Suzuki Book 3 - Bourrée (Violin Tutorial and Play Along)
How to Play Bourrée from Suzuki Book 3
Hi everybody — Joel Kennedy here with Kennedy Violins.
Today we’re talking about Bourrée from Suzuki Book 3. We’re getting close to wrapping up our Suzuki series. We’ve covered pretty much every song in Books 1–4, and after this, I’ll be throwing a dart at the Dartboard of Destiny to see what piece we cover next.
If you’re working on Bourrée, there are a few things that will make your life a lot easier. Let’s break it down step-by-step.
The Basics: Key, Finger Pattern, and Time Signature
The first half of this piece is in G major — so we’ve got one sharp (F#). The finger pattern is pretty straightforward:
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High 2nd finger on the G and D strings
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Low 2nd finger on the A and E strings
So in shorthand: high, high, low, low. Nothing too weird here, but make sure you’re consistent — if your finger pattern shifts around, your intonation will be all over the place.
The time signature is cut time (2/2), which is basically like playing in 4/4, but you’re counting half notes instead of quarter notes. If you set your metronome, put the half note on the beat. That way you’re feeling the bigger beats, which matches the style of the piece.
Articulation: Staccato vs. Spiccato
When you open your Suzuki book, you’ll see a mix of articulations: staccato dots, slurs with dots (slurred staccato), and a few other markings.
Here’s my personal take:
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If I were performing this, I might not use exactly what’s printed — I’ve performed it a lot and have my own preferences.
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But for learning purposes, let’s stick to what Suzuki gives us.
Staccato tips:
You don’t need to overthink whether you’re doing spiccato (off-the-string) or staccato (on-the-string). What matters is you keep it short and in the lower part of the bow. The lower part gives you more natural control and a nice, clean sound.
If you keep your right hand relaxed and don’t force the bounce, the bow will often give you a little bit of spiccato automatically.
Slurred Staccato
Later in the first half, you’ll see slurred notes with staccato dots. The secret here is stopping the bow between notes — even under the slur.
Don’t overcomplicate it.
Play the first note, stop, then play the second note. Once you’ve got the feel for that, you can smooth it out, but that “stop” is what gives the articulation its clean edge.
The String-Crossing Challenge
One of the trickiest spots comes about four lines from the bottom of the first half, where you have fast eighth notes with string crossings. Here’s what makes it easier:
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Stay relaxed — tension will make the string changes choppy.
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Use the same part of the bow each time — your four-note groupings should happen in exactly the same spot, with the same bow length.
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Practice without slurs first — just get the notes and string changes clean, then add the slurs back in at a slower tempo.
My Practice Philosophy
This is something I say in pretty much every video because it’s that important:
“Slow practice is fast practice.”
If something’s fast, slow it down. If something has a complicated bowing, take it out and put it back in later. You wouldn’t try to eat a whole meal in one bite — don’t try to play an entire passage at full speed without breaking it down first.
Rolled Chords & Trills
At the very beginning, you’ve got three-note chords. A lot of people break these aggressively, but in Bach-style pieces like this, I prefer a smoother roll. It’s just more pleasant to listen to.
The same goes for the trills. Remember: start on the main note and end on the main note — don’t just wiggle your finger as fast as you can. Practice the motion slowly, make sure it’s even, and then speed it up.
Part Two: G Minor
The second section takes us into G minor — which means we now have two flats (Bb and Eb).
This is where finger placement becomes crucial:
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Flat 4th fingers: They should touch your 3rd fingers.
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Low 1st fingers: They should touch the nut.
If you miss either of these, you’ll probably be out of tune. Every time you play those notes, physically feel them touch where they should — it’s the easiest way to train your hand.
Tenuto Articulation
In the minor section, you’ll see tenuto marks (little dashes above the notes). These aren’t staccato. Instead, give them a gentle push with the bow — separate them slightly without making them short.
Repeats & DC al Fine
This piece is packed with repeats. Here’s the quick guide:
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A repeat sign sends you back to the previous repeat sign.
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“DC al Fine” means go back to the beginning and play until you see “Fine.”
If you’re doing all the repeats, change something the second time through — dynamics, articulation, tone color — so it doesn’t sound like a copy-and-paste performance.
Wrapping It Up
If you remember nothing else from this breakdown, remember these three things:
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Relax your right hand — especially in staccato and string crossings.
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Use consistent bow distribution for control.
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Slow down to speed up — small, patient practice wins every time.
When you approach Bourrée with that mindset, you’ll find it’s not as intimidating as it first looks. And once you’ve got it down, you’ll have some great articulation and bow control skills that carry over to a ton of other pieces.
