Where to Find the Best Beginner Violin Sheet Music

There are many avenues one can take to find the best beginner violin sheet music. Having access to the internet at our fingertips opens up an enormous world of resources. As a teacher, there are specific books and solos that I use when I am teaching beginner violin. Thanks to the internet, I can find – and a lot of times preview – new music to use with my students. In the old days, we had to go to a music store and look through books and pieces in person. This would inevitably involve extra steps such as: designating a free day to go, finding a well-stocked music store not too far in distance, and transportation. Now, I can sit down at my computer at home in my pajamas and preview all the music I want! Progress is beautiful!

I have been teaching violin for the past twenty-eight years. I have taught students of all ages and levels in person privately, in small groups, in large groups, and now virtually. The best beginner violin music combines a new teaching concept with familiar melodies so the student can enjoy learning the new concept and there is some familiarity with the music. The violin books and sheet music that I love to use with beginner violinists are as follows:

Recommended Beginner Violin Sheet Music: 

Essential Elements for Strings Violin Book 1. Allen/Gillespie/Hayes: note reading, pizzicato, arco, down bows, and up bows. The D and A string notes and fingerings are taught first because it is easiest to teach beginner violin pieces in the key of D major. Then the G string notes and fingerings are taught followed by the E string. You will find simple folk songs in this book mostly in D major at first including: Mary Had a Little Lamb, Lightly Row, London Bridge, Three Blind Mice, This Old Man, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Jingle Bells, Dreidel, and everyone’s favorite: Can Can! Then the book moves into the keys of G major and C major. Simple rhythms are used in 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4 time including: quarter notes and rests, eighth notes, half notes and rests, dotted half notes, and whole notes and rests. Slurs, ties, staccato and hooked bowing are introduced.

Solos and Books of Solos:

Solo Time for Strings Book 1 Violin. Etling: Simple solos in D major, G major and C major. Quarter notes, half notes, eighth notes, whole notes. Simple time signatures: 4/4, 3/4, 2/4.

Solo Time for Strings Book 2 Violin. Etling: New rhythms used include triplets and dotted quarter-eighth note. Added keys: C, F, A major. Added time signatures: 6/8, cut time.

Suzuki Violin School Volume 1. S. Suzuki: Suzuki books are famous among violinists! Keys represented include: D major, G major, A major, C major. Bowings that are practiced in these pieces include: staccato, detache, hooked, and bow lifts.

Essential Elements for Strings Violin Book 2. Allen/Gillespie/Hayes: Rhythms practiced include: eighth notes and rests, dotted quarter note-eighth note, sixteenth note rhythms including the dotted eighth note-sixteenth note, triplets. Flat keys are introduced and practiced including F major, Bb major, d minor, and g minor. Syncopation is introduced as well as 6/8 time and cut time. Some famous melodies represented include: Themes from the New World Symphony, Beethoven Violin Concerto, and Mahler’s Theme.

Solos and Books of Solos:

Suzuki Violin School Volume 2. S. Suzuki: Pieces in C major, A major, F major, a minor, d minor; slurred, hooked, staccato and detache bowing, sixteenth note rhythms. Written out trills are also practiced.

Suzuki Violin School Volume 3. S. Suzuki: Pieces in g minor, D.S. al fine, pieces in two keys such as G major/g minor. Cut time.

Duets:

Beautiful Music for Two Stringed Instruments. Samuel Applebaum: Keys of D, G, C major. Simple rhythms: quarter notes, half notes, eighth notes, dotted quarter notes.