By Mary Nemet | From the March/April 2026 issue of Strings

Aptly subtitled “Another String to Your Bow,” this book adds an additional skill to the violinist’s toolbox: playing the viola. Transitioning to viola can sometimes be daunting for violin students, not least because of the heavier, bigger instrument and having to learn a different clef. However, leading educators Paul Harris and Jessica O’Leary guide players through their first steps on viola, covering all the essentials.

This user-friendly volume begins with an introduction touting the many reasons why playing the viola is a good idea. With its deeper and richer tone, the instrument entices the student to be a more flexible and useful musician with greater employment opportunities, better able to participate in orchestras, ensembles, and string quartets. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Dvořák were all viola players. Students will also be inspired by examples of wonderful viola soloists like Yuri Bashmet, Paul Neubauer, Tabea Zimmermann, and Nobuko Imai.

Harris and O’Leary explain the history of the alto clef before including sight-reading exercises and short tunes to get the budding viola student accustomed to the longer fingerboard. Duets, activity boxes, scales and arpeggios, vibrato exercises, shifting, double-stops, and developing a good sound are all addressed in a logical order, reinforcing skills and building confidence.

The book culminates in Mozart’s String Duo for two violas, excerpts from his Sinfonia Concertante, Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata, the first movement of a Haydn string quartet, a Stamitz duet, and the Handel/Halvorsen Duo for violin and viola. All of these pieces are suitable for transitioning violinists at intermediate level and above. Finally, the authors encourage listening to and eventually playing viola concertos by Bruch, Hindemith, Stamitz, Telemann, and Walton.