Stringtastic Book 2: Teacher's Accompaniment: Teacher's Accompaniment Book & Online Audio

The integrated approach means you're not juggling four separate method books or forcing mismatched parts together. Every piece in Book 2 works with violins, violas, cellos, and basses playing at equivalent levels, so your mixed-instrument ensemble actually sounds cohesive from day one. The backing tracks keep rehearsals moving and give students the experience of playing within an ensemble texture, not just drilling isolated parts.

Exploration through play. The 62 pieces unfold like a guided journey through musical styles, each one building on what came before without the pressure of progression feeling like a checklist. Students encounter genuine repertoire moments, not exercises dressed up as pieces, with enough variety to keep curiosity alive.

Teachers leading mixed string orchestras, school ensemble programs, or heterogeneous instrument groups who need cohesive repertoire where Grade 1 and 2 students feel genuinely included. This works equally well in classroom settings with flexible instrumentation as in traditional private lesson studios.

• Use the piano-only track during sectional rehearsals to help students internalize their parts independently before combining with the full ensemble.
• Record your students playing along with the backing tracks and play those recordings back in a subsequent rehearsal; hearing themselves in context deepens their sense of ensemble awareness.
• Vary which instrument section leads on repeated pieces to build listening skills and shift the soloistic focus across your group.

Open the fall concert season with several Stringtastic pieces alongside one or two larger ensemble works; the accessibility and immediate success build ensemble confidence before tackling more demanding material. Alternatively, weave individual pieces throughout the year as warm-ups or as bridges between different repertoire challenges.

• Playing in tune across open strings and first position
• Rhythmic accuracy in simple and compound meters
• Listening and blending with multiple instrumental timbres simultaneously
• Following a conductor while maintaining individual ensemble awareness
• Basic bow control and tone production at elementary level
• Sight-reading fluency with frequent exposure to varied styles and textures