I'm on book 1 of suzuki violin (hoping to fnish soon) but I was wondering what easy pieces you would recommend for an adult. Something tha sounds sophisticated lol or at least nice (better yet, if it is a recognizable tune) and not those 10 sec children songs that I am stuck with for now. I can read music (piano background) but have only learned up to 1st position on the violin. I've attempted to play pieces like canon, lol but I can only play up to a certain point before the notes are out of the range of first position etc.

Thanks in advance

The B minor concerto from Easy Concertos and Concertinos by Oscar Rieding is good fun and is all in first position.

Wow, it's harder than the notes make it look though!

The Kuchler Concertino in G is simpler...make sure you get the easy one, there are several.

Jigs, Reels and Hornpipes or any of the similar folk fiddle collections by Edward Huws Jones. Once you have become familiar with some of these you could look into some of his other collections of music from other parts of the world. There is also The Fiddler Playalong Collection (or something similar) which has a backing CD you can have fun playing around with.

Just a quick thing - and I know I always go on about this - but if you do decide to play the Jigs, Reels and Hornpipes collection - and it's a great fun, easy collection - please be aware that you won't actually be playing Irish or Scottish fiddle music - you'll be playing hugely simplified, classical versions of them - a little like if you played the theme of a concerto in a different key, without all the virtuoso parts, you wouldn't actually be playing the concerto, but a watered down version of it.

They're certainly fun to play, but I just (as always) want to underline that proper fiddle music is a great deal more difficult than that.

I'd also suggest the G and B minor concertos that have already been mentioned, and perhaps some of the tune a day series ?

I'm completely with you, Allan and take pains to stress that fiddling, like jazz, is an aural tradition! They are great books though for starting to extend and broaden students' repertoire and musical appreciation, as well as being fun to play and mess around with.

of course, if you just want sheet music for trad tunes, there's plenty of that on the internet.

Fiddler's Companion
thesession
jc's tunefinder

Elgar six easy pieces - gorgeous stuff.

Liz

Lol sorry for the slow response, I posted my question and I forgot that I did, so I haven't checked here until now well yes, I did want watered down classical pieces but I'm having troubles even finding those. I guess I really need to learn the violin a bit more beforehand because it's mainly the key signatures that I haven't quite grasped yet (haven't learned) but I mean, I could play by ear instead of which notes to raise/lower a semitone.. but that's just no fun, I like the feeling of of being able to read a piece O yes.. and also that pinky... I haven't developed my pinky's ability yet lol getting there

There is a book called 100 Classical Tunes or something like that, I remember getting that when i was in Suzuki book 1 and you can probably play most of them. It has like the theme of Tchaikovsky Symphony 6, Beethoven 9th, Air from Bach orchestra suite, etc....

I seem to remember playing those at orchestra as an eleven year old and feeling rather resentful as I thought they were rather difficult! The fact that I did not find them easy made me feel rather inadequate. I think I rechristened them "six not very easy at all pieces". I can't for the life of me remember how they sound. Mind you, I was a pretty rubbish violinist as an 11 year old, so that might have something to do with me not finding them easy!



Violin: 100 Classical Themes? I have that, it's pretty good, lots (well, 100!) of simplified versions of classical pieces. If I remember correctly it finishes with Paganini's 24th Caprice; and Hungarian Dance no.5, Spring, Fur Elise, The Blue Danube, Poor Wand'ring One etc etc are all in there. I got this book when I was 10 or 11 (in P7). I don't think I was supposed to get it then, but got jealous when my friend was told to buy it (I can be fiercely competitive), so asked if I could buy it too and my teacher consented, albeit, I expect, against her better judgement. Anyway I used it for a good few years, so it's definitely worthwhile! The pages in my copy are all falling out as it was used so often!

I think they are not extremely difficult, but they are a lot more difficult than they sound. This, of course, may make them frustrating to play for a beginner. That they are named "Six very easy pieces" doesn't help.

I may look into that when I'm on book 2 or 3 then since some find it difficult for beginners, but I can't wait



I must keep an eye out for that book the next time I'm a the music store. Sounds just like what I'm looking for. thx so much