Stradivari 1

STRADIVARI is a collection of books for string instruments. It was inspired by a personal challenge: I wanted my students to be more motivated but at the same time to give them a complete technical formation in their instruments.

The three volumes begin with the elementary level. They are all organized according to the fingering charts used in English and American methods: beginning with 0-1-23-4 in the first volume; continuing in the second with 0-12-3-4 and 0-1-2-34; and in the third volume the student learns the chromatic scale in first position. In the third volume the third position is also studied. The fourth volume begins as a continuation of the first three volumes and continues a progressive transition from the Elementary Level to the Middle Level. Also the fourth volume presents new positions—2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th.

My intention was to introduce all of the difficulties in a gradual manner (rhythms, notes, dynamics, harmonics, double strings, position changes and three-note chords), while attempting to combine different tonalities, measures and alteration in such a manner that the techniques are thoroughly mastered. At the beginning of each volume there is a review of the scales and arpeggios most used with exercises using jumps of the bow and slurs.