How is the violin course ordered?
It starts where violin method books start: the open D and A strings, then the D major finger pattern, then the other strings. The course ends with Baroque minuets.
| Pieces | What is new |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | Open D and A in Open String March, then fingers 1 and 2 in Hot Cross Buns and Mary Had a Little Lamb, then the D major pattern in Twinkle |
| 5 to 8 | Third finger G in Lightly Row, the key of G in Au clair de la lune, third finger on A in Song of the Wind, longer phrases in Go Tell Aunt Rhody |
| 9 to 12 | The E string in May Song, 2/4 with a pickup and G♯ in O Come, Little Children, then the low second finger C in Ode to Joy and Long, Long Ago |
| 13 to 16 | The G string in Brahms’s Lullaby, then three minuets: running eighths and a triplet, fourth finger B on the E string, and a minor key with B♭ and E♭ |
Pieces 1 to 8 stay on the D and A strings. The whole course lies between G3 and B5.
What will I learn?
- Finger patterns, one at a time: first and second fingers, the third finger, a low second finger, then the fourth.
- Four strings, added in order: D and A, then E, then G.
- New meters and key signatures: 2/4 with pickup notes, 3/4, and sharps and flats in G major and G minor.
- Dotted rhythms, eighth notes, repeats and a triplet, on the way to the minuets.
Open String March is an exercise written for the course. The other pieces are traditional tunes and works by composers who died long before 1926, in our own CC0 encodings checked against public-domain editions. Suzuki’s own pieces are not in the public domain, so they are not here. The scores have no fingerings or bowings.
How do I begin?
In Setlists, open Learn and tap Violin. From an empty library, tap Learn an instrument. The pieces are imported, a Learn violin setlist is made, and the first piece opens, ready to listen. The toolbar shows where you are in the course, and the next piece is a tap away.
How should I practice with it?
- Tune before you start. The tuner shows whether each string is flat, sharp or in tune.
- Play open strings and slow tempos first. The course tempos run about 80 to 100 beats a minute for the quarter.
- Keep the device near you and the instrument. If SheetScroll says it is too quiet, move closer.
- Write bowings with the Up-bow and Down-bow stamps, and fingerings with Finger stamps. Both are under Annotate.
- Repeat one piece until the new finger is easy, then move on.
Many cello tunes are these violin tunes an octave lower, so a violinist and a cellist can play together from the same list.
What do I play next?
Open the free violin sheet music, or import your own PDFs and scans. SheetScroll follows strings by microphone. See the string players page.
The pieces
Learn violin: From open strings to Bach minuets. 16 pieces, in the order they are played.
- Open String March, SheetScroll: Open D and A strings
- Hot Cross Buns, Traditional: Fingers on A and D
- Mary Had a Little Lamb, Traditional: Fingers 1–2 on D
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Traditional: D major on two strings
- Lightly Row, Traditional: Third finger G
- Au clair de la lune, Traditional: Key of G
- Song of the Wind, Traditional: Third finger on A
- Go Tell Aunt Rhody, Traditional: Long and short notes
- May Song, Traditional: The E string
- O Come, Little Children, J. A. P. Schulz: Pickup notes in 2/4
- Ode to Joy (theme), Ludwig van Beethoven: Low second finger C
- Long, Long Ago (melody), Thomas Haynes Bayly: Low second finger again
- Lullaby (melody), Johannes Brahms: The G string
- Minuet in G, Anh. 116 (melody), Anonymous: Eighth notes and repeats
- Minuet in G, Anh. 114 (melody), Christian Petzold: Up to fourth finger B
- Minuet in G Minor, Anh. 115 (melody), Christian Petzold: Minor key, flats
In the app: Setlists → Learn.
Questions
Is the violin course free?
Yes. It is part of the free reader, and its pieces listen and turn pages without Pro.
Does it replace a teacher?
No. It gives you pieces in an order, and a teacher can reorder them or add notes to the setlist.
Why does the course start on open strings?
The first piece uses only the open D and A strings, so you can hear a steady beat before your left hand has to do anything.
Are fingerings and bowings in the scores?
No. You add your own with the annotation tools.
Related
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- StudentsFree courses, free sheet music, loops, hands-separately practice and tempo history. A sheet music app for students that listens and turns the page.
- TeachersMark up pieces, set up recitals, build a lesson library and give students practice that listens. A sheet music app for music teachers, with a free reader.
- String playersA sheet music app that turns the page while you bow. It listens to strings, never turns early and shows your PDF parts as printed. Free reader.
- Tuning your instrumentStandard tunings for guitar, bass, ukulele, violin, viola, cello and more, how to use a tuner or tune by ear, how winds and brass tune, and A440 vs 442.