Customer Reviews

Mel Bay Fiddling for Viola

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I bought this, I was expecting a bit more information on the actual technique behind fiddling, specifically for violas. But this book seems more aimed at violinists who can already fiddle, and want to learn alto clef. Each song is written in both alto and treble clef. There is a lot of different songs in the book, but it would be nice to have more technique.

It has been about five years since I played in an orchestra; I play my viola now just for fun and relaxation. I have been searching for a fiddling book for some time and this one is almost perfect. It isn't very advanced, but it does have some catchy tunes that are quite fun to play. There isn't much in the way of fiddling how-to except for a few introductory paragraphs. There is also some scale work and general viola playing notes (which I found a bit odd, because although this isn't the most advanced viola music, it isn't for first graders either). I think anyone who plays the viola (and who gets sick of playing second "fiddle" to the violin) would enjoy playing these little melodies.

As a violinist, it was nice to see the transposition from treble clef to alto clef explained so clearly. Seeing the pieces in both clefs allows me to "see" the difference and to play the viola while reading the treble clef, if that's what I want to do.

I think it's one of the best books I've seen for those who want to transition from violin to viola.

My 6th grade son, who has been playing viola for the past 3 years in school. He wanted to try some new music - preferable where the viola gets the melody - and picked out a few. I bought this one for him as one of his birthday gifts and he LOVES it. Many of the tunes are faster than he's used to, but he loves the challenge and is getting quite good at playing them.