Customer Reviews

Mel Bay's Fiddle Tunes for Beginning Viola Book/CD Set

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This book is a great introduction to learning how to play in a more 'swing' like fashion as opposed to the classical manner most folks are taught in school. The songs aren't TOO simple either (for those of us with a few years of training under our belts.) One of my favorites is the very short but sweet 'Hogeye'. The included CD is what makes this book great... you can hear exactly what the tune is supposed to sound like and play it over and over again. The sheet music also includes guitar chords above the viola music so a friend with a guitar can join in (that sounds really nice) and some comments about piano accompaniment are included in the beginning of the book. For those that are very new to the instrument, fingering notation is written. Most songs have some comments about the key it's in, or about the best tempo to play the particular song. I was hoping for one or two songs that utilized double stops, but alas, there are none. 'Cluck Old Hen' uses some pizzicato. I believe there is only one tune that stretches out of first position, and that was only for a single note. Fun!
A few more songs that I particularly like in this book are: Too Young to Marry, Rabbit Where's Your Mammy?, Tombigbee Waltz, Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, Down Yonder, and Joys of Quebec.
All in all, a very good book. I recommend it.