Review - Essential Elements 2000, Book 1

I'd like to take a quick moment to review the method book that I've used to get me this far in my violin learning.  Remember that I am a Self-Taught learner, and that I do not have a teacher outside of YouTube and the internet.

What is a Method Book?

A method book is a book that is used for a particular "method" of training.  It helps learners go through a particular way of learning a subject. 

The Approach of this Method:

This method is good in that it really keeps the teacher/student relationship in mind.  This particular method has been developed around the ensemble type of teacher.  The strength of this particular method is that an elementary/middle/high school teacher, would be able to use this method to train entire bands/orchestras at the same time. 

Additionally, the software included with the program, SmartMusic, gives teachers the ability to assign work for outside the classroom, and gives students the ability to electronically submit a recording, through the program, directly to their teacher.  Additionally, students can use the software on their own to practice pieces in the book and get them down.

Strengths:

The strong suits of this method include: 

A focus on the basics.  The book works slowly through each skill required to advance on to the next section.  The way the book repeats many of the techniques is crucial to helping students learn the basics that they will need to become better violinists with a  strong foundation.

Step-by-Step.  Similar to the statement above, the book works through learning, step-by-step.  This is especially helpful in group settings, because everyone in the group will be working on the same things and each part will complement the others. 

Good for the self-taught.  One really great thing about this method is that ANY one can pick up a copy and start learning.  The way the book breaks everything down to the most elementary level is great because even those with absolutely NO musical experience can progress in a controlled, methodological manner.

Weaknesses:

The weak areas of this method are:

Can be boring.  The repertoire in this method can seem very boring at times.  Because of the way the method breaks everything down, and builds only slowly from the previous work, learners may find this method boring.  Though there are a few challenging pieces throughout, the most exciting pieces are not found until the very end of the book. 

Not much on YouTube.  One major drawback to this method compared to the Suzuki method, for example, is that it is much more difficult to find help on the internet if you are a self-learner.  This of course, is due to the fact that this method is not as popular as some other methods.  That shouldn't discourage users too much though, as the foundation mind-set of this method allows you to build slowly and build confidence quickly. 


If that isn't enough help, here is a video that I did where I discuss the method in depth.