Playing With Colour: Violin Book 1: (Student Edition) Violin Book & CD

The colored-note system removes the guesswork that often stalls young violinists in their first year. Students see both the color and the staff notation simultaneously, which means they're learning to read standard music from day one rather than unlearning a crutch later. Litten's tune selection keeps the repertoire genuinely musical; these aren't exercises disguised as songs.

Accessible yet purposeful. The tunes are short enough to feel achievable in a single practice session, but they're written with actual musical shape rather than as technical exercises. There's genuine pleasure in playing through these pieces once you know them.

Beginning violin students who benefit from visual scaffolding as they learn to read music. Teachers looking for a method that avoids the typical ladder-line or number-based systems that can create dependency rather than literacy.

• Work with the CD accompaniments during lessons so students hear exactly how their part sits in relation to the piano; this builds aural awareness of ensemble balance and phrasing.
• Have students switch between the colored-note and traditional-notation versions of the same piece to reinforce the connection between the two systems.
• Establish a consistent hand position and bowhold before diving into the tunes; these pieces demand clean execution, and sloppy fundamentals will show immediately.
• Use the piano-only tracks for performance opportunities, giving students a real accompaniment without relying on the student version.

Start this with beginning students in September and progress steadily through the year; by spring, most students will be reading standard notation with real fluency. Pair performances of later tunes from the book with other beginner strings repertoire on a spring concert to show growth across the ensemble.

• Reading colored and traditional notation simultaneously
• Basic bow control across the A and E strings
• Finger placement on the fingerboard using visual reference points
• Rhythmic accuracy in simple meters (2/4 and 4/4)
• Ensemble listening and balance with piano accompaniment
• Smooth string crossing and basic transitions between strings