Best books about musical string instruments according to redditors

We found 426 Reddit comments discussing the best books about musical string instruments. We ranked the 241 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

Next page

Subcategories:

Books about banjos
Books about cellos
Books about mandolins
Books about ukuleles
Books about violas
Books about violins

Top Reddit comments about String Instruments:

u/absurdlyobfuscated · 43 pointsr/funny

Sadly, "The Day That Never Comes" is not included. :(

u/SocialNetwooky · 20 pointsr/ukulele

Check this one out : https://www.amazon.com/Lute-Uke-Ukulele-Package-Songbook/dp/1458406512

Definitely worth the purchase! (incidentally I found out about it when someone asked this exact same question on this exact same subreddit)

u/sizviolin · 13 pointsr/violinist

The auditory component will always be there. You still need to primarily develop the mechanical muscle memory side of things but violin intonation is about constantly adjusting based on your ear.

Here is a great video by Nathan Cole, associate concertmaster of the LA Phil discussing how to nail shifts that I think you'd find useful. Keep in mind he is talking especially about how to do big jumps, from first to sixth+ position for instance. It's still very important to teach your muscles where the basic positions are, such as knowing where third or even where first position is, which is where the muscle memory mechanics come into play.


Edit: The practice exercise you described is exactly how you should be developing the motions. Slide up to the pitch that you are going for and eventually you can start hiding the glissando sound, through shifting fast enough and/or by slowing down your bow/changing bow direction. I highly recommend you also start practicing 3 octave scales with basic shifting, even if you only go up to the highest note you can play in third position for now.

The Whistler shifting book is a staple resource for developing all this.

u/fannylovesfelix · 11 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Hey, I teach violin lessons, mostly beginners. I have a plethora of info for you. :)

Not gonna lie, violin isn't really like piano in that you can teach yourself pretty well if you're really committed. It's just that so much depends on you and your build and how you use certain muscles, it's really tricky. You could get a lot down but I'm moreso worried about the possibility of developing bad habits that can easily become painful.

Where are you from? If you're near me, I'd so give you lessons, free of charge. Or, if you're interested, if you send me pictures of your set up I could give you see how I can help you out.

But anyway, if you do end up learning through books, your best bets are Galamian's Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching and Fischer's Basics. The Galamian is more straight up book reading but has a lot of priceless information. The Fischer is one of the best books ever and is I think around 300 or so exercises that covers pretty much every technique. It's expensive but so so very much worth it.

Also, in regards to instruments, if you really want an acoustic violin, they sell practice mutes that work really well. I used that one when I lived in a small apartment building with paper thin walls, works like a charm. The only thing that gets me about electronic instruments is that being able to feel the vibrations and resonance, nothing can really take the place of that. You could probably find a decent instrument for about the same price range.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have more questions, and good luck! :)

u/pengypengy · 11 pointsr/ukulele

I'm currently working my way through a method book called Ukulele Acrobatics: For All Levels From Beginner to Advanced

I'm currently working on week 6. As someone who's been classically trained in music (9 years on the clarinet, 2 years on the cello), I found this book as an excellent resource in learning how to play the ukulele using traditional music theory and methods.

This particular method book breaks the exercises up by days and weeks, which allows you to take your time in digesting each exercise. I especially enjoy how the author breaks down music theory, particularly establishing how to properly strum rhythm, scales, arpeggios, harmonics, etc.

I also recommend using a metronome and tapping your foot to the beat as you practice. This will help you keep a nice and steady rhythm which is so important in playing music as you could imagine.

I can see how this method book can be frustrating for those who have never studied music theory, especially for those who primarily rely on tabs and chords. But if you're truly serious about learning to play ukulele using sheet music, it is vital to have an understanding of music theory and how to properly apply techniques and this book addresses those concerns. You just need to be patient with yourself and take the time to really practice with a metronome.

Good luck!

u/Flatline2962 · 9 pointsr/ukulele

https://www.amazon.com/Ukulele-Aerobics-Levels-Beginner-Advanced/dp/147681306X

This is pretty cool. It gets complex pretty fast though.

u/promadpony · 8 pointsr/ukulele

this and most things by jake should be amazing for it. Also not to be that guy but try to arrange popular songs into instrumentals by ear. it will help you grow as a musician and help understand the progression of music firsthand.

u/[deleted] · 7 pointsr/ukulele

Better uke setup, still cheap:

  • Lanikai 21-T. This is a tenor uke, around $120. I love mine. The strings that come on it shouldn't, so next...

  • Worth brown strings. These really helped my fingerpicking. $12.80, but the strings are cut long enough for two full sets. Crappy or dead strings will not help you develop your ear correctly. Being out of tune will also prevent your development, so next...

  • Snark SN-2 tuner. About $12.00. Finally, you need something to play...

  • The Daily Ukulele is great, and can be used to practice your rhythm playing or to develop fingerpicked versions of classics (lots of Beatles in here, and an easy uke arrangement of California Dreamin'). At a more advanced level, try Learn to Play Fingerstyle Ukulele Solos. If you have not really gotten into fingerpicking, starting this book will be a big revelation: you suck, because you can't play freaking Twinkle Twinkle Little Star the way the author arranged it (anyway, that's where I started). Learning these will be a long process, and you will probably want to make many detours, through scales practice, finger exercises, and music theory, but your playing (even for strummy things) will start improving enormously.

    I'll also assume that, since you are a Redditor and know what's up, that you don't need to be told to get a metronome like the Korg MA-30.

    So borrow a couple of textbooks instead of buying and set that money aside; that should be about enough to get all of this. Or save money some other way... A friend of mine had a serious Starbuck's habit. I don't think he even realized it, but he was dropping $5-$10 every day at Starbuck's and whining about how he had no money. Coffee at home and two months later, his first uke.

    Last, strumming... practice the living crap out of your strums. Count out loud. Use a metronome. Write down the patterns. Speaking and writing the strum patterns is important, drumming them out with your hand (off the uke) is also important. You need to think of the strum as a rhythm that's independent of your uke, like this magical, ideal, Platonic rhythm, and you with your poor wooden uke and your sad meat fingers have to try to mimic it; anything you can do to understand the rhythm better -- whether or not you do that thing on your uke -- will help improve your strum.
u/Bluemetalbird · 7 pointsr/violinist

I teach beginners (and intermediate and advanced) and beginners are the hardest to start. Getting them past the hurtles of muscle memory, strength, and finding out that playing an instrument isn't as easy as playing a game on a phone is the trick. Don't take it personally if you have kids stop. The adults will stay with it longer.

I like to start most of my beginning students in the Essential Elements book the notes are bigger than Suzuki method, as is an emphasis in reading. Musical jargon is explained in highlighted areas on the pages. Music literacy makes comprehension a lot easier. It is a focus of mine from day one with each student (as young as 5).

If you understand what is on the page, it's easier to figure out as you get into more complicated pieces and areas of your violin - rather than being overwhelmed by a bunch of random finger numbers and random Italian words.

