New Directions® For Strings, Violin Book 2: Violin Method Book

The repertoire balances technical clarity with genuine musical satisfaction. You'll find folk melodies, short composed pieces, and duets that sound like real music rather than finger exercises, giving students something to aim for that feels worth the daily work.

This book serves violin students in their second year of instruction, including those in heterogeneous classroom settings where string students at slightly different advancement levels learn together. It works equally well in school orchestra programs and private studio settings where students need structured, pedagogically sound progression beyond the first method book.

• Establish tetrachord shapes early and return to them frequently throughout lessons; even as new positions open up, reinforcing the foundational hand geometry prevents compensation patterns that plague students later.
• Track bow distribution systematically using the method's built-in checkpoints rather than assuming students self-correct; consistent feedback on bow control at this stage determines facility in upper positions.
• Use the assessment opportunities embedded in each section to identify which students need rhythm or intonation reinforcement before moving forward, rather than pushing the group through at one pace.

Position this as the foundation for your beginning orchestra's second-year curriculum, running it alongside easier ensemble arrangements so students experience both focused technical study and immediate application in ensemble playing. The tetrachord work pairs naturally with early intermediate orchestra music that explores those same hand positions and tonal colors.

• Tetrachord-based left-hand development and finger independence
• Bow control and distribution across different string weights
• Intonation awareness within positional frameworks
• Reading and executing simple duet parts within an ensemble context
• Understanding violin-specific bow technique distinct from other string instruments