20 Progressive Solos for String Instruments: Piano Acc. (Instrumental) Book

These twenty solos work as a complete recruitment and development system for string classes. Each piece targets specific technical or musical challenges without feeling like an exercise, which means your students are actually thinking like musicians rather than checking off technique boxes.

The solos range from straightforward and lyrical to more rhythmically engaging, giving students glimpses of different musical worlds. Whether a student is exploring a simple melodic line or navigating rhythmic complexity, each piece has genuine character and satisfies the need to sound like a real musician, not a technique student.

This collection serves string teachers building a K-12 program from the ground up, as well as those working with developing players who need solo material that builds confidence alongside technique. Solo contestants, string class ensembles, and individual practice all benefit from the progression and variety these pieces offer.

• Begin with the piano accompaniment in rehearsal. Let your student hear the harmonic and rhythmic context before adding the string line; this prevents isolation and builds musicianship from the first read.
• When students reach pieces featuring third position, have them mark in the fingerings themselves or collaborate with you on placement. This active engagement deepens their understanding of the fingerboard layout.
• Use these solos in mixed ability groups. A more advanced player can lead while newer students follow, creating peer mentorship through performance rather than separate instruction.
• Select pieces strategically for solo contests and festivals. The variety means you can match each student's current strengths while stretching them into new territory.

Build an entire string class curriculum around this collection across multiple years, assigning solos that align with whatever technical focus you're emphasizing in ensemble rehearsals that season. The twenty-piece structure also works perfectly for solo recitals, string festival selections, and recruitment demonstrations where prospective students hear string players performing actual music.

• Reading across the full range of the instrument, including third position
• Intonation accuracy within harmonic and tonal context
• Rhythmic independence from accompaniment
• Left hand facility and position shifts
• Bow control through varied articulations and styles
• Ensemble listening when performing with piano partner