(Music Sales America). Raymond Briggs' charming Christmas story about the adventures of a boy and the snowman that comes to life is a modern children's classic. The tales popularity has been further enhanced by frequent television broadcasts of the award-winning cartoon film The Snowman . In this music booklet of the classic theme song "Walking in the Air" composer Howard Blake recreates the story in music based on the scenes from the film. For violin and piano.

Teach violin with the popular Suzuki Violin School. Revised edition features:
New engravings in a 9" x 12" format
New editing of pieces, including bowings and fingerings
16 additional pages
Additional exercises, some from Dr. Suzuki, plus additional insight and suggestions for teachers
Glossary of terms in English, French, German and Spanish
Musical notation guide
Fingerboard position.
Titles: Gavotte (P. Martini), Minuet (J. S. Bach), Gavotte in G Minor (J. S. Bach), Humoresque (A. Dvor?k), Gavotte (Jean Becker), Gavotte in D Major (J. S. Bach), Bourr?e (J. S. Bach)
This title is available in SmartMusic.

The contribution of the British Isles to the history of the violin family has been consistently under-estimated. For over 200 years England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland have produced many fine makers and an abundance of quality instruments and bows, now sought after around the world. In addition London has for over 100 years been an important centre for restoring, dealing in, collecting, and exhibiting the finest products of Stradivari, Guarneri, and other Italian masters - an important source of inspiration. Professor Harvey explains in detail the history of violin-making in Britain, from one of the earliest extant English instruments made of iron by John Bunyan in about 1647, to the extensive British craft industry of today, including within his book a comprehensive directory of violin-and-bow-makers of the British Isles, with auction prices. The book includes numerous high-quality colour and monochrome illustrations, including samples of the work of the major craftsmen involved. Throughout most of this history the scene has been dominated by the Hill family, which for over 250 years has produced instruments and bows of the highest quality, and their influence is fully assessed. The book is also a social and economic history of stringed instruments, showing how in England in particular the violin was slow to win acceptance by association with gypsies and the devil, and how the cello became the instrument favoured by royalty and the aristocracy. The demand for instruments at any particular time is gauged against musical activity in the country. The book is the first in any language to deal with the vast and fascinating subject in this way and in such depth. As such, it will be welcomed by makers, dealers internationally, auction houses, collectors, teachers, players, and students of stringed instruments.

A `hidden' instrument in the classical music world, the mandolin's repertoire of original music remains largely unknown. This book examines the lives and works of the mandolin's greatest composers, and taken together with The Early Mandolin (OUP 1989), provides the first comprehensive survey of the instrument's history. It also examines aspects of technique and looks at present-day orchestras and soloists.

In Violin Secrets: 101 Performance Strategies for the Advanced Violinist, author and violinist Jo Nardolillo surveys the cutting edge of current violin technique, combining tradition and innovation in one volume. Blending traditional strategies that have produced generations of legendary performers with modern ideas, Nardolillo reveals the secrets of today's most sought-after master teachers, garnered through her decade of study at top conservatories across the nation. With more than a quarter century of experience teaching at the advanced level, she has refined and distilled these essential concepts into clear, concise, step-by-step instructions, complete with original illustrations and helpful tips. Violin Secrets is an indispensable resource for any and all serious violinists. The first chapter tackles the toughest challenge on the wish list of every established professional, dedicated student, and passionate amateur: understanding why immaculate intonation is so difficult (and exploring ways to achieve it). Further chapters address the advanced techniques of fingerboard mapping, mastering spiccato, controlling vibrato, playing into the curve, small-hand technique, and navigating comfortably in high positions. An extensive section on practice strategies blends concepts from learning theory, sports psychology, and Zen, and the chapter on artistry offers insight on creating expressive phrases, connecting with the audience, and developing a unique artistic voice. Violin Secrets examines overcoming performance anxiety, choosing the right music editions, being a strong section player in an orchestra, leading productive chamber music rehearsals, and winning auditions. Violin Secrets is beautifully illustrated with original drawings by T. M. Larsen, musical examples from the standard literature, and a violinist's family tree that traces these secrets back through to the founding fathers of violin technique. The Music Secrets for the Advanced Musician series is designed for instrumentalists, singers, conductors, composers, and other instructors and professionals seeking a quick set of pointers to improve their work as performers and producers of music. Easy to use and intended for the advanced musician, contributions to Music Secrets fill a niche for those who have moved beyond what beginners and intermediate practitioners need.