I use different colors of washi tape for the first 3 finger tapes. We marker their book for the first few pages (or until the idea sticks) so they can understand the concept of go up a line or a space and you go up an alphabet letter.

We start off guitar style for the first week (or longer depending on the student). They letter the notes in pencil under the notes until they can reliably name the notes quickly. Then we start to erase the letters for them to play the songs again.

I have a very low turnover rate at the store I've been teaching at for the past 5 years. I teach a ton of beginners.

u/hugsandhomies · 7 pointsr/ukulele

I just bought a book called From Lute to Uke that has a lot of the medieval and renaissance kind of stuff you're looking for. Here's my favorite song from the book so far, Pastime with Good Company, composed by King Henry VIII himself. Note: I'm not the guy in the video.

u/alekzc · 6 pointsr/banjo

I was actually in this exact situation when I started playing - was a highschooler with free time and just wanted to learn banjo.

  1. Get a banjo: If you don't have one already, then this part is sort of a requirement. A standard 5-string is the best place to start. This Deering is a fantastic beginner banjo (and not too bad for performing either), but if price is an issue, I've heard that Gold Tone's work just fine as well.
  2. Get some books/material: This book is by the master himself (Earl Scruggs). It's sort of an essential for anyone looking to play classic 3-finger (Scruggs style) banjo. If you're looking to play Clawhammer perhaps, this is a very good book for learning.
  3. PRACTICE: It can seem difficult at first, but I recommend practicing as much as possible. When I first started, I practiced for about 1-2 hours everyday for a solid month. I was able to improve very quickly. And the best part is that I enjoyed every bit of it. That's another thing, if you really enjoy playing, then practicing shouldn't be verry difficult for you.

    Good luck, and have fun!
u/GoodGuyGandalf · 6 pointsr/doublebass

One major difference is that when you play a note on the upright, the intonations is in your left hand and ear, opposed to just playing inside a fret. Since you already have jazz bass experience, I would recommend Simandl to work out fingerings and positions

u/eyesonlybob · 5 pointsr/woodworking

I was briefly enrolled in a violin making program at the University of New Mexico. I already had many years of fine woodworking skills. There are a number of great books though. A classic is The Art of Violin Making A fairly new book is the Manual of Violin Making which I just ordered and am quite eager to check out.

u/schmopha · 5 pointsr/banjo

If you are wanting to learn clawhammer style, I recommend Clawhammer Style Banjo by Ken Perlman. I've been teaching myself with this book so far and it's very helpful.

u/Aloftfirmamental · 5 pointsr/banjo

I've tried a bunch of books and the best one I've found is Ken Perlman's Clawhammer Style Banjo, which I see recommended pretty often. https://www.amazon.com/Clawhammer-Style-Banjo-Ken-Perlman/dp/0931759331

I used YouTube videos until I could get the motion down, now I'm learning via the book.

u/crayzflyr · 5 pointsr/Guitar

I missed the original thread but Richard Daniels' The Heavy Guitar Bible is an excellent resource for rock fundamentals.

u/Zipnugget · 5 pointsr/Fiddle
u/Magl · 5 pointsr/ukulele

It's in the tab book that he recently released.

u/ccellofleming · 4 pointsr/Cello

For scales, arpeggios, thirds, sixths, octaves, etc. I like Yampolsky's Violoncello Technique. For re-learning I would start here to get yourself reacquainted with the instrument. The book gives many fingerings and bowings to work through, and is presented in a very clear manner.

I can only estimate your level of playing, but check out http://imslp.org/wiki/113_Etudes_for_Cello_(Dotzauer,_Friedrich) Not only are they good books, but you can print them off for free on IMSLP (sorry for the weird link)

Popper's High School of Cello Playing is an awesome book, but probably one you'll want to put off until the basics are more secure.

I would encourage you to have at least one lesson with someone to make sure you have the correct posture and playing position, as that can cause major problems down the road.

Good luck!

u/plumtreespottedmeat · 4 pointsr/banjo

If you're looking for a book, I highly recommend Ken Perlman's Clawhammer Style Banjo. It starts with the basics but goes into intermediate methods. I'm still making my way through it.

u/Disposition59 · 4 pointsr/Fiddle

I've been trying my best to practice the fundamentals as much as possible. Practicing scales slowly and making sure I'm in tune. I check my intonation against the open strings whenever I can depending on the scale. It's can be extremely frustrating! But I figure if you can't play it accurately slow then you wont stand a chance at faster tempos. Also if I land on an out of tune note instead of sliding to find it I try to take my finger completely off and try to land on it as accurately as possible.

If you can read sheet music I highly recommend the fiddlers fakebook!

u/DirtyDanil · 4 pointsr/Cello

I haven't read it myself but Cello Playing for Music Lovers advertises it self as comprehensive and focused on adult beginners specifically . As a bonus one of the top reviews runs down multiple book options. Myself I'm also going through Essential Elements like you mentioned and enjoy it.

Since you're not going with a teacher I would highly suggest some YouTube channels like Johnathan Humphries and Sarah Joy.

Lastly, I would be iffy about being purely self taught, there are many teachers who do half hour lessons and will probably do it cheaper. Especially people who are current music students and don't have 15 years of teaching. Even if you had to go with once a month. There are ways in which you can give yourself unhealthy habits that could even be painful later on. So an occasional correction and instruction might really help. If you really can't... Play with a mirror.

u/biscuit484 · 4 pointsr/Cello

Cossman and Yampolsky are both pretty standard for building good technique. They both have scales and arpeggios and shit. I'm making the undergrads do segments of Cossman this semester for their scale classes and they are PISSED.

u/dishtowel · 3 pointsr/ukulele

This book by Jim Beloff talks about this in depth.

u/VIJoe · 3 pointsr/ukulele

The Daily Ukelele has a section full of kid's songs. Provided that you are still new to the uke (as am I), I would generally recommend the book as well. A wonderfully put-together fakebook. Good luck.

u/bowlphish · 3 pointsr/IWantToLearn

mandolin cafe is one of my favorite resources for all things mandolin. Got lessons on there, but their forums are a great source for whatever you want to learn. My other advice would be to get a book of songs (I use the fiddlers fakebook) and just run through them til you're dead.

u/sirwilliamtk · 3 pointsr/banjo

I also have Clawhammer Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus. Use that in combination with Youtube videos on frailing technique and you're golden. Once you outgrow that book pick up a copy of Clawhammer Style Banjo which will cover advanced stuff too.

u/PGHeastender · 3 pointsr/doublebass

private lessons, definitely, but Simandl I is probably your best bet for learning solid left hand technique.

u/pennsyltuckymadman · 3 pointsr/banjo

I'm not sure why everyone is always recomending the How and Tao book.. I have just about every clawhammer book you can get (i can get them for free so why not) and there are much better books out there.

