Summary
Fiolmagasinet (The Violin Magazine) by Evabritt Gratte is a Swedish beginner method for violin published by Gehrmans Musikförlag. It takes a path that neither Suzuki nor Stråkresan takes — the student begins by singing the melody while playing a simplified part simultaneously. It's a book that wants the student to be a musician from the first lesson, not just a technician.
We analyzed all of Part 1 page by page, mapping 24 pedagogical moments across approximately 65 pages and 8 chapters plus Christmas music and an exam.
Sing First, Play Second
What immediately distinguishes Fiolmagasinet is the "spelstämma" (playing part). Each new piece is presented with a full melody intended for singing and a simplified playing part below, written only with quarter notes and rests on open strings. The student sings the melody and plays the accompaniment. Suzuki begins with ear-based learning, Stråkresan with theory and finger songs. Fiolmagasinet begins with the student making music — however simplified — from the very start.
Fia and Frasse as Guides
The book features two cartoon characters: Fia and Frasse, who guide the student throughout. Frasse handles warm-ups and tips, Fia handles technique checklists. Theory is presented in small boxes: "Want to know?" for facts and "Want to tinker?" for interactive exercises.
Clubs Instead of Finger Patterns
Where Stråkresan organizes left-hand notes through finger patterns (major grip, minor grip), Fiolmagasinet chooses a different structure: clubs. The D-club collects notes D-E-F#-G, the A-club collects A-B-C#-D, and so on for each string.
The concept groups notes per string rather than per distance pattern. This has an advantage: the student learns each string's complete note inventory as a unit, which aids note reading. But it also means the transition between major and minor becomes less transparent than in a pattern-based system.
Fingers 1 and 3 Before Finger 2
Fiolmagasinet introduces fingers in an order similar to Suzuki: fingers 1 and 3 first, forming a stable framework on the fingerboard. Finger 2 arrives later. The fourth finger appears halfway through the book, and the minor grip ("a new grip") arrives in Chapter 6 with a clear visual comparison.
Three Bow Styles on the Same Melody
In "Min lilla kråksång" (page 12), the same melody is played three times with different bow technique: basic back-and-forth, long bow strokes, and short bow strokes in the middle. The student varies bow usage without changing the melody — isolating bow technique as a variable.
Improvisation on Open Strings
On page 13 — before left-hand fingers have been introduced — the book invites improvisation: "Make up your own chant. It can be about anything! Clap your chant. Play it on your favorite string!" This returns later with "tonförråd" (tone inventory) for free improvisation within given notes.
ABBA as Motivation
Three ABBA pieces appear: "Mamma Mia," "Money Money Money" (where legato is introduced), and "Super Trouper" as one of the final, most advanced pieces. It's a deliberate mix of folk music, classical, and pop.
Pachelbel's Canon as Ensemble
The most ambitious ensemble moment is a three-part arrangement of Pachelbel's Canon. Ensemble builds progressively throughout the book: first singing parts, then ostinato accompaniment, then teacher parts, and finally the canon.
What the Numbers Say
Our analysis identified 24 pedagogical moments with 28 unique parameter hits across all six domains. Compared to Suzuki Book 1 (19 moments, 68 hits) and Stråkresan (24 moments, 26 hits), Fiolmagasinet sits close to Stråkresan in breadth but with a song-based and creative framework rather than a systematic-technical one.
Related Articles
Stråkresan Part 1 Analyzed — finger songs and x-noteheads as contrast to singing parts.
Suzuki Book 1 Analyzed — the ear-based path. Depth over breadth.
Sassmannshaus — starts with finger 2 and note reading from day one.