(String). The four opus 1 technique books of the violin teacher available for the first time in one inexpensive edition.

Leading authorities explore, in direct and accessible language, chamber-music masterpieces by twenty-one prominent composers since 1900. Modern composers as diverse as Bela Bartok, Maurice Ravel, Benjamin Britten, and John Cage have confided some of their most personal and intense thoughts to the medium of the string quartet. The resulting repertoire has won the allegiance of string players-and of listeners in the concert hall and at home. Yet, until now, no book has addressed the language of these remarkable works, their interactions with the masterpieces of Beethoven and others, and theirnew approaches to musical expression. Intimate Voices, organized in rough chronological order, offers the observations and intuitions of leading authorities on quartets by twenty-one composers from eleven countries. Its two volumes-available separately or together-comprise an indispensable guide to amateur and professional chamber musicians, scholars, students, and anyone seeking a deeper acquaintance with the great achievements of twentieth-century music. Edited by Evan Jones, Associate Professor of Music Theory, Florida State University College of Music.

`In all areas of human endeavour, time and again an individual appears who, due to a multitude of personal attributes, elevates his or her field to a hitherto unknown height. Such an individual was William Primrose. His name and the viola are synonymous.' Janos Starker This unique book is the result of a series of conversations with Primrose in the last years before his death in 1982. David Dalton describes how he came to the great artist armed with every question he could think of pertaining to performing on and teaching the viola. The lively dialogue contains a wealth of illuminating advice for the student on the technicalities of playing the viola. It is, however, far more than a technical guide. The two violists discuss the unique position of their instrument - `an instrument without tradition' is Primrose's bald description. They cover the topic of repertoire with fascinating insights into the performance of the great concertos by Bartok and Walton, with which Primrose was so closely associated. Still more invaluable advice emerges from the discussion of Primrose's own experience, on the art of performance, on demeanour on stage, on competitions, on recordings, and on preparing for a career. The book is a tribute to one of the greatest artists of this century.

So you want to play acoustic guitar but don't want to spend years learning how? Welcome to Crash Course - Acoustic Guitar, an eight-week guide to mastering one of the world's most popular instruments. Over a two-month period, every aspect of playing acoustic guitar is broken down, explored and categorized, and the exercises show you how to recreate them from the notes up. Covering every angle, from tuning and choosing straps to seventh chords and advanced plectrum techniques, and with a free full-length demo CD, this book has everything you need to grab a guitar and hit the ground running.

(Bass Instruction). Legendary jazz bassist Ray Brown reveals his lessons and teaching philosophy in this in-depth book. Includes: solo exercises and arpeggios; music fundamentals; right- and left-hand positions; scales; chords; exercises in tenths; rhythm patterns with "drops"; diminished chords; runs and variations; blues patterns; extension scales; and much more.

80 Graded Studies for Violin Book 1 is a must-have resource for teachers and students. Studies are an established part of every instrumentalist's training. They place technical problems in musical contexts, and can be invaluable aids for development. This study book brings together a broad selection of repertoire including works by famous pedagogues such as Wohlfahrt, Schradieck and Kayser, as well as folksongs, lesser known gems, contemporary studies and some original compositions. The studies in Book 1 are arranged in order of increasing difficulty, according to a carefully planned technical progression from Grades 1-5. Each grade features solo studies focussing on specific areas of technique, plus one accompanied piece per grade available to download, to help with intonation and for use as a performance resource.

Does the thought of sight-reading make you groan? The ability to sight-read fluently is a vital skill, enabling you to learn new pieces more quickly and play with other musicians. The best-selling Improve Your Sight-reading! series, by renowned educationalist Paul Harris, is designed to help you overcome all your sight-reading problems, especially in the context of graded exams. Step by step you build up a complete picture of each piece, firstly through rhythmic and melodic exercises related to specific technical issues, then by studying prepared pieces with associated questions, and finally 'going solo' with a series of meticulously graded sight-reading pieces. New edition, devised to support the revised sight-reading criteria from the ABRSM from 2012.