I bought a viola yesterday.

I've had a few upheavals in my life recently, and just to cheer myself up I booked a session at the local string shop to try out some violas, thinking I might save up and buy one, find out what size I could play etc, thinking this might be a future project, I always wanted to get a viola when I played violin, and have so much enjoyed learning a new instrument with the clarinet. I played about eight instruments vastly ranging in price and quality, and really fell for one, which then turned out to be the cheapest of the lot!!!! I obviously have great taste but I don't care, I like the instrument. Anyway it was such good value with the case and bow I just blew some savings on it. Only live once!

Had a little play last night - it's just so lovely and rich and resonant, so nice to vibrato on, I don't have any viola music at the moment just been playing random things on it. Think this might be quite fun to play about with although I don't want to detract from my new-found love for the clarinet.

Need to get some music now! Oh and learn to sightread alto clef

Anyone got any suggestions for a former not-too-bad violinist? On violin I tended towards baroque or romantic repertoire, I also have a weird liking for studies generally (I remember Wolfhart and Dont violin studies). Standard-wise, not sure really, I can sightread grade 5/6 violin stuff quite well, but obviously have the clef to contend with.

Yay! I was going to suggest the Bach Cello Suites too. They are standard repertoire and great fun, and if you're able to sight-read grade 5/6 stuff on the fiddle it's as good a place to start as any.

If you aren't familiar with the alto clef, there's a book called "Third First" or something like that. It's targeted at violinists learning the viola and the third position approach makes the alto clef easy to read.

Enjoy the viola - it's a fantastic instrument!

about the Bach Cello Suites. The Telemann concerto is also a good one

If you like studies, most of the usual violin suspects (Wohlfahrt, Mazas, Sevcik, Schradieck and so on) are available in viola versions too

Welcome to the wonderful world of viola playing!

Also, thanks for using the expression 'violist' and not saying 'viola player'. I have a thing about that!!!

Thanks for the welcome violists! (just to keep elisabeth happy!)

I printed out the telemann and bach from IMSLP - oh my alto clef is hard. I might need to lower my expectations a bit! I just keep playing scales and arpeggios at the moment, they sound so nice on the viola.

Viola-mad do you have a link to that tutor book at all, I can't seem to find it.

Hi eirlys,

Not sure if these are any good to you but they are a couple of Viola methods in the IMSLP. They're not in English but they might get you started on the music/alto clef side.

http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/4/4e...lini_Book_1.pdf

and

http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/b/b9..._Alto_Viola.pdf

Cheers,

Matt.

Thanks Matt they do look useful especially the first one.

Unfortunately I haven't got a printer at home, I've been printing out at work - but have to pop in tomorrow morning so shall sneak into the office and print that off when noones around, it is rather long!!!

Argh, I forget the title of the book, but there IS a tutor designed specifically to help you cope with the alto clef (and, indeed, to help when you have to play treble on a viola, which I always found more daunting, to be honest )

Will try and find it and let you know, or do a search, as it IS out there.

When I first started playing viola I tended to imagine (with my fingers in first position) that I was playing in 3rd position on a violin. You do definitely need to start also to understand the alto clef and read it "properly", but I found that a help in terms of "see note - play note" playing. If the whole 3rd position thing fries your brain, ignore/forget it - some people go "Oh, yes, wow, that helps", and others look at me ... it definitely doesn't help everyone!

Helps (IMO) to start by playing things you know, so you know instantly if you are reading the notes correctly - when I first had viola lessons, my teacher clearly reasoned that I had passed G6 violin so shouldn't have any problems, and dumped me right into G7-8 stuff. I enjoyed learning real music, but it did little for my alto clef reading! It can be fun to try the hard stuff but do balance it with things where you can get used to the clef, don't do a me and finally master (well, ish!) alto clef after six years of playing the thing...

