New Directions® For Strings, Viola Book 1: Viola Method Book

Purposeful and engaging. The music selections are genuinely interesting rather than placeholder exercises, which matters when you're asking young players to repeat passages for technique. There's momentum built into the material itself.

Beginning viola students who benefit from a systematic, instrument-specific approach. This works equally well in full orchestras, small sectionals, or private studio settings where you want a coherent pedagogical foundation.

• Attend to the bow control exercises embedded throughout. These aren't filler; they're structured to build the habits that prevent the common viola slouch and improve tone projection.
• Use the assessment checkpoints as genuine feedback moments, not just grading tools. They help students understand their own progress in concrete terms.
• Rotate through the integrated repertoire with all four instrument books in the series. The equal weighting of viola lines transforms how students hear their role in the ensemble.

Start here for students entering strings for the first time, or as a reset book for players who need stronger fundamentals. The tetrachord approach means you're building a secure technical base that will serve every repertoire choice you make later.

• Tetrachord-based left-hand positioning and shifting
• Bow control and tone production
• Reading in different positions on the viola
• Intonation accuracy within scalar patterns
• Rhythmic accuracy across varied meters
• Ensemble awareness through integrated four-part writing