For Current Students
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Borrowing from my Studio Library:
Current students can browse materials available to borrow at my Catalog (powered by LibraryThing's TinyCat). Students can see what I have listed as "checked out" to them by putting their last name in the searchbox to see what comes up.
PSMP students are also eligible to check out videos from the PSMP A/V library.
Current students can browse materials available to borrow at my Catalog (powered by LibraryThing's TinyCat). Students can see what I have listed as "checked out" to them by putting their last name in the searchbox to see what comes up.
PSMP students are also eligible to check out videos from the PSMP A/V library.
Purchasing your own music:
You will need to build your own personal music library by purchasing copies of the music you're learning.
You will need to build your own personal music library by purchasing copies of the music you're learning.
Suzuki Method audio recordings |
Suzuki Method sheet music |
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Suzuki audio recordings are available as downloadable mp3s or physical CDs. (For violin recordings, please use either Hilary Hahn or David Cerone). Hilary Hahn recordings are currently available on Alfred's website for:
The Suzuki Method reference recordings are made by professional musicians at a polished, performance speed. These reference recordings are what you will be able to do after you have become an intermediate or advanced player. Many students enjoy practicing along with recordings at a beginner level, though, so for beginners I also highly recommend purchasing slower practice recordings. |
Suzuki sheet music is readily available as physical books or as eBooks through sites like sheetmusic.com, amazon.com, iTunes, Shar, etc.
For sheet music, please get the revised editions. I recommend using the physical (paper) books, or scanning a digital version into a music reading and annotation app like forScore (iPad). |
Slower practice recordings |
Suzuki Method videos for practicing |
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The companion Step by Step books and recordings by Kerstin Wartberg provide slow, medium, and slightly faster tempos as well as recordings of practical exercises that are recorded at a speed that beginner students can play along with.
These companion recordings can be downloaded from the imtex.info website. IMTEX is a subscription site - you can subscribe to stream, or if you are one of my current students, you can ask me for a studio link so you can download from imtex (no need for you to subscribe separately from my studio). Another way to get slow recordings is to use a software app that slows music down without changing its pitch. My go-to sheet music reading app, (forScore for iOS), can do this, as well as loop sections of the recording to help you with practice reps for small sections of music. There are also standalone apps or devices which can do this. |
For violin beginners (Suzuki book 1-2 level) who have access to an iPad or iOS device, I highly recommend the video recordings available through the myOngaku app. These videos show you what it looks and sounds like to play every line of music in violin books 1-2, with closeups of the left hand as well as shots of the whole instrument, and text with helpful reminders about fingering or bowing.
For all my students, I frequently create practice videos tailored to specific things we're working on. All my students can stream or download my practice videos at their own private vimeo link. |
Improvisation (Creative Ability Development)To foster creativity (musical improvisation), I ask students to practice with Alice Kay Kanack's "Creative Ability Development" series of books and CDs, starting with either Fun Improvisation for Viola or Fun Improvisation for Violin.
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Music Theory & HistoryFor music theory, I usually ask my students (around age 9 and up) to work through the Alto Clef (Viola) Edition of Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory. You can buy it in 3 successive volumes or you can get the complete version (all 3 volumes in one book).
Be sure to get the Alto Clef (Viola) edition, which teaches 3 clefs (Treble, Alto, and Bass). The other versions are missing all the information about Alto Clef. |
Local Libraries and Public Domain sheet music:
Most local public libraries and university or college libraries have some sheet music collections and musical audio recordings available for checkout. The following two Southern California libraries have extensive sheet music collections or musical audio recordings available for checkout:
If you're in need of sheet music that is in the public domain, many scores are also available to download at IMSLP.org. If you use an iPad, I highly recommend the forScore iPad app (and its companion iPhone app) for organizing, annotating, and viewing PDF music.
Most local public libraries and university or college libraries have some sheet music collections and musical audio recordings available for checkout. The following two Southern California libraries have extensive sheet music collections or musical audio recordings available for checkout:
- Brand Library (Glendale/Pasadena Library system)
- The Cypress Branch, and the public domain digital online archives, of the Orange County Public Library system
If you're in need of sheet music that is in the public domain, many scores are also available to download at IMSLP.org. If you use an iPad, I highly recommend the forScore iPad app (and its companion iPhone app) for organizing, annotating, and viewing PDF music.