I would suggest either this one or anything by Ken Perlman, maybe this one: or this

the first one is really good for beginners, but you'll quickly outgrow it, but it'll teach you the right hand motion. The second and third are more intermediate to advanced stuff but really really good stuff.

u/tnicolich · 3 pointsr/doublebass

In your price range, there are two popular, reputable options that I'm aware of for bows: they are the Glasser Fiberglass bow, and the Gollihur Music Brazilwood bow. These bows are both good for beginners, with the former option being a bit cheaper ($75 vs $154) than the latter option. However, the former option is a bow made of fiberglass, as opposed to brazilwood, which the latter is made of; as a result, the tonal quality of the two bows will differ quite a bit, with the latter option probably being preferable tonally.

As far as bass method books that are popularly used by beginners, Simandl's New Method for the Double Bass is the one I'm most familiar with. There is also the Rabbath method, and various other methods that are useful for beginning bass players.

If you're looking for rosin, I personally like Kolstein's Soft and Nyman's; however, you may have different preferences, or needs (depending on climate).

I strongly suggest that you contact a teacher before purchasing any of the above things, as they will best be able to determine your individual needs at this point in time. In addition, it would serve you well to find someone (if not the aforementioned teacher) to study with on a regular basis, as learning to play the bass on one's own might very well lead to developing bad, perhaps even dangerous habits.

u/Luap_ · 3 pointsr/violinist

I have no teaching advice to give since I'm still a relative beginner myself, but as an adult learner perhaps I can give some advice from the student's perspective.

My first lessons (after my teacher showed me how to hold the instrument, do pizzicato, bow from the elbow, etc.) were taught using the Essential Elements book. I thought it did a decent job as a first step to learning intonation. We also did the Twinkle Theme and variations from Suzuki Book 1, because of course every beginner has to learn Twinkle Twinkle Litte Star lol. Honestly I don't remember much after that, because she wasn't a very good teacher. The one thing I do remember clearly, and am thankful to her for, is that she taught me to do scales with normal (separate) bows, slurred bows, and in sequential thirds. Sequential thirds in particular have proven to be really good finger exercises for me, and I was surprised when I looked through the ABRSM scale book that it's not part of their repertoire. (If anyone doesn't know what sequential thirds are, look at measures 19 - 26 of this score.)

My second (and current) teacher instructs me using the Suzuki Books(see note below), with lessons modified for me since I'm an adult (the Suzuki Method is meant for children). I've been very happy with this teacher and the Suzuki Books - they contain good tunes and the progression can be quite demanding, which is good if you're up to the challenge. Being an adult beginner, one of my biggest issues was/is stiff fingers, so I remember having a lot of trouble when I was first introduced to G Major, with that low 2nd finger C (when I played the low 2nd finger it would also pull my 3rd and 4th fingers flat). So be prepared for that, and other similar issues. My teacher is really good at both pushing me to improve, but at the same time being very laid back and always making a point to instruct me to relax and not beat myself up - which is important because as we all know, learning violin can be very frustrating.

  • Note: Just buy the paperback version of the Suzuki books. No need to pay extra for the version with the CD, since you can find all the Suzuki pieces on YouTube. Check this thread I made here a while back for the relevant links.

    I hope that helped a little. I'll edit my post if I think of anything else that might be useful to you.
u/kbergstr · 3 pointsr/mandolin

There's not as formal of a progression with mandolin as there are with more established jazz/classical instruments. I think the closest that you're going to find would be a book like The Complete Mandolinist. It has a decidedly classical bent to it, but it's a single book but it was created to be used progressively rather than a random selection of tunes.

I've also heard good things about Horne's series. but they are well reviewed. More folk/bluegrassy oriented.

It doesn't answer your question, but depending on your level and what you're looking for, there are two books that I have that are more exercise oriented that focus on a progressive approach to learning imrpovisation and the fretboard-- Esichman's getting into Jazz Mandolin has years worth of exercises to develop a Jazz vocabulary and fretboard knowledge.

And Petersen's Guide to Bluegrass Improvisation focuses on building a bluegrass improv vocabulary.

Sorry I don't have much more help, but I don't know if there is a correct answer to this one.

u/tenjed · 3 pointsr/ukulele

I love these two books:

From Lute to Uke - https://amzn.com/1458406512

The Baroque Ukulele - https://amzn.com/1476815208

u/myintellectisbored · 2 pointsr/violinist

I'm an adult learner and I started with Suzuki. I actually like it. I also use Whistler's Introducing the Positions Vol. 1 and my preferred scale book is The Complete Scale Compendium for Violin by Larry Clark although I also have Galamian's Contemporary Violin Technique. I like Larry Clark's because it's good for beginners and very thorough. Galamian's and Carl Flesch's Scale System are good if you're really familiar with scales and need something more advanced.

YouTube has a lot of excellent videos. I prefer Eddy Chen if I'm stuck with something really particular. His advice helped me to really develop a practice routine that helped me stay focused and actually accomplish something. If you do Suzuki, there are some instructors who do play along videos (some even do slower tempo versions) of the etudes which I find helpful.

u/bazzage · 2 pointsr/violinist

Here is a slide show with commentary, on making a viola by Michael Darnton.

Strobel's "Useful Measurements for Violin Makers" has dimensional data.

Johnson and Courtnall is pricier, and has a nice scroll pattern.

Make sure you can sharpen your tools well enough to shave a gnat's butt. There is more to it, but that is a start...

u/foggyepigraph · 2 pointsr/mandolin

Gotcha. Two books that might be just exactly what you want are

Jesper Rubner-Petersen, The Mandolin Picker's Guide to Bluegrass Improvisation. Starts with pentatonic scales, so, pretty basic. Do the exercises as he suggests.

Mike Marshall, Mandolin Method: Improvisational Concepts. Really overviewy. You have to be willing to make up your own exercises to supplement the few in there. I think of this as more of a teachers' tool.

And practice tips: Learn your double stops. Invaluable.

Learn the three finger chords (Jethro style chord forms). Wait, stop, I'm not done! Play the major scale around the chord form (So play a G major scale in the position where you are going to play your G chord). Get the two connected in your head. A lot of improvising over chords is done sort of like this, grabbing scale notes near the chord. Also, makes it easier to play the chord for emphasis while you are soloing (you don't have to really be holding the chord with your fingers so much as holding it in your mind).

Pick a tune. Blue Ridge Mountain Blues is pretty simple, has been covered by everyone from Bill Monroe and Doc Watson to the Avett Brothers, and musically has the little seventh chord right near the end of the chorus (one of the earliest incursions of the blues into country music). Start improvising slowly. One simple way to start improving is to just follow the chords through the tune, and tremolo the root note of each chord as it comes up. This won't sound awesome in a jam, more like "marginally competent at following the chord progression". That's okay, better than sounding like "has this guy even been listening?". Now go back and tremolo the root and third of each chord. Keep adding notes in as you repeatedly practice this piece.

Hope this helps!

u/IndigoLaser · 2 pointsr/Cello

I have used a book called "Cello Playing for Music Lovers - a self teaching method" by Vera Mattlin Jiji for teaching one of my adult students. You can look inside the book on Amazon.com and see if you like it. It includes a CD which helps you hear the proper sound. The writer is a retired English professor who writes well, and provides accurate word descriptions and reference photographs.

