20 Short Recital and Study Pieces for the Intermediate Player-A curious child climbs up to the attic and discovers a jumble of boxes trunks old clothes and dusty junk. There a black leather case catches her eye. She pries it open and finds inside an old Violin - her grandmother's from high school. Sitting on the floor she tunes the strings and tightens the bow. As she draws the bow across the strings the Violin becomes alive with music. To her delight she discovers more and more treasures in the attic. Staccato rain plays on the roof just above where she looks through her trove of riches playing a new melody with each discovery...John Walker has composed a new series of short recital and study pieces set in amagical world. Specially designed for the intermediate-level musician these 20 works evoke the spirit of musical discovery while helping students learn new phrasing fingerings and articulations. A welcome addition to every student's library this musical adventure will both teach and entertain.

An Introduction to Folk Styles Technique and Improvisation-* This in-depth tutor book from renowned fiddle player and teacher Chris Haigh is perfect for classical violinists and fiddle players looking to master the art. * Covering all aspects of folk violin technique from ornamentation to modes and scales and from scordatura to improvisation and composition. * The book is centred around Irish traditional music but also dips into English Scottish Scandinavian East European Klezmer Cajun and American Old-Time traditions. * Accompanied by a CD of all pieces performed by Chris Haigh with a live backing band. Folk fiddle and classical violin are as different as chalk and cheese. At first glance folk might seem so simpleit?s hardly worth bothering with. The tunes are often no more than 32 bars long they stay in first position and they don?t even have a composer. However it?s what?s NOT written on the page that makes folk fiddle so interesting and challenging.This book attempts to explore from general observation down to the finest detail what the fiddler needs to know to bring these tunes alive. We need to understand their history and context their purpose their structure and pulse. And we need to be able to add all the stylistic elements that come not from reading the music but from years of immersion in folk music both listening and playing.Key areas covered include:* Tune types and structures * Ornamentation * Bowing * Modes and scales * Scordatura * Starts endings and links * Variation improvisation and composition Playing tunes in ?sets? * Regional and individual style * Playing in sessions for contests and for dancing