A GREAT Violin Exercise Book for Beginners - Why 'Scales Plus' is a Game-Changer!

[@frankdittmer8540]

Thank you Joel. Great video for me a beginner.

[@KennedyViolins]

Glad to help of course!

[@terrystaggs2537]

Yes

[@Rita-o4t]

I just got my violin from yall yesterday and i started on a vso so i can't wait to learn everything that i need to learn

[@KennedyViolins]

Sweet! Just a little practice around 4-5 days a week consistently and you'll get there!

[@TNungesser]

Thanks, Joel. My teacher is working with me on scales. I was going over the A major scale and within that scale I could hear the tune "Something Stupid" by Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy. I heard that song in the 60's in Junior High and could play it all by ear, from memory just because I knew the A major scale. So, yes, scales are important! Actually, "Something Stupid" is one sharped note different from the A Major scale. It is written in E Major. It has a D# whereas Amaj. just as a C#, F#, G# but Emaj. has C#, D#, F#,G#.

[@KennedyViolins]

You're welcome!

[@elizabethfierro4518]

Thank you Joel, I just ordered this book! Can’t wait to get it. 😊

[@KennedyViolins]

I warm up with it almost every day. I always feel like I'm eating healthy food or something. No guilt and only good vibes!

[@curtpiazza1688]

😊

[@TheKat430]

Love this idea! I always take away so much from your relaxed and super informative teaching style. Can't wait! Thanks for the book review as well.

[@KennedyViolins]

Sweeeet.. Thanks for letting me know! 👍

[@cathiesmith0812]

Joel, which book do you recommend? I'm using Essential Elements for violin book 1.

[@KennedyViolins]

Essential Elements is super popular and for good reason. I personally prefer the Suzuki series. I recently did a video about it. There are a ton of books out there and I'm not familiar with all of them but I can vouch for a few of the most popular ones and Suzuki being my favorite. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6OyXmBtabxksLs 👍

[@tj3952]

Thank you, this is my first time hearing about this book! Could this book be easier entry than Schradieck...?

[@KennedyViolins]

I'd say as a general rule, this book is easier than most Schradieck exercises. Schradieck has some really great exercises that I absolutely recommend but they tend to get much harder, pretty quick. If a little bit less torture is something you're interested in, then I still recommend the Scales Plus book! Schradieck is really great though. If you have the patience, the exercises will build a great left hand.

[@ashakuldip1657]

Please recommend a beginner book for viola. Thanks Sir.

[@KennedyViolins]

Honestly, the Suzuki series is awesome for learning the viola, just as it is for the violin. For general exercises, I'm not sure actually. My only experience with beginning students is with violin. All my viola students were very advanced and played the most difficult etude books. 😬

[@caerolleclaudel1768]

So, would you do these exercises with a tuner so you can check your intonation? Or is that a no-no?

[@KennedyViolins]

You certainly could but it'd be super slow going to try and do that. Most teachers would tell you to develop your ear with your SLOW scales, then apply that ear training to everything else you practice. There is nothing wrong with your idea but it's pretty inefficient. If you want to use a tuner because you don't trust your ear, then I'd play slow scales as a warm-up WITH your tuner. Then you can just play without the tuner and see how you do. You can even compare the pitch by recording yourself with and without the tuner to see if you can trust your ear or not. If you are pretty close with the tuner on your scales, then you can play through these exercises slowly and listening carefully. You can even record yourself and listen afterward to double-check yourself because we all delude ourselves to some extent when we are practicing, to think we sound better than we actually do!

[@caerolleclaudel1768]

@@KennedyViolins Thanks so much for the detailed answer, I appreciate your help!

[@KennedyViolins]

@@caerolleclaudel1768 NP

[@terrystaggs2537]

I used a larger print book with different finger patterns

[@KennedyViolins]

What book is it?

[@terrystaggs2537]

300 progressive exercise for violin it teaches you how to read music where are the notes scales and exercises with times sig be a good book for younger students and older people

[@KennedyViolins]

Is it called "300 progressive exercises for violin"? Usually, there is a name, like Sevik, Fuchs or something.

[@terrystaggs2537]

@@KennedyViolins yes Robert anthony mysic