How many Suzuki books are there?
There are 10 books in the Suzuki Violin School; however, most people do not end up going through all 10. Once students reach a certain point in their development, they are ready to play more “traditional” pieces outside of the method. In this article, I’ll give you a brief overview of what to expect and the skills you’ll learn in each book.
Book 1 is arguably the hardest book because everything is new. There are so many things to learn, from posture, to tone, to bowing, to note reading, to intonation, and everything in between. Book 1 usually takes the longest to get through, with most students completing it in around 2 years. Upon completing book 1, students should have a solid grasp on posture, straight bowing, produce a solid tone, be able to use all 4 fingers, and have started learning to read music.
Book 2 is where the fun begins! While book 1 was mostly comprised of short pieces Dr. Suzuki composed, Book 2 houses adaptations of larger and more well known works. In book 2, students will learn different finger placements, such as the low 1 and low 4, start to explore dynamics, and I personally teach shifting in the middle of and vibrato at the end of book 2.
Book 3 is relatively short compared to its predecessors; there are only 7 pieces in book 3. There are several pieces in the key of G Minor, and all of the pieces easily lend themselves to exploring more dynamics and characters. I also like to incorporate a shift in every piece in book 3 besides the first one, and have students practice using their vibrato on longer notes. The last 2 pieces of book 3 also have some double stops and chords.
Book 4 houses your first concerto movements! At this point, students have passed the beginner stages and are moving towards early intermediate. In book 4, expect to be shifting between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions quite frequently in each piece. There is also a big double stop section in the third piece that could be extra challenging if you’re not supplementing with outside double stop exercises.
Book 5 is home to your first full concerto. Whereas in book 4 you only encountered movements of concertos, book 5 has a complete concerto in it, the Vivaldi G Minor. Additionally, at this point students should be familiar with positions 1-5, as the third movement of the concerto requires you to shift between all of them. There are also two slow movements in book 5 which is often a nice change of pace. Book 5 is also a great opportunity to work on continuing to develop the characters you can create with your violin, namely through manipulating your contact point.
The first piece of book 6, La Folia, is pretty challenging but super fun to play. It has a lot of different characters and a big double stop section. After that, book 6 has 2 Handel Sonatas, which aren’t super challenging technically, and a fun, fast, showpiece, the Fiocco Allegro. At this point, students have likely learned all the foundational technique they need to move on to more “standard” pieces.
The main piece in Book 7 is the Bach A Minor Concerto, which the vast majority of violin students play regardless of whether they learned with the Suzuki method. There’s also another Handel Sonata in the book, plus a few short show pieces, 2 adapted from the Bach Cello Suits.
The main piece in Book 8 is the Eccles Sonata. To be honest, I don’t have a ton of experience with book 8 because I never played it and I haven’t taken my Suzuki training on it.
Books 9 and 10 are just Mozart concertos! Book 9 is Mozart No. 4 and Book 10 is Mozart #5.
Did you use the Suzuki method to learn? If so, what book did you stop at? Leave a comment and let me know!
