Reddit reviews String Builder Violin Book One (Belwin Course for Strings)
We found 3 Reddit comments about String Builder Violin Book One (Belwin Course for Strings). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Violin, viola, cello, and bass play togetherInteresting melodiesEnhances left-hand technique and bowingThe material in String Builder - Book 1 is realistically graded so that only a minimum of explanatory material is requiredEach melody is interesting and will provide lessons to developing a fine left hand technique and bow arm
I'll also second the Suzuki books - while the pieces are short, they are still good for getting the basics down, and you'll get through them more quickly than a child would. It's helpful to practice tunes that you're already familiar with. I also recommend the String Builder books - the short exercises promote repetition and muscle-memory learning and help to get the basics firmly entrenched.
In addition to the Suzuki repertoire, I had these books when I first started:
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.
I learned starting at age 5 without the Suzuki method, though my teacher did use some of the Suzuki books for repertoire. I believe the books she used were "String Builder."