Have fun with it... I love the viola it's the nearest thing I can get to playing cello without having to remortgage the house

eirlys, llongyfarchiadau! A croeso i byd yr'r fiola.

(sorry for terrible welsh)

Which shop did you go to to try out violas, btw? Was it cardiff violins? I am starting to think about new violas, though I have no justification for it really, as I have only been playing a few weeks, and need to think about where to go...

oh fwiw, I am learning the alto clef mainly by playing nice music, telemann, bach and also kreutzer, though I did work through a tune a day for viola-it didn't take long, and seems to have really helped. Has been suprisingly not that arduous, learning a new clef! Was put off viola for AGES by the clef, but really, nothing to worry about!

I think this is it (you may want to phone up and check if you're thinking of buying it as I'm not 100% certain):
http://www.fullermusic.co.uk/spweb/publica...p?q=third+first

There's a book called "Treble Clef for Violists" by Elizabeth Stuen-Walker - wouldn't be the one, would it?

I'm not sure - I think it might have been something like that, but I think it was more a case of "alto clef for new violists who used to be violinists". Admittedly, the published title was probably a little snappier than that! Though the book you mention does sound like a great idea for playing treble clef on the viola... easily the most difficult thing to get my brain round when playing viola!

Tune a Day sounds like a really good idea.

[quote name='sarah-flute' date='Jul 20 2009, 02:31 PM' post='853593']
[quote name='viola-mad' post='853579' date='Jul 20 2009, 01:10 PM'][quote name='sarah-flute' post='853281' date='Jul 19 2009, 09:41 PM']Argh, I forget the title of the book, but there IS a tutor designed specifically to help you cope with the alto clef (and, indeed, to help when you have to play treble on a viola, which I always found more daunting, to be honest )[/quote]There's a book called "Treble Clef for Violists" by Elizabeth Stuen-Walker - wouldn't be the one, would it?[/quote]
I'm not sure - I think it might have been something like that, but I think it was more a case of "alto clef for new violists who used to be violinists". Admittedly, the published title was probably a little snappier than that! Though the book you mention does sound like a great idea for playing treble clef on the viola... easily the most difficult thing to get my brain round when playing viola!

I find playing the treble clef on the viola suprisingly hard too. Obviously, partly because it seems to involve lots of extreme shifting . But more than that, I just find it oddly disconcerting. I am quite relieved to go back to the alto clef, and not just because I can find the notes. I have this even on those occasional pieces where the whole piece is in the treble clef.

Yet if I were playing the violin of course, I'd KNOW the notes without thinking.

See, I think that is why (or at least part of the reason) it's so disconcerting - you feel you "should" be able to play it easily... and also you cannot help occassionally having the brain fade moments where you forget you're holding a viola and try to play what would be the right note on a violin - leading to a nasty 5th-lower situation!

I too am always most relieved to get back to alto clef. When playing regularly, I got a lot better at treble-on-viola, but to be honest it always felt a bit like walking a high wire and being constantly on the look out in case I fell with an almighty crunch!!

"Viola Quick Change" by Mary Cohen, published by Faber is my favourite alto clef for violinists book.

Then try the Telemann concerto (slowly at first), and perhaps some of Mary Cohen's studies as well. They're unaccompanied, but tuneful and will get you moving around the instrument. Either Superstudies 2, or Technique Takes Off. Both are available for violin & viola so make sure you order the right version!

If you're going for unaccompanied Bach - start with the two Bourrees from the 3rd Suite - probably the easiest to kick off with.

Welcome to the club!

Quick change! That's the one - glad someone has a brain . Yep, I found that really helpful.

(I really enjoy both the "technique takes off" books, rare to find such enjoyable and tuneful studies )

Ah perfect, thanks KT just what I'm looking for

At the moment I'm still just so in love with it that I just play scales over and over. It's very calming at the end of a stressful day.

What sort of level are these books aimed at? I've got Superstudies 1 and have done some of those, but I'm wondering about the next book(s).