Violin books after Fiddle Time & Suzuki 2

[katie2mum]

Hello,

Looking for a little advice on violin books. My 9yo DD sits Grade 2 in two weeks, and has finished Fiddle Time Sprinters and Suzuki book 2. Has anyone tried Solo Time 1? She should be doing Grade 4 next summer, as we are skipping 3 (already ahead, with the idea of the grade 2 exam being behind her current level). Suzuki 3 is an option, but I was hoping for some fun pieces as well, not each piece being a harder challenge. Ideally a book with lots of pieces to dip into..with easier shifting and notes, etc.

Already missing Fiddle Time.

I always advise people to play ANY music of a similar level of difficulty - you can often find suitable scores in charity shops, car-boot sales etc.

The wider range of styles, genres, technical difficulty etc the better, to gain confidence in any music she might come across. ABRSM have various books that are applicable to each Grade I think.

Is she confident on all the pieces, scales, exercises, sight reading etc? Does she play with other people in ensembles?

This is a quote from Solo Time:

Solo Time For Violin is a three-volume series of concert pieces for the intermediate to the more advanced level violinist. Featuring arrangements or original pieces by these award-winning authors, each volume introduces styles and techniques from the Baroque to the modern age. They cover keys and technical challenges suited to the level while providing sophisticated repertoire for the developing performer.A graded series of pieces ranging from intermediate to more advanced levels.

16 pieces in each book displaying an exciting variety of styles and techniques and drawn from the Baroque to the modern era.  Carefully selected and arranged by the award-winning authors of the Fiddle Time series.

Helpful fingering and bowing suggestions, plus informative notes on the pieces and performance techniques. Idiomatic Piano part and CD backing tracks with each book.

A selection of full performances available online.

We used one of these books but obviously there are no pictures....
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571536948/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Violin Allsorts Grade 2-3, and/or First Repertoire for Violin.

There are many more books around than just the fiddle time & Suzuki books - favourites of mine include Abracadabra Book 2, Vamoosh book 3 ( nothing better for enthusiasm & encouragement) Superstudies& others by Mary Cohen & if you can find a willing duet partner there is nothing like the Doflein method books for technique solidification

Seconding super studies book 2 for gd 3-4, much more accessible/ fun than the studies I had to play!
For pieces 'the young violinist's repertoire book 4' has good variety - they regularly turn up in abrsm exam repertoire. Ditto 'classical and romantic pieces for violin and piano'. Book 2 is gd 3-4, book 3 gd 4-5. Neither have the visual appeal of fiddle time though
I like to have a longer piece on the go (say from classical and romantic pieces book) then use the Neil Mackey books for more focused position changing (short pieces so can do one a week, like fiddle time) or a bit of Viva Vibrato (lots of games then short pieces, I use right from gd 3 to 6/7).
If you're looking for lots of short fun pieces to supplement I like folk music books, anything by Pete Cooper or the Fiddler Collections by Edward Huws Jones. They have hidden difficulty - often the ideal speed is pretty fast!
I've not used Solo Time (will look out for it though) so can't comment on that.
I've gone full time for a music service to fit around school hours, no more private pupils and my new school ones all under gd 3 so far so living vicariously through your post! So apologies for the essay