Are you starting out on the violin and looking for a book to help guide you through what to practice and play?
Thankfully, there are lots of amazing violin books on the market nowadays that are suited to all sorts of age levels, too. So, if you’re looking for the best violin book for a beginner, then check out our reviews of our 12 favorite ones below.
If you’re a visual learner and prefer to learn by video, check out this amazing classical violin course by Ricardo Morales.
Quick Answer: The Best Beginner Violin Books
Top Violin Books for Beginner Reviews
As a beginner, there are many pieces of music that you can learn how to play that will, in turn, help you to get better at playing the violin.
While you can go out and find individual pieces of music to learn, violin books simplify the learning process for you by compiling numerous pieces of music together. Here are some of our favorites.
If you’re also looking to buy a violin, check out our guide to choosing a beginner violin here.
1. Essential Elements for Strings – Book 1: Violin by Hal Leonard
- Each Book Includes My EE Library
- Start-up Video: learn the basics
- Play-along MP3: features professional players on your instrument
The Essential Elements for Strings series of books are some of the most widely used books by string players. Published by Hal Leonard, Essential Elements for Strings – Book 1: Violin makes learning the violin easier by incorporating multiple elements of playing the violin into a variety of lessons, allowing violinists to learn different techniques at once.
When you open Essential Elements for Strings – Book 1: Violin, you will find numerous scales and violin exercises that will make you more familiar with your violin and violin music in general. The book also provides you with access to additional resources and repertoire on the Essential Elements website. Therefore, you will not be limited solely to what Essential Elements for Strings – Book 1: Violin has to offer.
2. Suzuki Violin School: Violin Part, Vol. 1 by Shinichi Suzuki
- Alfred Publishing Co. Model#000144
- Suzuki, Shinichi (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
The Suzuki Violin School is one of the most highly-acclaimed and well-respected violin schools in the world. Developed by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, through observations of how children learn languages, the Suzuki Method teaches young violinists how to play their instruments through parental involvement, fun repetitions, early formal training, and several other elements that are vital to the musical growth of young violinists. Today, many of Shinichi Suzuki’s teachings are available to the world through the Suzuki Violin School series of books.
Suzuki Violin School: Violin Part, Vol. 1 is the beginning of a great series of books that will teach you the basics of playing the violin and advance you through your career as a violinist. It includes a multitude of musical pieces and explanations so that you can understand what you are playing and the proper methods of playing.
3. Learning the Violin, Book One by Cassia Harvey
- Harvey, Cassia (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 86 Pages - 09/28/2015 (Publication Date) - C. Harvey Publications (Publisher)
Learning the Violin, Book One is a great violin book that was written for young violinists to utilize. However, adults can use this Cassia Harvey book to progress as violinists as well. The pictures and labels that are used in the book make pieces of information easy for violinists to process and understand.
Learning the Violin, Book One is a violin book that will teach you the basics of the violin, from its notes to musical scales. The book consists of repertoire that children know well, like “Old MacDonald” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. Therefore, Learning the Violin, Book One is a book that will teach you how to play simple songs with your violin as well.
4. How to Play the Violin by Cynthia Reiss and Jason Randall
- Riess, Cynthia (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 68 Pages - 11/22/2019 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
How to Play the Violin is a short violin book that provides music history and music theory to violinists, allowing them to understand their instruments better. The theory that is taught by How to Play the Violin, teaches violinists both musical notes and musical rhythms. The lessons that are taught through the book extend far from solely music, however.
How to Play the Violin will teach you how to read violin music and play a range of new songs with your violin, quickly expanding your personal repertoire. If you would like to learn how to maintain your violin and tune it, you can also learn how by reading How to Play the Violin. You will also learn and develop proper playing habits from How to Play the Violin, making the book valuable in more ways than one.
5. Play Violin Today! Level 1 by Hal Leonard
- Hahn, Kaitlyn (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 48 Pages - 11/01/2011 (Publication Date) - Hal Leonard (Publisher)
From the same publisher as the popular Essential Elements books, is Play Violin Today! Level 1. Play Violin Today! Level 1 covers a range of information, such as how to clean a violin and how to play a variety of rhythms. The book also comes with a helpful DVD which helps violinists who learn visually.
Play Violin Today! Level 1 will be an exceptionally great violin book for you to own if you are a visual learner. With Play Violin Today! Level 1, you can see what violinists are doing as they perform and the way violin techniques are supposed to be used. The book will also give you a range of lessons that extend beyond the notes on a sheet of music. Additionally, as a part of the book and DVD, you will also be able to access a variety of helpful online resources from Hal Leonard.
6. The Violin Fun Book: For Young Students by Mr. Larry E. Newman
- Newman, Mr. Larry E. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 65 Pages - 01/01/2011 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)
The Violin Fun Book: For Young Students makes learning the violin fun and enjoyable, rather than tedious and complicated. Written primarily for children, The Violin Fun Book: For Young Students provides gradual advancement for young violinists, starting violinists off on two strings then slowly guiding them through the remaining two strings of their violins. The Violin Fun Book: For Young Students also provides music that violinists can play along with.
