Open String Bow Workouts for Violin, Book One

Someone recommended this book after I reached out for ideas. I am an adult (50s) who started learning to play the violin six months ago. My past experience as a youth playing various instruments quickly moved my past the learning-to-read-music stage. While my teachers spends a lot of time on technique with me, my biggest struggle is making smooth (not bouncy) bow strokes that are straight and do not keep moving too close to the fingerboard or bridge, as well as remain on a single string when I am only supposed to play a single string.This book, so far, is exactly as the title states: workouts on open strings. The lessons start out simple and then work on quick transitions (or as quick as I want) between strings. I appreciate the structure of the pieces as making up my own practice ideas with the open strings was not working. On my own, I can easily quit when I feel tired. When I'm using a structured book, it's easier to push myself and not stop practicing until I believe I have made some progress each day. I recommend video taping yourself to see when and where the bow strokes change. This is helping me recognize elbow and arm placement and is great for an adult who analyzes their practice (like I do) as I am determined to "get it" with bowing straight, and smooth. After only one week of practice with the book, I definitely feel better about smooth bowing. Now it's working mainly on keeping my bow straight and making clean switches between strings that are not next to each other. I appreciate this book. Plus, it's a break from only playing warmup scales as I prepare for my lessons and more complicated music.

If you are a beginner and familiar with your open notes, this book is great for bow placement practice. I had to look up a few symbols on you tube because I’m self teaching but overall I love this practice book!

I have started to use this as a standard when students need a review of their tone and are just about to start double stops (which start in ex. 7)-- about the end of book 1 or beginning of Suzuki book 2.Later in the book includes practice on using different parts of the bow, bow retakes, and slurs. The rhythms get gradually more complex and grow with the student-- lots of longevity with this one. I’ve been assigning 1-2 per week (picking-and-choosing a bit, depending on need) and there are NINETY-SEVEN exercises, divided into 11 parts-- definitely a lot of longevity. (Book 2 has slightly more complex rhythms, different articulations, chords/grace notes).

This is a great book! The exercises for the open strings are challenging and they truly help develop one's speed when it comes to reading and fingering. I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking to improve on reading and fingering. This is a book which, personally, I have been using long after mastering. Always go back to basics!

This is an excellent way to focus on bow control, which is so critical for good tone.

One of the most important things you need to work on when playing the violin is your tone, the BEST way to do that is with open strings - you can focus all your attention to your right hand and develop your bow technique with this.

Helpful to someone with less than a year playing and trying to do online classes.

Overall, an excellent book of exercises. But my book is missing the first 6 pages/workouts.

I bought this because I was dealing with tendon pain in my left hand, so I thought I could give that hand a break and still get some practice in. It starts very simple with long bows and gradually gets more difficult. I am glad to have something to work on and challenge me instead of having to totally stop violin practice. Great purchase!