Brief overview
The Violin in 5ths by Professor Rodney Friend is a workbook consisting of warm-up exercises followed by practice patterns that help violin players cultivate left-hand facility, develop intonation and achieve a better sound. Aimed at intermediary to advanced players, the book also helps master difficult passages frequently encountered in classical violin literature. The best violinists in history have naturally practiced the violin in 5ths, as the instrument itself is tuned in 5ths. However, up until now, this practice had not been formalised as a stand-alone technique that players could integrate into their daily warm-up routines.
 
How to use the book
The book is structured as a continuous "lesson" that leads the player from one stage up to the next. After the tuning and warm-up exercises, each difficult passage of violin literature is split into 3 successive steps: first, the practice patterns; second, the score in 5ths; and finally, the original score. The first two steps build up speed and facility that leads to easier mastery of the original score.
 
Table of contents:
Introduction
The correct left-hand and wrist position as seen on most famous players
Tuning and warm-up exercises
Exercises and practices
- Bach: Chaconne
- Paganini: 5th Caprice
- Beethoven: Extract from the opening of the concerto
- Bach: Gigue in D minor
- Brahms: Extract from the 1st movement
- Paganini: 24th Caprice variation 9, left-hand pizzicato
- Sarasate: Malaguena pizzicato variation
- Sibelius: Concerto 1st Cadenza
- Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante
- Brahms: Adagio 3rd sonata
- Paganini: 11th Caprice
- Mendelssohn: Concerto
- Tchaikovsky: Concerto
- Paganini: Moto Perpetuo
- Paganini: 24th Caprice variation 3
- Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen
 
About the author
British violinist, esteemed concertmaster and reputed Royal Academy of Music professor, Rodney Friend had as a young man the privilege to collaborate with many of the virtuosos. During these encounters, he observed the simplicity of their practice patterns and a similarity to share an effortless posture and natural hand freedom. These observations became the cornerstones of his reputed teaching method that he developed and perfected over the past decades.