It is much better to have a teacher, but if you need to start on your own, this book may be useful reference material for the correct hand position, posture, etc. and it has a number of songs to play arranged in a progressive sequence.

If you buy this book, don't pay list price for it. You should be able to find it for under USD $40.00.

u/ratcheer · 2 pointsr/banjo

For books a Google search will turn up some great stuff. I find the early evolution from an African instrument really fascinating - Google 'ankoting' for some great info.

This is a classic on that topic: http://www.amazon.com/African-Banjo-Echoes-Appalachia-Publications/dp/0870498932

I was once at a concert of some great African musician playing an native instrument. When I looked closer I realized he was playing with the backs of his fingernails like the clawhammer style - so very likely that style of playing, not just the instrument, has African origins as well.

You might want to watch Bela Fleck's video, Throw Down Your Heart. It's basically following Fleck around as he meets and plays with musicians around Africa. While I was a little disappointed by how it's much more about Fleck than it is about Africa, there are a couple sections that are wonderful. Watch for the explanation of what the title means.

There is of course more to the history of banjo than its African origins, but it's definitely an important aspect.

u/Luthier42 · 2 pointsr/Luthier

Violin tops an backs are normaly made of one wedge shaped block of wood that is split from a tree, this produces well quartered wood with very little runout. This is then is split down the middle and opened like a book, it is therefore often said that the wood is "bookmatched"

The minimum dimentions i would use of such a wedge for the back or top would be about 380mm long, 225mm wide and about 30mm thick at the tickest edge, this gives you enough spare wood for resawing and jointing, but larger dimentions are fine, and this is the minimum.

The ribs are normaly made from rough pieces that are about 2mm thick, 40mm wide and of adequate length.

I do recomend you get a good book though http://www.amazon.com/The-Violin-Making-Chris-Johnson/dp/0709058764 this book is very good, it may seem expensive, but it is worth every cent. You can also check if your lokal libraries has some violin making litterature.

u/name_witheld · 2 pointsr/ukulele

I would add Ukulele Fretboard Roadmaps.

Gotta know your chords.

u/TalkForeignToMe · 2 pointsr/ukulele

I can't recommend Hal Leonard's Ukulele Aerobics enough, as far as stretching the fingers and finger placement. It starts out really easy and unassuming, but has you on four-finger chords by week 3 and goes on from there. It's been a super great resource for someone like me who tends to lack direction when self-teaching. The exercises are all challenging at first, that's the point! But by the time I was on week 8, for example, I realized I could go back to week 5 and do those exercises with ease. In general, that's how practice works, but this made it quite tangible for me.

u/joeyGibson · 2 pointsr/ukulele

Buy a copy of The Daily Ukulele and start working on the songs in it. http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Ukulele-Fakebook-Jumpin-Songbooks/dp/1423477758/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330824569&sr=8-1 Also, try to find a local Uke group and meet up and play with them. In the Atlanta area, we have the Southeast Ukers who get together twice a month. I attended for the first time in February, and spent three of the most fun hours I can remember. Everyone there had their copy of The Daily Ukulele, and people would call out songs from that.

u/username_6916 · 2 pointsr/Cello

I'd recommend Abby Newton's Crossing to Scotland as a decant collection of arrangements of Scottish Music. Also be sure to listen to the recording, since there's a whole lot that isn't necessarily on the page. My only issue is that not everything is in the traditional key signature. Someone else recommended Liz Davis Maxfield's Irish Cello book and that's also decant introduction to the genre with lots of text about how to adapt fiddle tunes to the cello. There's also a vast collection of tunes on thesession.org, though you should expect to have to transpose down one or two octaves.

If you're more focused accompaniment, take a look at some of the albums Natalie Haas has released. She also released an instructional DVD with PDF sheet music. Or, go all the way back and see the original arrangements Neil Gow wrote down. There's a long history of cello accompaniment in Scottish Music.

u/gtuzz96 · 2 pointsr/banjo

Yep! If I may suggest a fantastic book to help you along:

Clawhammer Style Banjo https://www.amazon.com/dp/0931759331?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

u/Cello789 · 2 pointsr/Cello

You got great musical tips so far, but there’s some technique you might want to go with it.

I recommend the book “The Irish Cello Book” by Liz Davis Maxfield. Not easy coming from a classical background (from my experience) but it’s a lot of fun and gives you a lot of the same techniques used for American folk music like bluegrass too.

u/El_Mmeno_PeQue · 2 pointsr/mandolin

I play mandolin and use The Fiddler's Fakebook

Nice because it catalogs who has recorded it along with the music. There is no tablature, only standard notation. I don't like tabs anyhow.

Also, Carpilation

This is an assembly of fiddle tunes from an annual gathering in Kansas. It is also standard notation only. I uploaded the PDF file to Kinko's and had them print and spiral bind it for me.

Not all of the tunes are Irish tunes, but they are the majority.

u/ElisaEckhart · 2 pointsr/Cello

Hi, I'm here to help! It sounds like you have a lot of natural talent you just need a little push in the right direction.

Etude Books

Janos Starker's Organized Method of String Playing is really useful for squaring out your left hand, which will ultimately aid you in speed, vibrato and intonation. Make sure to go slowly with each exercise, but they have nifty blurbs about each exercises intention.

Any of the Popper etudes will do. They look really scary at first, and they don't go in order of difficulty. My suggestion is to start with 1, 6, 7, 11, 19 and then just pick ones that sound pretty or that you're interested in tackling. Joshua Roman has played every single one, so if you ever want to hear what it sounds like or just be awed by his virtuousity, I highly recommend. Each etude focuses on a different aspect of cello playing, so try to hone in on whatever the etude is trying to work on, and focus on it when playing.

One of the best ways to practice technique is to practice scales while applying different aspects of cello playing. That way, you're essentially killing two birds with one stone. Playing scales can be tedious at times, but it is so worth the effort, I can't emphasis that enough. Mark Yampolsky has a fantastique book of just scales, and for each scale he goes through triads, thirds with doublestops, sixths with doublestops, broken thirds, and more. He also puts little footnote things at the bottom of most exercises so that you can make the most out of them.

I never used this book (my teacher probably made me buy it at one point and then forgot about making me buy it) but looking through it, it has a lot of the really good things I talked about with the other etude books. S. Lee's Method for Cello includes both scale work and etudes/studies for various kinds of techniques. It's pretty all inclusive so even without ever using it, I'd say it's pretty good, since it basically includes the best of the other etudes I mentioned.

Other books I've gone through in my early days, I'm not writing a review on them all, you can check them out.

Justus Johann's Dotzauer 113 Studies, Book 1

Position Pieces for Cello: Book 1 by Rick Mooney

Also by Rick Mooney, Thumb Position For Cello Book 1

Grant's Intermediate Etudes in the Positions for Violoncello



Extra

Alistair McRae has an excellent tumblr that he has since stopped updating, but he is very philosophical and knowledgeable about cello techniques, and he posts some fantastic videos/posts on vibrato, posture, and practice tips which are actually genius. He has his own ideas for technique books which I won't post here for redundancy's sake but they're there.


