Dylan Gourley

Dr. Seybert
10 February 2014
Methods Books Evaluation
Strictly Strings and Essential Elements for Strings are two popular books on
the strings methods market. Both series have positives and negatives about them.
Strictly Strings is the methods book that I learned to play the cello with. It begins
with diagrams demonstrating bow holds, posture, and left hand position, all of
which are essential for a new student to visually see. They also include duets and
ensemble playing for the different instruments. The books are very organized, and
the descriptions of the Italian words are made clear. The book then spends an
appropriate amount of time on open strings and beginning concepts, but it lacks in
describing more difficult techniques. At one point, the book asks the student to play
spiccato, but fails to describe to the student what the technique is. The Strictly
Strings books also do not teach the students how to differentiate between when it is
appropriate to use a pinky or an open string, something that a teacher who does not
play a stringed instrument may struggle to explain. Shifting is also not described
very well in the books, and is only described through the teaching of the G major
scale.
Essential Elements for Strings is very close to Strictly Strings, but varies in
the way the instruments are introduced. They show the notes on the staff with the
note names written on them for the first few pieces in the book. This is helpful to
students learning note names in theory, but in practice the students only rely on the
letter names on the notes. They do not actually learn the notes, and may only see a
note and know the corresponding fingering, but not know the function of it. Another
issue with the series is the time spent on the D and A string as compared to the E
and G string (for violin). The book spends about 26 pages with the student playing
on the middle strings. They student gets very comfortable with these, and is
expected by the book to be able to apply the same principles to the G and E string.
Again, in practice this is not accurate. The students do now know how to play notes
on either the E or G string, and they can find little help in the pages. As the student
goes through the books, the theory terms and techniques are explained in a
comprehendible manner. It describes bar lines as dividing the music staff into
measures, and then goes on to describe measures as containing a certain number of
beats. To introduce things such as repeat signs, the book shows it in a piece of music,
and has a simple diagram and explanation below the passage. Essential Elements is
well organized and easy to read, and would be my second choice method book.