I've been working on Haydyn's Concerto No. 2 for violin for a few weeks now, and I've really enjoyed having something to get my teeth into again after a period of just working on recital pieces for Higher Music.

Can anyone suggest another piece (preferably which has a piano accompaniment, so that I can use it for future recitals) which I could work on over the summer? I'm roughly grade 7/8 standard (8 at a push !).

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Seeing as I'm already posting a new topic, I may as well ask my next question here as well! Is it difficult to learn 2 string instruments at the same time? I quite fancy taking a look at playing the viola, as I know my school's music department has a spare one and is also in need of a violist. I know there are a couple of violists who post here, so your opinions would be really useful!

Thanks

For pieces you could try Bach Concertos - A minor or E for one violin or Double Concerto if you have a friend of similar standard

Or for something more showy perhaps some Kreisler, eg.
Praeludium and Allegro
Schon Rosmarin
Siciliano and Rigaudon
Liebesfreud


It is very common for violinists beyond about grade 5 to play viola as well and swap between the two, so if you have access to an instrument I would say give it a go.

I took up viola and double bass several years after starting violin. I didn't find it that difficult to learn 3 at the same time. Why not borrow the viola during the summer holidays - that's what I did when I first started but my dad bought me my own shortly afterwards.

Oh, noodle, how I wish I'd thought of this earlier, only we're already on holiday so no chance of getting hold of it for another 6 weeks .

Thanks for the suggestions earplugs, I'll have a look for some of those

That's a shame!

Give it a try, you might get a pleasant surprise! There's usually someone there during the hols, just make sure it's within office hours that you call.

Go for it with viola, BTW. Some take it up as an 'extra instrument' and never look back!

Oh dear, I feel like I'm being drawn ever closer to adopting another instrument!

I wasn't sure about the alto clef, so I got out a score from one of the pieces we did in school, and played it whilst transposing it at the same time to treble clef, so that it sounded right on the violin. I think I understand now...am I right in thinking that everything on the alto clef (is that even what it's called?!) is one note lower down the stave than the treble clef? So a C in the viola part looks like a D in the violin part? *confusion*

Yes, go for it!! If you know when the exam results are out, the chances are the music teachers will be in then so you might be able to get the viola before the end of the holidays.

Ah, no! Wrong way round. C in the alto clef would look like a B in the treble clef. Alto clef lines F A C E G, spaces G B D F.

Ok, I'll phone my music teacher when I get back in a fortnight, I've been persuaded

Thanks noodle. I'm fine when I just have to read it, but trying to put into words what I'm doing is a completely different matter!

You'll soon get used to it! May I suggest if you're practising both violin and viola one after the other that you start with violin? Sometimes players of both play a little sharp on the violin after playing the viola before hand. Yes, phone your music teacher!

Thanks for the idea. Do you know why that is? Is it something to do with the hand position and the difference in size?
Just had a thought, my violin teacher sometimes comments on how surprised he is how I can reach certain notes as my hands are apparently really small. That'll make playing the viola difficult won't it?

Yes, it's because the viola is bigger so you have to stretch further. You could try a small size viola and see. Some of my students have violins strung as violas because they have tiny hands.

Miss Ross, if you've ever played the piano it may help to think of the alto clef as being exactly in the middle between the treble and bass clefs. That is, the middle line of the alto clef is the C between the treble and bass clefs. In fact the alto clef is by far the most sensible, logical clef. We violists know what we're doing.

Thanks Jake, that really helps! It's quite a while since I had all of this explained to me, but it's finally coming back!

That's how I explain it to pianists too - alto being slap bang in the middle of treble and bass. I can't really read bass anymore myself.

Miss Ross, I have pretty small hands (small glove size, anyway), but I can manage a 15.5" viola just fine and even hd a go on a 16" and managed that OK too. 15.5" is 'average' for ladies. Can't wait for you to start!