Last but not least, I have my own suggestions for practicing better. Practice with intention. I know you said that you started practicing the orchestra music for an hour a day, but I'm a little skeptical as to how meaningful this practice is. It must either be really difficult orchestra music, or you know it like the back of your hand and you are running it through during your practice sessions, because a solid hour a day for a week should be enough to know the music almost entirely. Instead of practicing an hour, practice when you feel ready to work, that is, spend a lot of time on small segments of music/scales/techniques, and stop practicing when you feel your attention slipping, because practicing bad habits is the worst thing you could possibly do. Spend 15 minutes practicing bad habits and waste an hour trying to correct them. Don't give up hope! I know I just threw a lot at you, and I'm going to stop now, but if you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, take a step back, relax, and breathe. You don't have to dive right into any of these etude books. If you're just coming out of a cellofunk, in which you were unmotivated to practice, trying to work on technique is probably the worst thing you could possibly do. It's tedious, it's hard, and progress is so slow that it almost feels like you're slipping backwards. My suggestion right now, is probably to find a pretty cello piece that you really really like listening to, and work on that, because then you'll be motivated to practice. Then, you can start incorporating the technique books, and not only working on them in etudes, but applying them to the piece you're working on. Buy a book of cello solos like this one and just go crazy. Hope this helped! Good luck :)

u/badrash · 2 pointsr/guitarlessons

Teach yourself.

You can learn everything that your teacher has taught you on youtube for free. If you actually want to learn the instrument from where you are now, then focus on the C-A-G-E-D method of guitar study for at least a while. Good books to study C-A-G-E-D are:

Fretboard Logic by Bill Edwards and
Fretboard Theory by Desi Serna. Another old school book that is pretty good is The Heavy Guitar Bible by Richard Daniels.

Learn your minor and major pentatonic scales for every key and then get into your chords. When you practice your scales, don't just do straight runs, but do doubles and triplets and make up your own trips. When you learn the "boxes" for your pentatonics, step outside the boxes and tie them together. See your chords when you run through the pentatonic scales. Learn the names of all of the notes on each fret on all 6 strings. Learn how your octaves are laid out.

After you have this wired, go into your major scale modes.

During all of this, teach yourself songs by TAB or learning to sight read or by ear.

My interests in music jump around so much that I'm into Led Zeppelin one day and Joe Pass on another. If that is how you roll, then teach yourself how the instrument works and the theory behind how the music that you like works along with the lingo or dialect for that branch of music. For example, a blues guitarist has a a whole slew of riffs that are not much ever going to be something that a classical guitarist is going to be playing.

If you teach yourself, then you are steering the bus.

u/calamitywithinsanity · 2 pointsr/violinist

Get into the habit of playing scales regularly. Scales will help you develop pitch recognition (getting used to what "in tune" sounds like), tone quality, bow usage (use full bows!) and it will help you learn the higher octaves/positions once you advance.
When I started learning violin, I used the "Essential Elements" method book, which has pretty useful information and exercises. (http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Elements-Strings-Book-Violin/dp/0634038176)

u/Idealixtic · 2 pointsr/violinist

In addition to the Suzuki repertoire, I had these books when I first started:

  • String Builder
  • Introducing the Positions for Violin
  • Hrimaly (Scale Book)
  • Practical Method: Violin Method

    String Builder, Intro to the Positions, and Practical Methods all have several books in the series, and I went through quite a few of them. If I recall correctly, they're filled with fairly simple etudes that aid in building fundamental techniques. I wonder if a teacher would recommend other progression books for adults, however?

    You could also use that extra time to practice one octave scales for intonation, finger positioning, and bow variations (whole notes, quarter, eighths, then different slurs such as 2 notes in one bow, 4 notes, 6...). Not only do scales help in solidifying fundamentals, but just knowing how to play/identify different scales, as well as it's minor, harmonic, and melodic counterparts goes a long way when playing more complex music.
u/TrebleStrings · 2 pointsr/violinist

Instead of tapes, get a book:

https://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Positions-Violin-Third-Position/dp/1423444876

What I like about this is it builds on what you already know, first position and your existing ear training. You start out by playing something in first, then playing the same thing with a shift to third position. Normally, I don’t suggest books because I think it encourages doing things outside of lessons that could lead to bad habits. But this book is actually intended for students who need supplemental help with shifting. Assuming shifting has been demonstrated in lessons, the book won’t teach you anything new but will rather help cement some things so you can move forward.

u/jrcoop88 · 2 pointsr/woodworking

I am not a luthier or have I ever made a violin but it has been an interest for a while. Besides r/luthier there is musical instrument makers forum as well as this website. lastly the making the violin website recommends this book I’m sure there is more but those are the omes i know of.

u/motorcityguitarist · 2 pointsr/mandolin

Do you have prior experience with stringed instruments? If so I strongly suggest The Mandolin Picker's Guide To Bluegrass Improvisation, and Getting Into Jazz Mandolin, the don't require a lot of experience, but you might struggle if you have none at all. I'm sure some ones suggested Mandolin Cafe, but If you are a complete beginner, Folk of the Wood Is another good place to start.

u/CaduceusRex · 2 pointsr/violinist

Your uncle is right. The older one is, the harder it is to pick up something as technical as the violin. However, because you have experience as a musician, I don't think it's out of the question that you could reach a basic proficiency, at the very the least.


With that aside, I would definitely check out the videos from Violin Masterclass, Todd Ehle, and the great virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin. In terms of method books, check out the Learning the Positions series, the Tune a Day series, and also the Sevcik and Schradieck scale books. Violinist.com is also a great place to ask around. I'm going off the top of my head here, so perhaps other people can chip in as well, since I know I'm missing a bunch.


Anyway, you need go into this like a sponge; listen to everything your uncle suggests. Watch videos and listen to recordings of the great performers, such as Perlman, Oistrakh, Menuhin, Heifetz, Zukerman, Hahn, Mutter, Bell, Shaham, etc. (i could go on and on about this one, haha) and see what you can learn from them. Attention to detail is a must! Most of all, be patient! I have been a violinist for the majority of my life, and yet I am still constantly learning new things from my teacher and other violinists.


I hope this helps, and best of luck to you as you learn this wonderful instrument!

u/450LbsGorilla · 2 pointsr/violinist

This is great for beginners!

