Is My Student Ready for Book 3?

One of my students is finishing up learning the last piece in Suzuki Book 2, Minuet by Boccherini, and we’ve  been asking the question “Is my student ready for Book 3?” I actually posed this question to her a couple weeks ago. I wanted to know what she was thinking. She immediately said she didn’t think she was ready for Book 3. I think she has learned the technique points and could be ready for Book 3, but I found it interesting that she didn’t think she was ready. So, I’m taking a cue from her and we are going to do some supplemental literature this summer that is at the book 2 level.

This student has an older sibling that plays the violin. So she has listens to her CDs and has heard her older sibling learn and play these pieces. I suspect that she is both bored with the Suzuki pieces, apprehensive because she has heard them practiced. In her mind these pieces are “hard” because they are book 3. I’m going to try giving her “her own” pieces this summer. I’ve told the older sibling she can’t play these… even if she wants to. So here are a few of the pieces I’ve been considering for her.

Literature to Reinforce Concepts in Book 2, and prepare for Book 3

Goal: Note Reading 

Barbara Barber’s Solos for Young Violinists – Volume 1

1. The Simple Folk Songs
   1. French Folk Song
   2. English Folk Song
   3. Bohemian Folk Song
   4. Welsh Air
   5. French Folk Song
   6. Bohemian Folk Song
   7. Scotch Folk Song

• She has sight read most of these folk songs. I have hear say the letters out loud one line at a time, then we play it. Then, we go back and play that line counting  out loud. She’s been able to use these as note reading practice and found them much more interesting than her note reading books. 🙂 

1. Musette – Bach 

• This one sounded hard to her at first, but then she did the note reading steps above, and figured out the first line after that we were off and rolling.

Goal: 3rd Position/ Minimal Shifting

America the Beautiful – arr. William Starr (from Delightful Duets)

• I was surprised that my student didn’t know this tune. It does have some shifting into 3rd position on the E string, and uses a 4th finger harmonic. I’m sneaking this one in here because, I thought she would know the tune… and I want to get her shifting since that’s coming in Book 3.

Goal: Review Slurring 3 or more notes; Bow weight; Bow speeds; Low 1 and Low 2 finger pattern

Petite Ecole de la Melodie – No. 4 – Charles Dancla

• I found this in the 12 Melodies by Dancla. I typeset it so that it was easier for her to read. You can download my edition for free with the piano accompaniment HERE.
• I’ve recorded it for her so that she can listen and learn. I don’t want to do all sight reading and note reading this summer as that might be a little too frustrating. The mp3 of my recording and a recording of the piano accompaniment is HERE.
• This has lots of bow circles. I wanted to use this to get her comfortable playing at the frog – prep for Book 3. 
• It is in C Major so it uses low 1 – F natural and low 2 C natural. It’s in a major key but we are getting ready to learn G Minor in Bach Minuet, and Becker Gavotte. We are also reviewing low 1 that we learned in Lully Gavotte.
• It’s all in first position – no shifting.
• Dotted quarter note slurred to eighth note. (Reviewing the slurred rhythm pattern we learned Waltz.)
• Reviewing what I call “heavy lights” Is the phrasing for a 2 note slur. Dancla wrote in diminuendos for these heavy lights!
• It’s in AABA’ form

The Peanut Butter and Jelly Waltz, Op 114 #1 – Minuetta Kessler (from Violin Music by Women Vol. 1)

• This one also is in C Major allowing review of that low 2 low 1 finger pattern.
• It’s by a woman composer. (We don’t have those in the Suzuki Books!)
• It’s also a modern era piece. The counting and the harmonies are different that anything else she has played.
• The title really intrigues her. She relates to the title more that “Minuet” “Gavotte”… While we’ve talked over what those are, it’s not something in her every day life. Food is her love language!
• She will see some ties over the bar line. We are going to have to work on bow speed and bow control.
• There are some dotted quarter eighth rhythm patterns sprinkled in here too. Reviewing that Waltz rhythm, but without the slurs this time.

I think we will only get through these 2 literature pieces this summer, but if we need more pieces this I’ll look at these pieces.

Romanian Train Song – Traditional (from Gypsy Violin)

The Bumblebee by Anna Priscilla Risher (from Violin Music by Women Vol. 1)

Six Very Easy Pieces in the First Position Op. 22, No. 2 by Edward Elgar