There are tons of benefits to playing a musical instrument. Studies have shown that playing an instrument is directly related to high academic performance, as well as physical and psychological benefits, described on effectivemusicteaching.com. Learning to play an instrument should always be voluntary and self-paced.

If you are a violinist who has been playing for a while and you’re pretty good, you might consider yourself an intermediate player. This title applies to those who have mastered the basics long ago but aren’t really ready for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Basically, intermediate applies to those who have passed Canon in D but have to practice a little bit for the second violin part of Dvorak’s New World Symphony. If you’re looking for sonatas or concertos for intermediate violinists (or just a classical music nut and want something to give you an extra boost for that upcoming SAT!), here are three great places to start:

Concertino op. 36 for Violin and Piano by Oskar Rieding

This sonata by German-born composer and violinist Oskar Rieding  is a beautiful piece of romantic musical literature. It’s a short nine-minute piece that only requires first position for all three movements. All three movements are in D major except for a key change to A major in the first movement and a key change to b minor in the third movement. It’s a beautiful song with incredible melodies, and it shows off the talent of the violinist without throwing in flashy, distracting runs or difficult shifts. It’s relatively easy but challenging enough that you have to practice.

Concertino op.11 for Violin and Piano by Ferdinand Kuchler

This sonata by another German native violinist and violist, Ferdinand Kuchler, was written at the very beginning of the 20th century but obviously has the sound of the previous Romantic period. All three movements are played in first position, and the first and last movements are in G major, while the second movement is in C major. The nine-minute piece not only displays the violinist well with simple melodies that sound wonderful, but the contrast within movements and between movements brings the romantic feel and style to it.

Concerto in B Minor op.35 by Oskar Rieding

This concerto is personally one of my favorites by Rieding and is perfect for the intermediate player. I am currently studying this piece, and I believe that it offers the perfect balance for the intermediate player. The simplicity of the piece allows you to perfect it so that it sounds as impressive as the over-embellished music of earlier periods, while also posing a challenge and encouraging you to fix the flaws that show while playing the simple, delicate melody.

The first and third movements are in b minor, while the second movement is in G major and changes to b minor. The whole piece is eight minutes and is entirely in first position.