StringTunes: A Very Beginning Solo (or Unison) Songbook: Viola Book & Online Audio

Katz's accompaniment recordings transform what could be boring early-level melodies into genuinely exciting performances. The variety of styles (traditional, jazz, and rock) keeps beginning viola students engaged across multiple listens and practice sessions, making solo performance feel like a real musical event rather than an exercise.

Familiar, grounded, and encouraging. These are the melodies that rewarded you the first time you played a complete musical thought on your instrument. The accompaniments lift them beyond the practice room, giving early progress the dignity of actual performance.

Beginning viola students working through their first year of study, whether they're learning individually or as part of a school orchestra program. These melodies work equally well as solo repertoire for practice motivation or as unison pieces when multiple string students need material at the same level.

• Listen through the entire recording before playing. Hearing the full arrangement gives you context for tempo, style, and the energy level the accompaniment expects from you.
• Record yourself playing along with the accompaniment. Playback reveals rhythmic slippage and intonation issues that are easy to miss in real time, especially in the early stages.
• Vary your dynamics within each phrase even if the melody sits on the same string for several notes. The accompaniment has harmonic and rhythmic movement; your line should breathe with it.

Assign these as recital or performance day solos throughout the first year, using the recorded accompaniments to create polished performances without requiring a live pianist. They also work beautifully as opening numbers for student concerts, establishing confidence before tackling more complex repertoire.

• Playing in the first position across string changes
• Reading from open strings through the first three notes on each string
• Maintaining steady rhythm with recorded accompaniment
• Responding to stylistic direction (traditional, jazz, rock)
• Building tone consistency on sustained whole and half notes
• Coordinating bow speed with phrase shape in early melodic material