How to use these books together — clear steps for a 13-year-old

You have four great resources. Two focus on violin basics (Jamie Chimchirian and Dr Joanne Haroutounian), one helps your creative and mental approach (Think Like an Artist / Kindling the Spark), and Hanon-Faber gives piano-style technical drills that teach steady practice, finger independence, and the idea of 'gesture' — all useful ideas even for violinists.

What each book is for (short)

• The Violin Method for Beginners: Book 1 (Jamie Chimchirian) — step-by-step violin technique: posture, holding the violin and bow, basic notes, simple tunes and early etudes.
• Kindling the Spark (Dr Joanne Haroutounian) — exercises and ideas to keep you excited, motivated and creative; ways to make practice meaningful and fun.
• Think Like an Artist (Dr Joanne Haroutounian) — mental tools: how to imagine sound, solve musical problems, shape musical lines and develop musical ideas.
• Hanon-Faber: The New Virtuoso Pianist — short technical exercises that build strength, accuracy and rhythmic control. The idea of 'pianistic gesture' (a natural physical motion for music) can be translated to bow-arm motion and left-hand shaping on the violin.

Daily practice plan (45–60 minutes)

1. Warm-up (8–12 min)
   • Body: shake out arms, roll shoulders, gentle neck stretches (1–2 min).
   • Open strings: long, slow bows focusing on even tone and relaxed right arm (3–5 bows).
   • Simple left-hand finger patterns on one string: play slowly and in tune (3–5 minutes).
2. Technique focus (10–15 min)
   • Use a page from Chimchirian Book 1: work on one short exercise or scale pattern. Use a metronome: start slow, play 4–8 measures correctly, then increase tempo by 2–4% when it feels easy.
   • If working piano or keyboard too, pick 5–8 minutes of a Hanon exercise to build evenness and finger independence. On violin, translate the idea: short repeated patterns, even rhythm, clean finger changes.
3. Study a piece or etude (15–20 min)
   • Pick one piece from Chimchirian or an etude. Break it into 4-bar sections. Slow practice: 60–70% of performance speed. Use short loops and fix trouble spots.
   • Apply a 'gesture' idea: for a musical phrase imagine the bowing as a single shaped gesture (up/down, big/small), and coordinate left-hand changes to support that shape.
4. Creative work & mindset (5–10 min)
   • Use an idea from Kindling the Spark: improvise a short variation of the piece, or change dynamics and mood. Try one idea from Think Like an Artist — e.g., 'what if this phrase whispers?'
5. Finish & reflect (2–5 min)
   • Play one favorite short tune all the way through. Note one thing you improved and one thing to work on next time.

Step-by-step: learning a new passage

1. Read slowly and count the rhythm aloud.
2. Play at 50–60% speed until you can play without mistakes for 4 repetitions.
3. Fix only one problem at a time (intonation, rhythm, bowing, tone).
4. Use small loops — repeat 2–4 bars many times, then add the next 2–4 bars.
5. Gradually increase speed. Always end a practice session with the passage played well (even if slower).

Using Think Like an Artist & Kindling the Spark

• Before practicing, imagine how you want the music to sound (mood, colors, words). That gives direction to technical practice.
• Try playful experiments: change rhythm, pretend you are speaking, or draw the phrase on paper to see its shape.
• Use short creative tasks as rewards — 3 minutes of free improvisation for every 12 minutes of focused work.

Applying Hanon-Faber ideas to violin

• Hanon trains evenness, finger strength, and rhythmic control. On violin, use short repeated finger patterns and scales to build these skills.
• Practice patterns in different rhythms (triplets, dotted rhythms) to eliminate sloppiness.
• Think of 'gesture' as the natural arm/bow motion that helps the music flow—avoid stiff wrists. Practice slow, large gestures so the muscles learn relaxed motion.

Practice tips and healthy habits

• Use a metronome often.
• Take short breaks every 20 minutes to avoid tension and fatigue.
• Record yourself once a week to hear progress.
• Stick to small, clear goals: "Today I will play bars 9–12 in tune at 60% speed."
• Ask your teacher to help adapt Hanon-style drills to your violin if needed.

4-week progress plan (quick)

• Week 1: Establish warm-up and one Chimchirian exercise; 5 min creative play daily.
• Week 2: Add a Hanon-style pattern (or short Hanon exercise) and work on one 4-bar section of a piece.
• Week 3: Increase tempo slowly, add dynamic shaping using Think Like an Artist ideas.
• Week 4: Perform the piece for family/teacher, record it, and set new goals.

Final encouragement: Be patient. Small daily steps add up. Use Chimchirian for the basics, Haroutounian’s books to keep your ideas and motivation bright, and Hanon-Faber’s approach to build steady, focused technical practice that supports your musical goals. Have fun experimenting — music is both skill and imagination!

Would you like a printable weekly practice chart I can make for you (with times and checkboxes)?