Violin 1A – Material Overview for Teachers
An important goal in Violin 1A is to establish a regular daily practice routine. Children and parents learn together how daily listening, daily review, and short, consistent practice can become a natural part of everyday life. Parents also learn how to support their child at home by following the teacher’s guidance.
At the same time, the focus is on the development of a very good violin posture and a secure bow hold. In addition, this level marks the beginning of structured repertoire work after the Pre-Twinkle phase, with an emphasis on steady rhythm, basic bow control, simple left-hand coordination, and building confidence through repetition and listening.
Listening
Listening includes recordings of the pieces students are learning now, as well as pieces they will study later. In addition to the standard repertoire, the 1A pieces are also available in trio versions with harp introduction. These different arrangements and sound colors help children experience musical variety and deepen their musical understanding.
1A Daily Review & Practice Chains
Daily Review focuses on secure repetition of familiar material. The teacher decides which pieces should be reviewed, for example in preparation for concerts, group lessons, or performances.
If no specific review program is needed, teachers may choose from the guided review recordings available in the media library. These help maintain continuity, confidence, and enjoyment in daily practice.
Practice Chains offer another way to organize daily review. They combine several pieces into a continuous practice sequence.
1A Practice Accompaniments
Kerstin Wartberg’s Practice Resources – 1A (Audio + PDF) brings together all the corresponding practice materials from Step by Step, practice recordings for Suzuki students, and additional exercises and supplementary pieces.
The accompanying eBook Let’s Practice Together! – 1A includes musical notation, exercises, and helpful explanations for teachers and parents.
The audio recordings include versions with violin and piano, as well as piano-only accompaniments in different tempi.
The audio tracks are arranged in numerical order, with track numbers corresponding to the pieces and exercises in the eBook. This makes it easy for teachers and parents to find the appropriate recordings.
Technical Studies
All technical exercises are available with piano accompaniment and can be used effectively in both individual and group lessons. The material is based on My First Technique Book by Kerstin Wartberg, with selected score excerpts included for direct use in the media library.
My First Technique Book is designed to be used over several levels and may accompany students over an extended period of study, rather than being limited to a single level.
1A Ensemble Pieces
The ensemble pieces are written for mixed-level string ensembles. Simple parts allow Level 1A students to participate confidently, while more advanced parts enable older students to play together and support early ensemble experience.
1A Videos
The videos provide musical models and visual guidance for teachers, students, and parents. They support imitation, musical imagination, and a clear understanding of sound, posture, and basic playing movements.
1A Notes for Parents
This section offers short texts for parents that focus on the parent–child relationship and the learning process. The emphasis is on encouragement, consistency, and personal development, rather than on short-term results.
A printable PDF version of this material overview is available above.