Young Strings in Action Vol. 2

Young Strings in Action is a two-volume course in the fundamentals of string playing. Specifically designed for heterogenous instrument classes, it has proven to be very successful in public school string programms. It is also intended for private aswell as self instruction. Its two volumes, covering the first two years of instruction, constitute a complete manual of new ideas and proven techniques, enabling teachers to present in clear and concise terms the basic musical and technical skillsnecessary to play a violin, viola, cello, or bass. The well-tested approach to stringplaying offers all students a unique opportunity to progress quickly, while at the same time strengthening and refining the basic fundamentals. The student does morethan simply play a string instrument: he or she develops a clear understanding of how to play. The material presented in these volumes is set forth in a format which allows flexible adaptation to a wide variety of classroom conditions, such asvarying class size and instrumentation. In the student books for the four instruments, many of the repertoire pieces are presented in duet and trio arrangements, enabling performace by ensembles of like instruments, as well as various othercombinations. Volume 1 emphasizes total body movement and left arm mobility, helping students to acquire freedom of movement, correct positioning and playing facility. The all-important position and balance of the left hand is aided by early emphasison the central fingers and their relation to the adjacent string. Better intonation and hand position are achieved by emphasizing interval and chord relationships. A balanced bow arm is achieved by starting students at the middle of the bow. InVolume 2, the student develops flexible finger movements and is introduced to the positions most often used in the lefthand fingering technique of each of the instruments. Refining the bow arm is also emphasized, using more complicated bowingpatterns in the exercises and pieces, as well as groups of slurred notes and slurred string crossing.