Originally published in the 1940s, Paul Hindemith's remarkable textbooks are still the outstanding works of their kind. In contrast to many musical textbooks written by academic musicians, these were produced by a man who could play every instrument of the orchestra, could compose a satisfying piece for almost every kind of ensemble, and who was one of the most stimulating teachers of his day. It is therefore not surprising that many years later these books should remain essential reading for the student and the professional musician.

The violin is often described as the hardest instrument to learn. It's an instrument of such fine technique and precision that it often requires years of practice before being able to play a song well. If you're looking at this book, you already know that. You know that playing the violin is hard, it's even harder to learn, and you're not discouraged by the idea.Even though the violin can be hard to learn, it's still a beautiful instrument with a sound that mesmerizes most people who hear it for the first time. There's a reason why most orchestra arrangements have a violin as the center of the musical piece; their beautiful sound evokes feelings in even the disinterested listener. The sound is just too beautiful to ignore, which is probably what brought you here.