this book, I still found this book helpful. It gave me ideas to make our home practices more Dr. Starr also includes some cute stories to help encourage children to practice and my son liked hearing these from the book.

1 comments about Little Rat Makes Music (Little Rat).

1. Monika Bang-Campbell's LITTLE RAT MAKES MUSIC will reach ages 6-9 with its easy reader about Little Rat, who longs to make music like the violinists she sees at concerts. Unfortunately, she hates to practice: it's hard and her violin squawks. How can Little Rat make beautiful music NOW? Any kid taking music lessons will relate to her dilemma.

3 comments about String Builder V1 Violin (Belwin Course for Strings).

1. String Builder is great for beginners, especially if you don't know anything about music. It is helpful for understanding musical notation, has charts to show where the fingers go on the strings, and gives plenty of short pieces to practice (which builds sight reading). It also has some fun duets for the teacher to play with the student.
   
   This is a practice book, so you will not find entertaining pieces you can perform for others. As a violin teacher, I use this book to supplement the Suzuki method book, which tends to have nice classical pieces but not much instruction or practice.



2. My daughter is studying Suzuki violin, so we got String builder and ABC's of Violin bk 1 to learn to read music. The ABC's is a lot easier because it starts on the 2 top strings like Suzuki does, but the String builder starts on the 2 middle strings--it's confusing for my daughter. It makes more sense to continue with the ABC's of Violin--it's a lot of fun, plus it fits in with Suzuki ideas. We're very happy with our choice.
   
   I am a piano teacher myself and realize how important it is to learn to read music. Especially for little violinists who eventually play in school orchestra.



3. I knew nothing about playing music and musical notation, let alone playing a string instrument. I wanted to learn and did a bit of research on self-study books. In the end I bought a whole stack from various sources, including Suzuki. I found the String Builder to be the absolutely most logical and user friendly approach. All other books frustrated me, but String Builder is very easy to follow, and takes you through very logical exercises that are never boring or too hard. Step by step I learned about the rhythm, how to recognize and play various keys, even when to bow down or up. With no experience I am able to play basic melodies in but few weeks. And I only practice maybe 30min every other day.. All other books made me want to quit, I stuck only with this one.
   There is a phenomenal gratification in learning how to play such a beautiful instrument..
   If you want to learn you only need this book and maybe Teach Yourself: Music Theory by Margaret Richer. Don't spend money on anything else. Save it for a better violin :)

3 comments about The ABCs of Violin-CD for Violin Book 1.

1. This CD consists of the songs and 3 scales from the book, The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner-Book 1. The first half is performance of the violin plus piano-they are all so beautiful just to listen to! The 2nd half of the CD begins with an "A" pitch for tuning, then the scales from the book are performed, then a version of all the 34 songs again but with the piano loud and the violin softer so you can play along and feel like you're being accompanied by piano--there are ticking sounds before each song, so you know when to come in. I love it!! I feel like a soloist. The tempos aren't too fast like other CDs I've gotten-I can keep up nicely. This CD has taught me to play in tune-I can hear the pitches of my notes better and am able to fix them.

   Just buying this CD for listening would be worthwhile, because it's soothing to listen to. My 3 year old daughter falls asleep with it on--I hope some day she will play the violin!




2. I got this CD with the ABCs book. I really enjoy playing along with the CD. It's like being in a recital except I don't have to get nervous performing in front of everybody. The book's great, but it's even more fun when you can play along with something. Add the duets and it's the complete package for starting off violin.



3. I bought this book along with several others to get me started on the violin. I had some familiarity with stringed instruments from childhood, but hadn't played anything for 15 years.
   The book has a lot of the same songs to play as the Suzuki method book. I actually prefer the Suzuki book and CD, but this one is okay too for additional practice. The DVD is short. I was surprised at how quickly it was over! There are some fun songs here, but I'd recommend lessons with a teacher over this series if this is your first instrument.

5 comments about Violin Making: A Guide for the Amateur.

1. Being a true amateur - I have begun building a violin making this book - having never even touched a violin - it will be an interesting experience. My rating of the book - is that it is quite good, so far. It would benefit from some actual pictures to go with the dialog - as it would be nice to see an actual picture of what you are trying to build rather than a rough sketch. The book is dependent on rough illustrations to guide the amateur. The templates are very good but you do need to 'smooth' some of the templates to match the final violin shape. Not all the components are there, for example the tail piece for securing the strings is not mentioned at all, as is the Bow, so I assume these items need to be purchases separately. Before you start it is best to read the book right through - otherwise some of the steps given earlier on in the book make no sense - in this regard it would be helpful to give a hint as to why "you must do it this way" - anyway overall it is a very good book.



2. This book is directed, not to the amateur violin-builder who admires and aspires to emulate the fine craft of violin-making on a modest scale, but rather to the 'amateur' in the sense of someone who is less interested in immersing themselves in the craft and more interested in building a fiddle at all, somehow.

   If you are the type of person who is affected by concern about how to do something 'right' (i.e. following some variant of traditional or professional practice) than this is the wrong book for you and you should invest in Johnson/Courtnall if you can at all afford to (really, never was money better-spent), otherwise Strobel and/or Buchanan are better choices.

   On the other hand, if you just want to get a fiddle built with as little fuss as possible, and without minding taking some shortcuts here and there, then this little book will certainly encourage you on that journey. The approach in this book requires fewer tools and less acquisition of new skills, and goes out of its way to ensure the reader is not daunted by any high-fallutin' ideas of high craft, just go to it and get it done.




3. This was a very useful book for the beginning violin luthier with simple instructions and line drawings.



4. This book offers a step-by-step explanation of violin making on a basic level but the drawings are not to be trusted: on the mold plan the right lower block cut-out is one-eighth inch lower than the left. I discovered this after making the mold and noticing that something just didn't look right.
   I believe this book gives a rough outline of the violin making process for someone who has absolutely no knowledge, but if you can afford it, the Johnson/Courtnall book is the most thorough available. Harry Wake's book is good for someone interested in using power tools but for the traditional (hand tools) method Johnson/Courtnall is the best.



5. I bought this book about 3 months ago and have nearly completed my first violin. It is not the best looking instrument I have ever seen but the construction details and plans in the book, if followed to the letter, will allow one to produce a very solid feeling instument. The hand drawings in the book are very appealing and I think give the instructions an "old time feeling", almost as if you were reading the very notes from Mr. Strad himself. Most of the construction techniques are the same as they were back in the 15th and 16th century. There are certain procedures where using power tools is very tempting, but I felt as though that would be cheating myself and the author out of the building process that the best instruments are still being built by.
   
   The templates in the back of the book are very nicely done and if reproduced accuratley will allow one to build a real violin. Allthough I have many years experience in wood working, anyone with basic skills working with hand tools should be able to produce an instrument from this book.
   
   If nothing else, it does teach and explain in very easy terms how a violin is made. I highly recomend this book for anyone with the desire to produce a violin like it has been done for centuries.