Stringtastic Book 1: Teacher's Accompaniment: Accompaniment Book

This accompaniment book respects what string teachers actually need: flexibility. Because every piece works with any combination of violin, viola, cello, and double bass at equal levels, you're not locked into a single instrumentation. The 57 pieces progress methodically from D major scale work into Grade 1 territory, so your students advance together regardless of what instruments walk into your rehearsal.

Accessible and immediate. These 57 pieces span recognizable musical styles with enough melodic appeal to keep young players engaged, yet they're carefully constructed to build secure technique without overwhelming. Working through the book feels like steady progress, not grinding through exercises.

String teachers and conductors leading beginner ensembles where flexibility in instrumentation matters. Whether you teach a mixed-ability class, a pullout small group, or a full heterogeneous orchestra, this accompaniment book adapts to your actual students rather than forcing them into predetermined combinations.

• Balance your accompaniment volume so the string lines remain the primary focus. The piano supports rather than dominates.
• Use the piano-only practice track during individual lessons to help students internalize their parts without the backing track's rhythmic security.
• Coordinate with your string musicians on fermatas and phrase endings; a clear physical cue from you ensures ensemble cohesion across the piano and strings.
• Explore different ensemble combinations across rehearsals to maximize the flexibility the book offers. A piece with all four string voices one week can feature just violins and cellos the next.

Use this as your primary repertoire resource for beginning string instruction across the fall and winter. The progression from D major fundamentals into Grade 1 work maps cleanly onto a standard school year, and the stylistic variety keeps ensembles sounding fresh across multiple rehearsals. Pair ensemble pieces with the downloadable backing tracks during full-group rehearsals, then shift to the piano-only option for sectional work.

• Reading and playing in D major tonality
• Equal-level ensemble playing across mixed instruments (violin, viola, cello, double bass)
• Responding to piano-based harmonic accompaniment
• Phrase shaping and articulation control across multiple musical styles
• Listening and balancing within an ensemble context