Stringing Along, Level 1: 2nd Violin Book

Stoutamire and Henderson designed this book to deliver immediate gratification for second violins. Rather than relegating younger players to unison lines, these harmonized arrangements give every voice genuine musical content that sounds polished when played together.

These pieces sing with a warmth that comes from genuine harmonic writing. As a second violin player, you'll discover that supporting a melody is as musically engaging as playing the top line.

Second violin players in their first year of string orchestra instruction benefit most from this book. The writing assumes no prior ensemble experience while building confidence through accessible, musically rewarding arrangements.

• Balance your part against the first violin line; your harmonic support needs to anchor without overwhelming the melody.
• Sit with the group before rehearsal and play through once without stopping to hear how your voice shapes the overall sound.
• Mark fingerings lightly in pencil during your first reading so you can focus on intonation and tone quality in the next rehearsal.

Use this collection throughout your first-year rehearsals as your core reading material. The pieces work well for winter or spring concerts featuring early-stage students, showing families concrete progress while maintaining musical integrity.

• Reading in first and second positions
• Playing in unison and harmony with other string voices
• Maintaining steady rhythm while listening to ensemble balance
• Sustaining tone quality over longer phrase lengths
• Understanding harmonic function through playing supporting parts