In the September 2009 cover story, violinist, composer, and educator Mark O’Connor discussed his new O’Connor Violin Method: A New American School of String Playing book series, which is designed to bridge the classical and folk traditions. ‘For decades, physicists have hoped to develop a Grand Unification Theory, understanding how important physical forces might be fused into a single field,’ writer James Reel noted in his Strings article. ‘Perhaps they should consult Mark O’Connor. The esteemed fiddler and composer already has a Grand Unification Theory he applies to what American music can and should be: an artistic expression that draws much of its force from North American fiddling traditions.’

Strings invited readers to ask O’Connor their questions about his method. Here are their questions and his responses:

What do you think is the most important thing for a beginning fiddler to learn? And what are the foundation things you focus on with your new O’Connor Violin Method?

MOC: The foundation for my new violin method is that American music can be the material for a violin student learning how to play. The musical literature and styles are so rich in the United States and in the Americas that I wanted to design a method around these string-playing traditions. Another hallmark to my method is that creativity and improvisation development can start early. And in addition to all of the important techniques the method offers, rhythm is a key focus, too.


I understand that the first tune in the new method is ‘Boil ’Em Cabbage Down’ and several variations. What can you tell me about that tune and why did you select it to start the method?

MOC: ‘Boil ’Em Cabbage Down’ is the very first tune I learned on the violin, so with my method I continually look toward my own experiences while authoring and creating it. The tune itself is a great entrance into playing because of several things. The tune starts with the second finger, placing the left hand in a good position on the violin neck right from the start. Also the tune contains a rhythmic quality inherent in the style, and the earliest variations reveal the rhythmic nature of the material. The tune stays on one string, the A string, so the focus can be on that task. I like it also because it allows the beginner to spend a lot of time on the more mellow ‘A’ string as opposed to getting the very high and tinny ‘E’ string in to the beginner's ear too much at the very beginning. And, perhaps just as important, it is a great American tune, written by African American fiddlers hundreds of years ago, and it gives the material relevance to our culture. Also, it is a professional tune as well, recorded by some of the great players in American music history, so I like to refer to this tune and many others in the method as timeless. It can stay with you throughout your musical life, most likely. I like to call it our ‘Twinkle.’ It packs a lot of weight behind it because of all these reasons and more.


Can you offer an overview of the violin method? Where does it begin? How does it build skills? What are the skill levels? Who can benefit from it?

MOC: My method starts the student out at the very beginning. The individual teacher will have to work with the beginning student on learning how to hold the violin, how to take the violin out of the case and properly treat the instrument with care, and so forth. My method begins with the first music that the beginner will learn. Because of the carefully planned sequence of my tunes, and how I composed the arrangements, each tune reveals new techniques, new theory, or new musical development that will be necessary to know in learning how to play the violin well. In addition to this, there is ear training and improvisational exercises, as well as historical facts and images connected with the tunes to provide context for the music. I am providing a connection to the relevance of this music in American culture. There is a little caricature I have created who shows up here and there in the beginning books to help the student find the expression of the music. His name is Fiddle Boy.


Is the method a single book? Are additional books planned in a possible series?

MOC: The O’Connor Violin Method consists of Books 1 through 10. The first two books will be available in the fall of 2009. The remaining books will be released over the next few years.


As an Australian professional orchestral player who has to play in many styles, and as a string teacher of violin and viola, I really enjoyed the article in Strings September ’09. Does your violin method apply to viola? If not, is a viola version in the works?

MOC: There will eventually be a viola and a cello version of this method, certainly. I am an advocate for all strings and compose for these instruments regularly. I want to introduce the method first as a violin method and start there. If there is a demand for the lower-stringed instruments for the method, then we will get right on it.


I also wonder if Mark will be expanding his new violin method to include viola, cello, and bass (like the Suzuki method). As a cellist, I know that all stringed instruments would gain immensely from a method book incorporating more styles, especially from Mark O’Connor!

MOC: I agree, the viola and the cello are playing prominently in the future of American string-music styles, and, of course, the bass already has. I feel that I had something to do with the cello by adapting it to the Americana material, by the success of my composition Appalachia Waltz, and with my hit recordings and world tours with Yo-Yo Ma, featuring this music I had composed. (I plan on including much of this music in the advanced books of the O’Connor Violin Method).


I have been teaching fiddle for ten years, made lists of progressive tunes, tried to put together ten books of tunes, etc. Of course, I couldn’t quite pull it off. I am so excited to read in Strings magazine of the new method. I want the O’Connor Violin Method, now!!!

Yes, I appreciate this story and know it well: Teachers compiling materials, trying to approximate a homegrown method of violin literature for their students, usually so they can squeeze some fiddling in there as well as other styles . . . I have heard this quite a lot. This is one of the main reasons why I am coming forward with this method now. The material and sequence of tunes has been carefully accomplished. So this allows great teachers to spend more time inspiring their students in the many ways they can without having to worry about materials and what tune or style comes next. It is like good teamwork, building and nurturing the talent of a future musician. I need great teachers to carry this out, and hopefully many of them will love my materials that I have worked on for a lifetime. There will be perhaps many violin studios utilizing my violin method, providing the same learning experiences. The community component we build with this could be very good for teachers being able to share ideas with each other, and to share successes, too. We have already begun with some testing in several violin studios out in the field with this method. It is working, the teachers are saying!

The O’Connor Violin Method is scheduled for a November 2009 release and is available at markoconnor.com.