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Group Lessons for Suzuki Violin and Viola: Strings Book

$14.99 USD
$14.99 USD
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Group Lessons for Suzuki Violin and Viola Cover Image
Group Lessons for Suzuki Violin and Viola: Strings Book

Group Lessons for Suzuki Violin and Viola: Strings Book

By Carolyn McCall

Item: 00-0435
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Description
A compilation of violin and viola repertory group lesson ideas, planned to reinforce what is learned at individual lessons at home. This 84-page book is organized according to students' ability levels from pre-Twinkle through Volume 4. Each chapter contains an introduction, suggested warm-up activities, and appropriate ideas for working toward these goals: posture, concentration and coordination, right hand techniques, left hand techniques, and musicality. Activities for combined violin and viola groups, and suggestions for the end of the group lesson wrap up each section of the book. This is an attractive and useful book with an emphasis on ideas. Photographs help to illustrate concepts.

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Additional Details
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 84
ISBN10: 0-87487-435-1
ISBN13: 978-0-87487-435-8
UPC: 029156659719
SKU: 00-0435

More about this title

About the Author: Carolyn McCall

Carolyn McCall

Carolyn McCall entered the Suzuki violin world as a student in John Kendall's program at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in 1966, earning her undergraduate degree in music from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in violin performance from SIUE. Her teaching career spanned continents and decades; she has taught violin, viola, and music and movement at workshops and institutes across the United States and internationally, and brought up two children through the Suzuki method as a parent herself.

From 1986 through 2006, McCall built a reputation as a clinician and resource builder for the Suzuki community, publishing over thirty articles alongside this book. She served as Coordinator of the 2004 Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference and continues to direct Goshen Suzuki Strings in Edwardsville, Illinois, where she applies decades of classroom experience to training the next generation of teachers and students.

Why we love this

McCall writes from the ground level, offering concrete, classroom-tested activities rather than abstract philosophy. Every section connects directly to what students face in group settings, with photographs that make posture and technique visible, and her organization by Suzuki level means you can pull it open to exactly where your students are without flipping through irrelevant material.

What to expect

Purposeful and grounded in reality. These activities acknowledge that students in group lessons are still building fundamental skills, so every exercise serves double duty as both a social experience and a technique-reinforcer. The progression feels natural, never rushed.

Who it's for

Suzuki violin and viola teachers running group lessons at any level from pre-Twinkle through Volume 4. This resource works equally well for teachers new to group instruction and experienced directors looking for fresh warm-up ideas and structured frameworks for their rehearsals.

How to get the most out of it

  • Photograph-based demonstrations of posture and hand position reduce the need for constant verbal correction; let students study the images before group time so corrections can be brief and specific.
  • Organize warm-up activities by the technical goal you're addressing that day (right hand control, left hand independence, etc.) rather than running through a generic routine; this teaches students to connect their effort to their progress.
  • Use the combined violin and viola activities to address the different ranges and fingerboard patterns your mixed groups encounter; McCall's suggestions account for these differences rather than treating them as an afterthought.

How to use it

Use this as your group lesson planning foundation for the entire year, turning to the appropriate chapter as students progress through volumes. The warm-up activities and technique-building exercises fit seamlessly into the 30 to 60 minutes you already spend with your group each week, extending the individual practice work students do at home into a collaborative, reinforcing context.

Skills your students will build

  • Posture awareness and alignment
  • Focused concentration in ensemble settings
  • Right hand technique (bow control and consistency)
  • Left hand technique (intonation, finger placement)
  • Musical expression and phrasing
  • Listening and coordination with other string players
  • Violin and viola ensemble balance

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