More Technique Takes Off! for Violin: Violin Book

These studies move beyond mechanical drills by pairing focused technical work with actual musical character. The dual format of many pieces, offering both duet and solo versions with double-stopping, gives you flexibility in how you deploy them, whether you need to address intonation concerns or push a student into fully independent playing. Cohen's knack for embedding vibrato, shifting, and double-stopping work inside pieces with real personality means your students stay engaged rather than grinding through exercises.

The pieces alternate between lyrical passages that invite the warmth of vibrato and briskly rhythmic sections that demand clean articulation and secure intonation. A sense of discovery runs through the collection: opening with the stately "Intrada," moving through folk-inflected writing and ragtime color, and ending with the playful complexity of "Catch." There's nothing academic about the musical voice.

Intermediate violinists ready to move beyond single-string work but still building confidence with vibrato, shifting, and double-stopping. This collection suits students in the second or third year of study who respond well to music with character and purpose rather than abstract exercise books.

• When introducing the duet versions, use them to establish secure intonation before tackling the solo double-stopping versions. The guided listening helps train the ear.
• Pay attention to the practice tips included with each piece; they outline the specific musical goal and prevent students from mindlessly repeating without understanding what they're refining.
• Double-stopping demands careful fingering choices. Map out hand position transitions before full-speed playing to avoid the common trap of tension creeping in during shifts.
• Treat the character pieces ("Asleep in the Hammock," "Forget-Me-Not Rag") as performance vehicles, not just technique builders. A student who performs with genuine musicality internalizes the technical work more completely.

Weave these studies into the year rather than assigning the whole book at once. Use individual pieces as preparation tools before tackling chamber repertoire that demands similar techniques, or select a few to build a short recital of unaccompanied pieces that showcase your students' growing independence. The duet options also make them natural choices for studio or sectional coachings.

• Vibrato execution and control across dynamic ranges
• Double-stopping in major and minor intervals
• Shifting between positions with secure intonation
• Rhythmic accuracy and independence when playing without accompaniment
• Stylistic flexibility (from Baroque sarabande to ragtime idioms)
• Listening and tuning adjustments when playing in duet formation