Solo Time for Strings, Book 1: Viola Book

Solo Time for Strings respects what young violists need most: immediate success with music they recognize, paired with steady technical growth. The sequence from simple folk melodies to Baroque material mirrors how a student's confidence builds alongside their facility, making progress visible and musical from day one.

Accessible and rewarding. These solos feel like genuine pieces, not exercises, even at the simplest level. As you move through the book, the musical language grows without overwhelming you, building confidence through recognizable material that connects to the broader string literature you'll encounter later.

Beginning violists in grades 4 through 6 who are ready to play individual solos as part of their orchestra class or private lesson work. This book serves students who benefit from seeing their own progress through repertoire written specifically at their technical level.

• Start each piece by singing the melody first. Hearing the phrasing in your voice before drawing the bow creates better musical intention and intonation.
• Match your bow distribution to the natural phrase shape rather than playing mechanically from note to note. Let the music breathe where it wants to.
• Practice the shifts required in later pieces slowly and separately. Solo Time builds to material like Vivaldi that asks for secure position work, so isolate those technical moments early.
• Record yourself playing these solos. Hearing what you've accomplished builds ownership and reveals spots where your tone quality dips or rhythm loosens.

Assign solos from this book as part of individual progress assessments or school orchestra placements. Violas often get sidelined when repertoire skews violin-focused; this book ensures your developing violists have their own literature to master and perform at studio recitals or orchestra concerts.

• Reading rhythms in simple meters while learning note names on the viola staff
• Building sustained tone and bow control through folk-based melodies
• Developing intonation awareness in first and second position
• Shifting between positions with accuracy
• Performing with confidence from written notation