NEW Group Students! Welcome to classes - please click here to learn how to best use this page of the web site.

http://groups.google.com/group/stringschool This is a Google group for violin students! Feel free to ask questions, share ideas, find practice buddies or partners for recitals, and chat about anything related to your violin studies. This is a closed (non-public) group, if you are registering under a different email address than the one you signed up for classes, please also contact me after requesting the registration with your name and class you are currently attending.

First Position Fingering Flash Cards, soon everyone will want them so don't be the last to catch the next new craze.... Click here!

Pickup Private Lessons / Make Up Lessons: If anyone wishes to take a private lesson and get some personal help one-to-one, or to make up a missed lesson, just send an e-mail to schedule, there are lower rates for private lessons for currently enrolled group students, the rates are on this page.

StringStore: Please write info@stringschool.com if you wish to place an order or try an instrument.
Instruments: Good Student Violin $850, other violins starting at $100, Bows: Branded Peccatte $300, Branded Buthod $175, both decent playing bows but most likely not authentic, other bows starting at $20, Rubber Practice Mute: $5, Used Kun Shoulder Rests: Violin or Viola $10, New Kun Shoulder Rest: $25 Used Resonans Shoulder Rests: $5 Chin rest swap, try a different chin rest: $free-$15 for students with exchange of old chin rest. Music Stand: new, $8, Electronic Tuner: new, $8

Learn the parts of your instrument and bow, how to care for your instrument, all about shoulder pads and how to set up your home studio. GO

Learn rest position and play positions, what to do with your feet (that gotta dance), basic finger positions with a side note about fatigue. GO

What's an "Up Bow", for that matter what's a "Down Bow" - gosh, why do I have to hold the bow like this, it's freaky. Is there anything I can do to make this feel better? GO

Tuning takes some practice, but if you wish to give it a try, here are 30 second recordings of the violin / viola string tones: A, E, D, G and also the low C for viola. Be sure to twist while firmly pressing the pegs into the instrument to make them hold fast. Click here for more info on tuning your instrument.

Learn to figure out what all those lines and spaces are in your music and what they mean. Begin reading your own music! Learn about basic rhythm and other common symbols in your music. GO

My string broke! I think my instrument is really out of tune! My violin was crushed by a falling anvil.... What to do when something goes wrong with your instrument. GO

Updated for Apr-Jun
Info about class and private lesson meeting dates, theory classes, locations and upcoming recitals. GO

You can make secure tuition payments here via credit cards and eChecks. Tuition schedule and more.... GO

Please click on the song(s) you're working on for helpful info, fingerings and recordings. Each song has a brief lead-in before the song starts and to help you get prepared to play:

Book I

• Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
• Lightly Row
• Song of the Wind
• Go Tell Aunt Rhody
• O Come Little Children
• May Song
• Long, Long Ago
• Frere Jacques
• Allegro
• Perpetual Motion
• Allegretto
• Andantino
• Etude
• Minuet I
• Minuet II
• Minuet III
• Happy Farmer
• Gavotte-Gossec.mp3 Sound File

Book II

• Musette.mp3 Sound File

Feel free to preview upcoming songs, but do concentrate on the ones we're working on right now. More songs as they're ready....