New Directions® For Strings, Piano Accompaniment Book 2: Piano Accompaniment Book

Music that sounds genuinely musical, not like exercises wearing disguises. The writing sits comfortably under student fingers while the accompaniment creates real harmonic and rhythmic texture, making rehearsals feel purposeful rather than remedial.

String orchestras working through Book 2 of the New Directions curriculum, where you need accompaniments that respect the pedagogical goals of the method itself. This book pairs directly with the student materials and assumes your pianists are comfortable reading at an intermediate level.

• Balance the string parts by listening for melody independence first; the piano should support without overwhelming the ensemble's developing vibrato and tone production.
• Follow the written dynamic suggestions closely, as they're calibrated to the technical demands of Book 2 students and help reinforce their control across the bow.
• Use rehearsal letters strategically during sectionals to isolate intonation trouble spots, then reassemble with the full accompaniment for context.

Use this throughout your second-year string curriculum as the backbone of regular sectional and full-group rehearsals. The assessment checkpoints built into the method make it natural to program short pieces from this book into fall or winter concerts, showing parents concrete progress.

• Tetrachord-based left-hand positioning and shifting
• Sustained bow control across varying bow speeds
• Ensemble intonation with harmonic reference
• Reading and responding to dynamic nuance
• Listening for independence of part while tracking accompaniment
• Awareness of vibrato integration into tone production