Playing With Colour: Violin Book 2: (Student Edition) Violin Book & CD

This method cuts through the confusion that often stalls young violin students during the shift from letter names to staff reading. The color coding works because it's neither a crutch nor a distraction; it's a deliberate pedagogical bridge that Nancy Litten's carefully sequenced repertoire reinforces at every step. By Book 2, students are building real independence while the training wheels are still there when needed.

The music moves beyond simple folk tune territory into material with genuine melodic shape and personality. Pieces feel rewarding to play because they balance accessibility with musical substance; students experience the satisfaction of performing something that sounds complete, not just an exercise.

Book 2 serves students who have completed Book 1 and are ready for longer phrases, wider intervallic leaps, and more varied rhythmic patterns. It works equally well in private studio settings and group classes where reading development varies among players.

• Pair the student track with the piano-only version during lessons so your student hears both parts clearly before performing alone with accompaniment.
• Isolate pieces where color coding transitions to standard notation. Play these sections without looking at the colored notes to build confidence in traditional reading.
• Use the CD as a diagnostic tool: if a student struggles with a piece on the recording, the issue is usually rhythm or intonation, not reading comprehension.

Integrate Book 2 material into a reading-focused curriculum segment during the first semester, when you're working through fundamental technique and establishing notation habits. The CD accompaniments also make these pieces concert-ready once students reach performance tempo, so a mixed recital featuring 3-4 pieces from this volume demonstrates progress across both reading and performance.

• Correlating color-coded pitches with staff position and letter names
• Reading intervals larger than a second in mixed clefs and positions
• Sustaining phrases across bar lines and managing longer rhythmic patterns
• Transferring reading fluency from colorized to standard notation without visual supports
• Intonation accuracy on open strings and first position across varied melodic contexts