Michael Hopkins brought this massive compendium of information into an organized setting useful for collegiate string methods, performance and pedagogy classes, in-service and convention settings, individuals in the field, and for the studio teacher.

—Robert Culver, from the Foreword

The Art of String Teaching—a hybrid of written text and high-quality online videos—is a comprehensive string pedagogy resource covering everything from the origins and history of the string family to advanced-level string techniques.

This one-of-a-kind resource has been divided into two parts. In Part I, Michael Hopkins offers an orientation to string education, outlines his philosophical approach to string education, and provides four chapters on the foundational aspects of string playing for beginning string players.

Part 2 focuses on intermediate- and advanced-level instruction, touching on such topics as left-hand shifting, vibrato, bowing techniques, tuning skills, improvisation and composition, and music listening, among others. The two concluding chapters offer insight into the string rehearsal and how to run a successful orchestra program.

The appendices contain an abundance of practical and convenient teacher resources, including worksheets, flashcards, string repertoire, scales and arpeggios, a template for method book analysis, and sample assessments and rubrics. QR codes throughout the book link to online video demonstrations of string techniques, and the spiral binding is ideal for playing the included string repertoire from a music stand.

This book serves as a useful reference guide for professional orchestra conductors, teachers of group string classes, and private studio teachers. It also addresses the needs of students whose primary instrument is not strings and is suited for use in a string techniques or pedagogy course at the college level.

Michael Hopkins is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In addition to serving as a guest conductor at string festivals across the country, he has given many presentations at state and national conferences on various topics related to string education and music technology. He has also published articles in a number of the most notable music and education journals.