| Dear Bryan,
The standards are standards for a reason and I believe you'll never go wrong with them.
Arban's complete Method, Clarke's Technical Studies, and any book that has good, long studies (for the more advanced players) are important. I'll say this, those books have little effect without a good teacher that really understands how to use them. For a student that wants something more, exploring music in an in depth way is truly important. The "Art of Phrasing " in Arban's must truly be about that: phrasing. Issues of breathing need to be reinforced. Tone quality must be a constant theme for discussion. Otherwise, no book is useful.
Good luck to you and thank you for caring,
Manny |