If you want to learn how to play the violin through illustrations and would also like to play along with pre-recorded music, then The Violin Fun Book: For Young Students will be a great violin book for you. The text of the book is large, allowing you to easily read the instructions and lessons that are provided in the book. Various music and videos are accessible for you with your purchase of The Violin Fun Book: For Young Students as well.
7. Violin for Dummies by Katharine Rapoport
- Rapoport, Katharine (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 432 Pages - 03/30/2015 (Publication Date) - For Dummies (Publisher)
Different violin books cater to different age ranges, and Violin for Dummies is written to teach adults how to play the violin. As with most of the books that are included in the For Dummies series, Violin for Dummies is a comprehensive guide and goes in-depth with its lessons. Violinists can learn nearly all of the violin basics, from purchasing their first violins to taking proper care of their violins, by reading Violin for Dummies.
Violin for Dummies is a great option for you if you would like to learn more about being a violinist than just the basics. You will have access to a variety of online content when you purchase a copy of Violin for Dummies. The extra content that is included with the book will help you learn extra lessons that will carry you through your career as a violinist.
8. The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner by Janice Tucker Rhoda
- ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner
- Janice Tucker Rhoda (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Written for violinists who are absolute beginners, The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner starts violinists off with the absolute basics and guides them towards more complex lessons, such as slurring techniques. This book is written for violinists across a range of ages, allowing the lessons to be simple for children but also entertaining enough for adults. Violinists can learn, understand, and develop a range of violin techniques with this book.
As a beginner violinist, you will learn many violin techniques from The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner. If you would like to play along with other musicians, then The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner will be an excellent book for you. The book has many duets and accompaniment pieces that allow you to play one part of the piece and another violinist or pianist to play the other part.
9. I Can Read Music, Vol. 1: Violin by Joanne Martin
- These easy-to-read, progressive exercises by Joanne Martin develop a student's music reading skills one stage at a time, with many repetitions at each...
- These easy-to-read, progressive exercises by Joanne Martin develop a student's reading skills one stage at a time, with many repetitions at each stage
- I Can Read Music is designed as a first note-reading book for students of string instruments who have learned to play using an aural approach such as...
I Can Read Music, Vol. 1: Violin teaches new violinists how to read and understand sheet music. From basic notes to time signatures, I Can Read Music, Vol. 1: Violin helps beginners understand the various aspects of sheet music. As violinists progress through the book, they are introduced to more complex rhythms and notes.
If you are brand new to playing the violin or are having a hard time reading sheet music, then I Can Read Music, Vol. 1: Violin will be a great book for you to read. Being able to read sheet music is a staple part of being a musician, and being proficient in this skill will carry you a long way. This book will take you from viewing musical notes as dots on paper to understanding what dotted eight notes are.
10. All for Strings Book 1: Violin by Robert Frost and Gerald Anderson
- All for Strings Book 1 Violin
- All for strings is a comprehensive three-volume method surrounded by a wealth of supplementary materials for teaching and performance
- This complete curriculum covers virtually every aspect of beginning through intermediate string study, emphasizing technical skills, rhythmic...
All for Strings Book 1: Violin teaches a variety of playing techniques to new violinists, allowing them to quickly expand their skillsets. Aside from just musical notes, the book also provides information on the proper way to play the notes and helps violinists correctly position their hands on their instruments.
For the alternate hand, All for Strings Book 1: Violin shows violinists how to properly hold and control their violin bows.
11. Introducing the Positions for Violin by Harvey S. Whistler
- 56 pages
- Size: 12" x 9"
- Author: Harvey S. Whistler
As you progress with your violin skills and techniques, you will begin to learn about the different violin positions. Introducing the Positions for Violin will help you with your departure from first position playing on your violin and will guide you all the way up to the fifth position.
If you enjoy what the first volume of the book has to offer and want help with progressing up to the seventh position, then you will enjoy the second volume of Introducing the Positions for Violin.
12. My First Violin Fun Book by Mr. Larry E. Newman
- Newman, Mr. Larry E. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 64 Pages - 07/07/2013 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)
My First Violin Fun Book is a book that was written for young violinists. Aside from violin lessons, My First Violin Fun Book also offers coloring and activity pages for children to enjoy while they are not with their violins. Even as an adult, you may appreciate the simple lessons and videos that the book has to offer.
Conclusion: Which Violin Book Should you Buy?
As you can see, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a great beginner violin book as there are so many.
But, if you’re unsure about which one to go for, we’d recommend two, Essential Elements for Strings – Book 1: Violin, from Hal Leonard, and Suzuki Violin School: Violin Part, Vol. 1 from Shinichi Suzuki, are books that you certainly need to have in your library.
These two books effectively break the basics of playing the violin down so that you can learn how to play the violin easily.
However, with the numerous books that are available to you, you should try out different books to see which ones you like the best.
Different violinists prefer to play different music and use different learning methods based on their personal tastes and learning styles.
There is not a single way to learn the violin. Instead, you can use a multitude of methods to learn how to play your instrument and to improve your skills.
- Each Book Includes My EE Library
- Start-up Video: learn the basics
- Play-along MP3: features professional players on your instrument
