for Violin, Viola or Cello
By Cynthia Richards and Jerry Jaccard
A unique, new teaching method implementing the philosopy of Zoltan Kodaly in an American approach to beginning string study. Folk tunes are used to train the musician in the child and then to transfer that training to the instrument.
"...the psychological procedure of our whole music-making is faulty -- it must be inverted ... So far it is the fingers that have run ahead, with the head and the heart running after them. The way of the true musician is the opposite: he starts with the head and the heart and from there directs the fingers, the larynx, or whatever instrument. It is because they do not go about it in this way that so many of our pianists play mechanically."
Kodaly in Bonis, F. (1964) The selected writings of Zoltan Kodaly. New York: Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., p. 163.
The books are parallel and can be used in beginning ensembles. Some modifications are included in the cello book to accommodate technical aspects of that instrument.
A Teacher's Guide is included as an appendix.