Stringtastic Beginners: Viola

Stringtastic Beginners is a fun new series designed to teach through playing in an engaging exploration of musical styles. A fully integrated series, violin, viola, cello and double bass can all learn and play together in any combination. Each book contains over 40 imaginative pieces to steadily establish a secure playing technique and build confidence, one step at a time, taking the student from complete beginner (open strings) to playing the notes of the D major scale. The first 20 pieces comprise two independent tunes that can be played as duets – one for open strings and a more advanced part using the left-hand fingers, which students can revisit as they progress. Ideal for individual and group tuition as well as flexible ensemble and classroom settings. Every piece is supported by an exciting backing track plus a piano-only track for practice, all available to download. Plus, the teacher’s book provides the complete piano accompaniments which work with any combination of instrumental parts.

Mark Wilson and Paul Wood have developed an engaging and accessible new series of string-playing method books… The presentation will appeal to young learners, and the careful, well-conceived pedagogy will thrill their teachers! Furthermore, the Stringtastic integrated approach gives proper deference to the social aspect of music-making by allowing violinists, violists, cellists, and bassists to play together from the start. I look forward to sharing this method with my young students and colleagues in early music education.

Dr. Mark Elliot Bergman, Director of Strings and Orchestral Studies, Sheridan College.