I would say though, that anyone interested in really progressing invest in a scale studies book. I've been using Hrimaly since I was in High School, and theres seriously nothing better out there for kicking your own ass at scales. I go back and forth between loving this thing and absolutely despising it.

https://www.amazon.com/Hrimaly-Studies-Schirmers-Library-Classics/dp/0793525683

u/Loquacious_Fool · 2 pointsr/violinist

I recently was at a party of violinists and this got pulled out: http://www.amazon.com/Fiddlers-Fakebook-Ultimate-Sourcebook-Traditional/dp/0825602386/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

It immediately popped out to me as the most important thing that any violin player should have, most of all because it just has a ton of really fun easy to learn pieces. Also of course, playing with other people is always going to be the most fun way to practice so see if you can figure out if there is a group of musicians near you.

u/MsMina · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

/u/Morthy's Demands: I only have one wishlist. =]

  1. I feel like classical music could be something posh. haha
  2. People may think I'm odd if I just busted this out in public.
  3. Sadly I had nothing phallic on my list, what is wrong with me?!

    /u/Akeleie's Demands:

  4. Possibly this, but not sure if she's that geekish, more like awesome!
  5. This to help me relearn what I've forgotten.
  6. I don't think anything on my list would be helpful, except maybe these? lol
u/marshalium · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

I suggest reading The Heavy Guitar Bible. It's the best instructional guitar book that I have seen.

u/ActionHotdog · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

Began playing the violin when I was 7. I took lessons until I went to college. Didn't play it that much in college, but I had it with me for a few semesters. After I graduated, I brought my violin with me and play it every so often.

The Suzuki books are garbage. If your teacher uses them, consider buying your own books or asking him/her to use other books. You could also consider getting a private teacher that doesn't use Suzuki.

On the topic of material, get a scales book (Hrimaly), a technical book, and later on get a book on double-stops. You won't need to use double-stops that often, but it helps with balancing the bow so you only hit the strings you want, and also with intonation.

I don't have all of my music with me so I can't recommend the other books that I have. However, I think every violinist needs to know how to play the Bach Double.

Whatever you do, don't give up on playing. It takes a long time to become even slightly decent at violin. It's the hardest instrument to learn to play, but everyone is always impressed when they hear someone play violin, because either they don't have the ear to notice the mistakes, or they notice but realize how hard it is.

When it comes to concerts and whatnot, if you have to play in front of people, keep what I just said in mind - most of them won't be able to hear your mistakes. Loosen up, correct your mistakes early but don't assume you won't make any mistakes. Realizing that you can fix mistakes before most people will notice takes a lot of the anxiety away.

Now I think I'm gonna have to go play my violin for a bit. :)

u/Phr34Ck · 2 pointsr/ukulele

Hello player!

I bought some Ukulele books myself not long ago. Please note that I'm a total beginner so you might not find them as useful as I found them. The books are:

u/ArcaneBanjo · 2 pointsr/banjo

>G above the first measure shows that the song is in the key of G.

I don't mean to make things more confusing or distract from the original question, but that's not quite right; the F# just before the 4/4 time signature is what shows that the song is in the key of G. (The 4/4 time signature tells you that there a 4 quarter notes to each bar, giving you that common 1-2-3-4 count.)

As others have said, the 'G' indicates the chord that accompanies that measure - it's informational, not something you're supposed to somehow simultaneously play along with the melody. Think of it this way: Say you get together with a guitar player who knows how to play chords, but doesn't know the melody for "Go Tell Aunt Rhody." They can still play along with you by counting along and following those chord changes indicated above the music. Likewise, if you get together with other musicians and they have something like the Fiddler's Fakebook, you can play along with them even if you don't know the song; you'd just follow the chord changes and play banjo chords to back up the melody.

Regarding key signatures/music theory in general check out Edly's Music Theory for Practical People, which is a good introductory guide. Some people will tell you that you don't need to bother with music theory for banjo/folk music, but it really helps in terms of understanding why you play certain chords to accompany certain keys, etc; it can make the difference between learning by rote memorization, and learning by developing an intuitive understanding for how notes, scales, and chords fit together.

u/InstagramLincoln · 2 pointsr/ukulele

Look up anything by Aaron Keim. He has a few small books on various techniques that go with his YouTube channel.

Another highly recommended book is Ukulele Fretboard Roadmaps. It is not specifically fingerstyle related but it really helped me understand the ukulele more.

u/small_d_disaster · 2 pointsr/banjo

I'm quite surprised that you've come across anything for banjo in standard notation. Outside of the minstrel tutors (which are from the 19th century) I've never seen banjo materials written in anything except tab. Especially for old time, where the so many tunings are used, reading standard is almost useless (unless you want to read out of fiddle books).

Anyway, my favourite resources would be Ken Perlman's Book and Art Rosenbaum's. Rosenbaum's comes with a fantastic CD which makes it worth the price alone. It's not really a beginner book, but it's still a great resource which covers a range of old time styles (clawhammer, 2-finger, and 3-finger)

u/ferrioum · 2 pointsr/woodworking

I used the Henry Strobel books, and they worked, but I recently got The Art of Violin Making and it seems to have a lot more information in it, plus the pictures are much better. I also poked around Maestronet and got a good amount of information from there.

u/dei2anged · 2 pointsr/ukulele
u/repotxtx · 1 pointr/banjo

I've heard good things about Brainjo, as suggested already, but I've never tried it. What has really worked for me over the last few month's has been Ken Perlman's Clawhammer Style Banjo book. For some reason, it just clicked with me and I'm around half-way through the book and have picked up maybe 30 tunes or so. There is an accompanying DVD available for around $28. I picked it up also, but mostly just refer to it occasionally if I need clarification on something. I've also seen multiple recommendations for Dan Levenson's Clawhammer Banjo from Scratch, but haven't used that one either.

Also, I think I found my recommendations at the time with a search for "clawhammer books" on the Banjo Hangout Forums. Plenty of info and helpful people there also.

u/monogammee · 1 pointr/ukulele

I have been going through Ukulele Aerobics book, which has a dedicated section on fingerpicking, scales, licks and runs. It can get pretty challenging pretty quick, but since its an exercise book, you can practice as good as you can get and go back and forth.

u/bobxor · 1 pointr/Cello

I really liked this book after not playing since a little after high school, so about 7 years inactive.

What I found more important than just working on technique was finding a reason to play consistently, and to challenge myself. I found that with musician friends that needed a cellist (start simple with something like Wonderwal). And also with friendly community orchestras. Playing with others is challenging as it forces you to listen to yourself and others, and it greatly motivates polishing your technique.

Find fun and enjoyment in the hobby, I haven’t stopped playing since and have met many wonderful people out of my music adventures. Good luck!

u/RemingtonMolybdenum · 1 pointr/Luthier

If you're talking about violins then this one, co-written by two English makers, is excellent. For bass (upright) the best one I know of is this one by Chuck Traeger. If you're talking about guitars, then I have nothing to offer, sorry.

u/miketava · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Mario Kart Love Song by Sam Hart. My fiancee and I discovered this in our early days of dating and find that it really is a good representation of us. I also love playing Mario Kart with her, so that's an added bonus.

I love harmonizing to this song with her in the car!

