Scales Plus!: Violin Book

Scales Plus! treats what could be rote drills as a carefully scaffolded system for understanding keys, positions, and shifts. Starr's organization moves students from foundational concepts through increasingly sophisticated patterns without feeling like busy work, and the sheer volume of material (1,234 key patterns, 128 shifts, 106 lines of scale and arpeggio exercises) means you'll return to this book year after year as your students progress.

Working through Scales Plus! creates a methodical, almost meditative practice routine. The systematic presentation of patterns builds quiet confidence as students recognize recurring shapes and relationships across different keys and positions. Each shift pattern introduces a small technical challenge followed by the satisfaction of executing it cleanly across multiple octaves.

This book serves violinists from early elementary through advanced levels, offering content that grows with the student. It works especially well in Suzuki and traditional private lesson contexts where supplementary scale and intonation work is essential, and it serves teachers who want a comprehensive reference for key studies and shift preparation without hunting through multiple books.

• Approach each new position or shift pattern slowly enough that intonation stays secure; speed develops only after the muscle memory and ear are aligned.
• Use the variety of key patterns to identify and isolate the specific shifts or intervallic relationships that challenge your students, then cycle back to those particular exercises.
• Connect the written patterns to open strings and natural reference points so students internalize the shape of each key, not just the finger placements.
• Integrate arpeggios alongside scales in the same key to reinforce harmonic understanding and bow distribution across different string crossings.

Build this into weekly lesson structure as a rotating tool: assign one key pattern and one shift exercise per week, cycling through the book over a semester or year. This keeps technical work fresh and targeted without requiring students to practice scales in isolation from their repertoire.

• Intonation accuracy in all positions and across shifts
• Reading and executing music in multiple keys
• Transitional shifts between positions with secure pitch
• Three-octave scale and arpeggio fluency
• Recognition of key-specific finger patterns and interval relationships
• Consistent bow control across varying string configurations