Step One: Teach Yourself Violin Course: A Complete Learning System Book/3 CDs/DVD Pack

I'm giving this four stars as an overall package. I feel that the quality of the material and the amount of lessons provided in the overall package are well worth Amazon's price for this product.I agree with the previous reviewer that the video lessons are incomplete. This teacher jumps into playing scales and lessons which are far beyond someone who's picking up a violin for the very first time. The woman in this video doesn't even show where the notes are located on the violin fingerboard, and there is no mention at all about how to properly use the left hand, or even much about how to properly bow the instrument. The real value with this package is not with the video lesson, but with the rest of the material provided.Two of the CDs contain all of the lessons played both at slow speed and moderate speed. I feel that the difference between these speeds is significant for someone who's trying to play along with them. The third CD contains just background music which is very nice for practicing after a piece is learned.I would recommend Mel Bay's video "Anyone Can Play Violin" with Coral White as a First Lesson. However, I would definitely recommend this "Step One: Teach Yourself Violin" as a nice continuation to the Mel Bay video. There are many more lessons contained in this package plus many more scales which are important. The quality of the video is excellent, and while the presenter may not instill a party atmosphere she does present the lessons in a very professional manner. However, there isn't a lot of "how-to" information. Most of it is just watching her play scales and pieces to compare your performance with. She doesn't play all the lessons on video either. All the lessons on contained on the DVD but most of them are just music so you may as well just use the CDs for that.I'm definitely happy with the package overall though, but I do recommend it as a second step rather than a first step. I highly recommend the Mel Bay video as the first step. It's extremely boring, but very informative! Mel Bay's book "First Lessons Violin" with CD is also a good supplement for a beginner. This Step One package is for someone who would like to move along a little faster and further than the Mel Bay lessons go.With a little more information this package could have been complete. Unfortunately it is lacking in some important details making it a good second lesson after the Mel Bay video instead of being complete in itself.I still highly recommend this package as a second step for a beginner who has completed something like the Mel Bay video. This Step One is definitely a good quality package overall even if you toss out the DVD lessons which I personally enjoyed watching. I think it's always educational to watch someone else play your lessons on the violin. However, having the lessons on CD played both slow and at moderate speed, as well as having just background music for practicing is really nice I think. There are a lot of interesting pieces in the lessons. So I give it four stars. If they had included just a little bit more info in the video lessons I would have easily given it the full five stars. The quality of the video overall is very good (better quality than the Mel Bay video I think) However, the Mel Bay video covers more technical details that are important so I can't help but point a raw beginner in that direction for a first lesson. This Step One just doesn't cover enough of the gory details, but it's a great practice package.

This is a pack with CDs, a dvd, and a small teacher reference book that matches the student book. I would NOT recommend using this book for beginners, as it starts in The key of G and doesn’t explain the finger patterns. I bought it to supplement a student who has already been playing for two years in a group setting, and without my help she would still not be ready to jump into recognizing keys, intervals, and even other things like bowings and theory. The only reason I rate this as high as a 3 is because of the accompaniment cd and video component, which I have not thoroughly explored.

For those of us who can't afford to pay big bucks for a privet violin teacher this is the way to go. The lessons are simple and easy to follow. Stay focused and practice, practice, practice.

This is not for a true beginner just starting out. This should be fine once I know more about my violin, how to tune it, and find a finger chart how to play notes.The Video number 1 assumes you have already had some sort of experience and knowledge of the violin already has the student playing notes. Unfortunately, I am not even remotely close and need something even more basic than this.

Firt of all, when I ordered this item, it was supposed to arrive two weeks later. It did not. It took it another two weeks to arrive. Anyway, when it did, I was happy to receive it. I enthusiastically opened the package got its contents out, and started skimming through the book. I was extremely dissapointed. If it got to cover important material, it covered it in just a few paragraphs. In no way is this a learning method that will actually help a begginer violinist start playing the violin. I returned the item that same day and instead bought the Picture Yourself Playing Violin, which is by far a better method.Hope this helps!

disappointing, did not teach me anything, waste of money, booklet has music, notes too small to read

It is a totally misleading product. A music teaching item should have fundamentals in detail, and then individual practice items carefully produced to help in getting to know the notes on the instrument. This item treats the learner with virtual contempt.

Not realy a good beginer teachimg peice!

This is ok but it seems to jump from one thing to another, I have to got to other books and DVD's to fill in the gaps

I have taught myself to play several instruments over the years, and this book/CD/DVD set is probably the worst teaching aid I've ever come across. I have been playing fiddle/violin for around 2 years, but felt that I had gaps in technique due to being self taught and bought this set hoping it would flesh out some of the more basic beginner's rudimentary instructions. I was very, very disappointed.The book is divided into two sections; The Method & The Repertoire. The Method is the teaching part and The Repertoire being the bank of tunes you should be able to play after learning the instrument. Sadly neither gives any useful instruction or guidance. The student is left foundering from the very beginning.The DVD features a remarkably uninspiring performer/teacher who again gives no instruction, but just plays the tunes that are in The Method part of the book.The CDs play the tunes from the book. The 1st one has the tunes form The Method... again no guidance. The 2nd has a performance of The Repertoire tunes, and the 3rd has the accompaniment only for the Repertoire. These last two CDs are probably the most useful part of the set, but only to someone who has previously learned to play the instrument elsewhere. Nice tunes and written notation in the book.

I am an enthusiastic beginner of the violin and was very excited when I saw this Title. It arrived, excited I took out my violin, inserted the DVD, waiting to LEARN something. The on-screen teacher clearly wasn't interested in inspiring anything in me, and had her mind on other things, like her shopping list, or was maybe annoyed her boyfriend hadn't sent her a text as promised. She can obviously play very well, if only her teaching skills were on the same par. Obviouly a woman who wasn't enjoying her work. And so I got zero enjoyment from the DVD itself. I'm sure CD3, Accompaniment, will come in handy some day when I do learn to play. I am currently taking violin lessons (week 2) and learned that the bow holding technique in this DVD is wrong, and one really can't just close ones eyes and learn a scale without knowing positions. There is nothing in this package that will teach a beginner anything. If only I'd have waited until my violin lessons began before my purchase. Money well wasted. That's what I've learned.

Very good beginners pack to start you playing a beautiful instrument. The DVD is good together with the backing tracks as you play! The booklet included in the pack is easy to read and understand as you learn. Good quality product at an affordable price. Can recommend this to anyone of any age.

im vergleich (klärung+Preis<30 EUR) ist das beste Paket, was man im Internet finden kann. Jedoch sollte man die Musikschule nichtunterschätzen. Für die Anfänger ohne Musikkenntnisse hilft es ganz und gar nicht. Falls Sie noch weitere Instrumente spielen können, dann hilft es das Programm sogar sehr gut.