Best of Metallica Ukelele

u/fiamgt9 · 1 pointr/violinist

Just popping in to say that, while the Russian bowhold really does give you power, it also will generally give you tendonitis... So you may want to rethink adopting it. The franco-belgian bowhold is much more balanced and is much better for your body (though tendonitis is still a possibility- repetitive motion is brutal on your body). That said, if you really want to check it out, the link myintellectisbored shared is good, and so is Galamian (see here) or Auer.

u/breannabalaam · 1 pointr/violinist

Just glancing at the piece, it looks like you should start in third or fourth position. I personally would start in fourth, so that high E can be played without an extension.

I would highly suggest getting the two Whistler positions books, which will help you get your fingers placed properly in the positions, and help you shift to them properly as well.

Book 1.

Book 2.

u/bossmilky · 1 pointr/banjo

http://www.amazon.com/African-Banjo-Echoes-Appalachia-Publications/dp/0870498932/ref=pd_sim_m_1

This book is amazingly interesting, if he likes history and Old Time music.

u/SpaceLemur34 · 1 pointr/madlads

The tab song book is available on Amazon. As are AC/DC and Black Sabbath

u/rhinokitty · 1 pointr/Guitar

Easy one! Get this book and read it start to finish. Then put it on a music stand and start again. Play each exercise in the book and make sure you understand each concept. If you get through this book and can play every exercise, and you understand every concept you will be a very good rock guitar player. From there, write songs, form a band, play gigs, and record albums.

u/gtani · 1 pointr/violinist

Bluegrass jams are tricky because there are so many harmonic/melodic/rhythmic variations of e.g. Whiskey before breakfast. One thing you can do is watch vids of BG guitar, mando and banjo players playing backup, watch their left hands, you'll soon recognize the triad shapes and others

You could look at Julie Liebermans' Improv Violin books, there are a few and also this one has a thorough BG analysis and it's written in treble clef Mandolin Picker's Guide to Bluegrass Improv (amazon has other listings with reasonable prices but no reviews ) https://www.amazon.com/dp/078668237X/

u/PM_ME_BARE_SHOULDERS · 1 pointr/violinist

This is a very good starting book for just $6. It'll give you a good idea of what to do with your fingers. It takes just a week or two to work through.

u/grumbledore_ · 1 pointr/ukulele

This Land Is Your Land

Crazy

Danny Boy

These were the first three songs I learned and they were quite easy.

This book (and the Leap Year book) is great for starting out - so many songs and you can learn more and more complex ones as you go.

u/notrightmeowthx · 1 pointr/ukulele

I think the term you're looking for is fingerpicking. If you search for that, you should find stuff. However, some books that I either own or have seen people mention:

u/dragonbeard311 · 1 pointr/Music

I’ve been a musician for 30 years and a music teacher for 11 years. You are never - ever - too old to learn an instrument. You’re 16. That’s prime time. Find yourself a violin that works, and get Essential Elements book 1.

u/obscured_by_turtles · 1 pointr/Luthier

Violin making is a centuries old craft and it has been very well documented. There's a lot of material if you look in the right places. Everything is done for a well established reason.

For example

https://www.amazon.ca/Art-Violin-Making-Chris-Johnson/dp/0709058764

Don't forget that people make bows, too.

u/guitarnoir · 1 pointr/Guitar

I love Ted Greene and I love his books, but they're not for beginners.

"The Guitar Handbook" by Ralph Denyer is indeed a great overview of the guitar, and guitar music. But while it is a great reference, I'm not sure that it's the best book to guide a beginner in how to play.

Perhaps it's because I'm an old dude and read his books decades ago, but I always liked the instruction books by Richard Daniels, such as "The Heavy Guitar Bible", "Be Dangerous on Rock Guitar", "Blues Guitar, In and Out", and "The Art of Playing Rock Guitar":

https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Guitar-Bible-Instruction-Manual/dp/0895240661

Like I said, those books are decades-old, and there are probably more up to date books that younger players will recommend.

EDIT I'm including a link for a post about Ted Greene that includes a bunch of links that allow you to view his material online:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Guitar/comments/47b61j/discussion_i_made_a_sub_about_the_jazz_guitarist/

u/shodg001 · 1 pointr/doublebass
u/mrmellow · 1 pointr/Guitar

I don't know that there's an easy way to transition from guitar to violin. It doesn't seem like there are a whole lot of commonalities between the two. Also I think it's easy to assume that "learning violin" means you want to become the next Heifetz or Perlman. But maybe it's safer to ask what you want to do with the violin? Any style you're interested in?



If it's bluegrass or folk, you might have to deal with a lot of doublestops (sort of like "chords" on a violin) and fast runs. Because of the hand position and lack of frets, doublestops are going to be weird to play at first.

If it's jazz (yes violin jazz exists), you'd probably learn best by just listening to lots of violin jazz.

If it's indeed classical, you just need to get a teacher from day 1. There are a lot of minute details in violin playing that are ostensibly meaningless initially but later essential to great playing.

In the meantime, you may want to invest in a scales book. One of the more famous ones is by Hrimaly. Don't cheat with the book by playing all the notes on one string. By crossing the strings, you'll get a better grasp of note relationships (kind of like what you would do in guitar). If you want to venture into doublestops you can start learning with this book.

If you're not going to get a teacher, I guess just watch videos. But do pay attention to proper form. Sometimes form is meant to improve tone. Other times proper form is to prevent injury. No i'm not joking.

u/CapoFerro · 1 pointr/violinist

Make sure your shoulder rest (if you use one) is properly securing your violin. You should not have to adjust your grip on the violin after a shift.

I personally had my shifting improve substantially after adjusting my shoulder rest.

Second, don't forget your open string checks. In 3rd position, you have 2 checks that are easy: 1 and 2 can be checked with the lower and higher strings, respectively.

Also, this book has very good exercises: http://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Positions-Violin-Volume-Position/dp/1423444876

u/digsmahler · 1 pointr/doublebass

I used this one as a student: https://www.amazon.com/O492-Method-English-Japanese-Simandl/dp/0825801524/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3YMW2XCGJW6WN23MF539 That one looks like it's still bound with the terrible glued spine that won't lay flat on a music stand. Take it to Kinkos and have them cut it and put a spiral binding on it.

Sankey was always messing around with fingerings, and came up with some super awesome solutions to a lot of tricky passage work. That kind of creativity lends a lot of joy to bass playing. Haters gonna hate, I thought he was awesome!

u/L00ph0l386 · 1 pointr/Cello

there are students who are more advanced than me, but everyone is < 1 year. 3 students in total, I think, including myself.

I have been thinking of supplementing with online lessons, or perhaps a book like this one: https://www.amazon.ca/Cello-Playing-Music-Lovers-Self-Teaching/dp/1412095603/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481493285&sr=8-2&keywords=cello+for+music+lovers.

But only as a supplement, not a replacement.

u/artemis_floyd · 1 pointr/Violins

Speaking from experience as both a violinist and teacher, obviously the best thing to do would be to see a teacher - but I definitely understand that isn't an option for everyone financially or time-wise. That said, here's my advice:

Start from the very beginning. Essential Elements is an awesome book series to teach you the basics, especially if you're rusty on reading music. The interactive CD helps quite a lot, and you should use it.

