Violin Books for Beginners

Among all instruments, violin is very popular and perfect for musicians of all ages to learn. During the process of learning, to have a qualified violin teacher is no doubt important. Moreover, right violin books are also valuable tools. Different teachers may use various violin books on violin lessons. Students may also have personal preference when they practice with violin apps. To be frank, there is no such a thing like the most useful and informative book for beginner students. In the text below, we just provide some suggestions based on most people’s choices.

Essential Elements for Strings

Essential Elements for Strings is very useful for beginners. It offers sound pedagogy and engaging music. The book includes familiar songs and instrument-specific exercises that let violin students focus on the unique characteristics of the violin. It also includes specially designed exercises that translate well in the classroom. That means if you are in group classes and the violin teacher uses this book, practicing with it at home can speed up the learning process.

Essential Elements for Strings starts very slowly and moves very gradually, which can be helpful for violin teachers who deal with groups of students. On the other hand, it can work well for violin self-learners who don’t have a violin teacher to provide step-by-step guidance. They can use the book to start with music reading, move gradually to violin playing and get improved later.

The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner

This book is the first one in the series of The ABCs of Violin. The ABCs of Violin is a phenomenally successful series. It owes much of its success to the wonderful original material and the sensitive arrangements of classical, folk, fiddle and other popular melodies. This best-selling instruction book is a good start for a violin beginner of any age. Various melodies plus short warm-up exercises and study pieces can advance students technically in an easy and enjoyable way. Simple duets, scales, a note-reading worksheet, a glossary of music terms and symbols, and a practice chart are also included along with many graphs to show left-hand finger placement.

The included CD consists of 34 songs with violin and piano accompaniments, piano-only tracks for playing along, and printable PDF files of the piano accompaniments. The ABCs of Violin series is a truly valuable resource for students in the early stages of violin learning.

Suzuki Violin School

This 10-book series takes violinists from near-beginning stages to a moderately advanced level. The series is based on Suzuki Method. The key principles of Suzuki Method are that all children have the capability to be good at music and that a nurturing environment can help develop and enhance that capability. For either a young violin child or a learner who is well into adult years, Suzuki Method is appropriate for harnessing the ability to play the violin.

Suzuki Violin School series contains limited information regarding note reading and musical theory, so it is not ideal for violin students to use the books to teach themselves. However, the series is exceptionally useful if the violin teachers already use Suzuki Method in their violin lessons. If a violin beginner combines lessons based on Suzuki Method and daily practice with Suzuki Violin School together, it will be much more beneficial.
On the other hand, Suzuki Violin School series contains many children’s songs, so the books may be more popular among violin kids. But for adult beginners, they are likely to find it a little bit boring playing these songs.

Rubank Elementary Method Violin

This is one of the most popular violin books, both for individual instruction and same-instrument groups. It employs a very well-rounded approach to violin teaching, including scales and arpeggios, articulation and technical studies, solos and duets, and studies for musicianship. Well-known songs make it fun to progress through each section. The book does not come with a CD. It provides a fantastic wealth of material for all violin students.

Violin for Dummies

For either a violin beginner preparing for the first violin lesson, or a learner who just wants to boost violin learning, Violin for Dummies is one of the most important violin books in players’ collection. It begins by introducing music fundamentals, including reading musical notation and understanding harmony. Then it focuses on violin specifics, such as tuning your instrument, holding the bow correctly, and keeping it in good condition with regular maintenance. The accompanying CD includes audio and video clips and tutorials to help you get started. It also features MP3 files of every song and exercise in the book.

Violin for Dummies is good for zero-based self-learning. It covers from choosing the right violin for yourself to playing a variety of musical styles. You can learn how to read and feel music from this book. Besides, you can have an idea about how to inject your own personality into whatever you play. You will be playing classical, jazz, country, and more musical styles using this book. The included audio and video instruction encourage you to play along as you learn, and allow you to hear, see, and imitate proper technique.

In addition to books, there are a lot of great resources available for violin learning. One of the best resources is a qualified violin teacher. Your teacher can offer more specific recommendations based on your age, current skill level, and specific goals.

Although the violin has a reputation of being difficult to learn, the reality is that it is more difficult to master. Practicing over time will refine your performing techniques and musical style. During the whole process, suitable violin books can provide you an impetus to keep making progress.