Cohen, Mary - Technique Takes Off! Intermediate Studies for Solo Violin - Faber Music Publication

A colleague who I trust said "Buy this" at an ASTA conference, and I haven't regretted it. These etudes have been immensely popular with my intermediate (think Suzuki Book 4 and up) students. They are melodious, catchy, and enjoyable to play. The titles
and musical themes are evocative and imaginative, such as "The Mill Wheel" which develops string crossing in a variety of patterns, "Village Bagpipes" with string crossings and open-string doublestops, and a personal favorite, "Skaters' Waltz," which sounds
uses frequent shifts up to the halfway harmonic and between first, third, and fifth position in a beautiful waltz context. My students enjoy playing these, and I enjoy hearing them. I love the frequent use of natural harmonics that let us check in with the
left hand pressure, too!