Put finger tapes on your instrument. Here is a good instructional on how to do it. I don't recommend the violin fretboard as it's too busy; the tapes are much easier to look at while you're playing.

Buy a tuner! If finances are a concern, you can download an app to your phone/tablet, but a digital tuner is your best option. I use this one and swear by it, particularly as it also has a metronome.

Practice using a full-length mirror. Since you don't have a teacher watching you play, you'll have to take on the role yourself. Particularly watch your left wrist (is it folding in against the instrument?) and your bow arm (is your bow moving straight and is your right shoulder hunched?). It sounds crazy, but practice in the bathroom...it usually has great acoustics and a large mirror. It works!

Make playing comfortable. If you need one, use a shoulder rest - they aren't especially expensive and make a great deal of difference in holding the instrument securely and comfortably (you don't want to be pinching your shoulder upwards or angling your head downwards). The Kun is an industry standard and works well for most beginners. Also, use a stand - do NOT put your music down on your bed or on a table and hunch over to read it, as it totally ruins your playing posture and prevents you from bowing properly.

I hope this helps!

u/AFCartoonist · 1 pointr/banjo

I'll tell you something - the online lessons didn't work for me at all. I bought this book (http://www.amazon.com/Clawhammer-Style-Banjo-Ken-Perlman/dp/0931759331/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333467612&sr=8-2) and made it a chapter or two in. Then I went to Africa for six months, took my banjo and what little knowledge I had formed a jam group. I learned more from doing that than anything else. That said, invest in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Parking-Lot-Pickers-Songbook-Banjo/dp/0786674911/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1333467621&sr=8-4

I got it as a gift, and it's awesome. There aren't a lot of clawhammer songbooks out there, but this one has most of the popular songs in melody-only tab, so you can pick them any way you want. It's the single most useful book I've ever looked at in trying to learn banjo.

u/Perpetualwiz · 1 pointr/ViolinAndFiddle

hi!
It is a somewhat old post, but I was thinking it over myself for over 10 years so maybe it would be still helpful :)
I got my violin at the end of March, as I understand cheap violins can be frustrating. You can search for rentals. I am on a rent-to-own program so anything I pay for rent is going to owning a violin in the future. In the meantime I am learning on a $700 dollar violin.
As books, you can start with Suzuki violin book 1 (with CD) and Essential Elements for Strings: Violin 1.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_25?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=suzuki+violin+book+1+with+cd&sprefix=suzuki+violin+book+1+with%2Cstripbooks%2C189&crid=9LAG8EWNCUFF

https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Elements-Strings-Book-Violin/dp/0634038176

u/DryEagle · 1 pointr/mildlyinteresting
u/rickscarf · 1 pointr/mandolin

I recently picked up a copy of this book and have been extremely pleased with the approachability for newcomers as well as the depth of lessons as you get more advanced http://www.amazon.com/presents-Mandolin-Pickers-Bluegrass-Improvisation/dp/078668237X

Gives you exercises to help you learn the scales and theory behind what you're playing as opposed to just a lead sheet or fakebook.

u/AndusSapien · 1 pointr/Bass

I took classical upright lessons for a little while, and this was the book that I used: New Method for Double Bass.

This book has some very simple-to-follow exercises that should help you get used to sight-reading, and will also give you some foundational harmony.

u/discopatiens2 · 1 pointr/latin

>And here you have a method (modeled after Suzuki's view of language acquisition) that says playing a small handful of melodic pieces but those to perfection is all you need.

I think the Suzuki method may successfully reproduce the effect of going through hundreds of scales and other exercises that you'd otherwise do like in more boring books like [Whistler] (http://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Positions-Violin-Third-Position/dp/1423444876/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422686450&sr=8-1&keywords=whistler+violin). But I wasn't aware that teachers use Suzuki as the only material for their students. It was the case for me that I'd have several etude books like Whistler plus a "fun" piece like Suzuki to work on concurrently. Plus I would hypothesize that the core "vocabulary", if you will, is narrower for violin playing than for languages. In other words, you only have to have mastered a relatively small set of variations on the scales, shifting and double-stop exercises before you are able to apply it freely in other pieces. It's like that typing example I mentioned. I only needed to practice for two or three weeks before I was typing completely fluently in a Dvorak layout and in Korean. Compare this with my Latin, where I can drill myself on the endings to the verb "eō" until the cows come home and still stumble when I see something like "inībat".

> We seem to have quite different approaches to language.

After reading the rest of what you wrote, I don't think so, or at least not to the extent that you think. I completely agree with your next statement regarding viewing core language fluency as chunks of words or phrases of varying lengths. Of course scanning language and analyzing syntax at the microscopic level is highly inefficient. I only recommended this as a way to learn the fundamentals before moving on to the 'chunking' phase. But it seems to me that it is still more a matter of chunking grammatical forms than individual words or phrases. Caesar does have a set of very frequently used words but I don't think to the extent that you can call them stock phrases. When I see something like that passage you quoted, for me there is a two part process going on. Just as you do, I instinctively group them together. His, litteris and nuntiis share ablative-like endings so they must convey a "by/for/with" kind of meaning (of course I'm not translating into English as I do this, I'm just trying my best to describe to you in detail the mechanics that happen behind the scenes, i.e. subconsciously, when I read a sentence). Then I interpret the meanings, which is not hard because I know by the stems that they must refer to litterae and nuntium, so there's hardly any difficulty here. Then I see "commotus Caesar" and think this must be the subject and instinctively pair this with the ablative phrase. And so on... But I think this example more demonstrates the repetitive occurrence of form, not individual words & phrases. It could easily be something like "illis servis permotus dux..." or "his legatis, qui in gallia erant, Marcus certior factus..." (k, I'm sure that's not good Latin but I'm trying to make a point). I'm in no way trying to parse them individually. This may be what is happening behind the scenes but I'm not formalizing them into technical terms by saying "ok this is ablative, singular, feminine". The meaning just dawns on me organically. But even if Caesar can be read fluently by having mastered a set of individual stock words and phrases, I think this goes against what our friend here was after, which was about the production abilities in language.

u/Letheron88 · 1 pointr/violinist

I normally start by doing the bottom A, C, D and G major scales with different pattern bows strokes, then do the full scales top to bottom. After that i'm kind of jumping into playing a few pieces from this book:https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/9043127515/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, then practice a few things from the either Suzuki book 1, or one or two things from this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0955438462/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 or this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0634038176/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. After doing that I normally try and do some 3rd position scales (Which I'm still really having to work at) and have recently started learning to do double stops.

When I notice I'm getting out of tune I normally stop, go back to the start of the phrase I was playing, play the notes in the key I'm playing, then go back over the phrase to see if it sounds better.

I also normally have a go at a few pieces from The Lord of the Rings book, from Full Metal Alchemist, a book of Disney songs (as they're familiar) or another piece that's caught my ear from gaming.