"The Advancing Violist s Handbook is a concise but thorough treatise on virtually every aspect of practicing and learning to play the violin. This book is primarily designed for intermediate violinists, which usually means ages 14 to 20, but which could be any age from 6 to 80. The purpose of this book is to provide you with much of the basic information that you need in order to become good at practicing the violin. This is the book for you if: You want to learn how to improve rapidly as a violist. You don t feel that you know how to practice. You want to get a faster rate of advancement out of your available practice time. "

The Advancing Violist¿s Handbook is the most thorough guide to practicing the viola available. It covers everything that an aspiring musician would expect to find in such a book, plus many things that other books do not address, such as the psychology of practicing and how to practice without the instrument. It also includes a walk-through of a hypothetical practice session along with specific descriptions of how to practice several common works from the viola literature. Perfect for the person who sincerely wants to improve as a violist, or for those who want to get the most out of individual practice time but don¿t know how.

Advancing Violinist¿s Handbook is the most thorough guide to practicing the violin available. It covers everything that an aspiring musician would expect to find in such a book, plus many things that other books do not address, such as the psychology of practicing and how to practice without the instrument. It also includes a walk-through of a hypothetical practice session along with specific descriptions of how to practice several common works from the violin literature. Perfect for the person who sincerely wants to improve as a violinist, or for those who want to get the most out of individual practice time but don¿t know how.

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.

Notes for Violists: A Guide to the Repertoire offers historical and analytical information about thirty-five of the best-known pieces for the instrument, making it an essential resource for professional, amateur, and student violists alike. With engaging prose supported by fact-filled analytical charts, the book offers rich biographical information and insightful analyses that help violists gain a more complete understanding of pieces like Béla Bartók's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, Rebecca Clarke's Sonata for Viola and Piano, Robert Schumann's Märchenbilder for Viola and Piano, op. 113, Carl Stamitz's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in D Major, Igor Stravinsky's Élégie for Viola or Violin Unaccompanied, and thirty other masterpieces. This comprehensive guide to key pieces from the viola repertoire from the eighteenth through the twentieth century covers concertos, chamber pieces, and works for solo viola by a wide range of composers, including Bach, Telemann, Mozart, Hoffmeister, Walton, and Hindemith. Author David M. Bynog not only offers clear structural analyses of these compositions but also situates them in their historical contexts as he highlights crucial biographical information on composers and explores the circumstances of the development and performance of each work. By connecting performance studies with scholarship, this indispensable handbook for students and professionals allows readers to gain a more complete picture of each work and encourages them to approach other compositions in a similarly analytical manner.

Carrying the torch of the Russian violin school that was handed down by towering performers like Jascha Heifetz and Nathan Milstein, Jay Zhong records his pedegogical findings on violin performance in A Violinist's Handbook, A Simpler Manual to Learn the Instrument. Mr. Zhong was a disciple of the celebrated violin master Elmar Oliveira and the noted Russian teacher Raphael Bronstein, an pupil of the great Leopold Auer. Mr. Zhong's talent was discovered and recognized by Nathan Milstein at age 14, and subsequently promoted by concert manager Harold Shaw. Mr. Zhong has performed as a solo violinist and chamber musician on four continents of the globe. He has held violin professorship at California State University, Los Angeles, Western Illinois University, and taught master-classes at Southern Methodist University, University of Delaware, University of Kansas at Lawrence, Beijing Central Conservatory of Music in China, among other music institutions.

Scales for Advanced Violinists is a technical source book for violinists compiled and edited by Barbara Barber. This 27-page book presents practice suggestions and ideas to take the monotony away from scale practice and to develop and improve evenness, clarity, agility, speed, and intonation. The circle of 5ths is presented with 1st position finger patterns. Scales and arpeggios are written out with rhythmic variations and different combinations of bowings. Octaves, thirds, sixths, fingered octaves, and tenths---as well as harmonics, broken thirds, and chromatic scales are also presented with practice suggestions. This is an excellent guide for advanced students and teachers.

Solos for Young Violinists is a graded series of works ranging from elementary to advanced levels representing an exciting variety of styles and techniques for violinists -- a valuable resource for teachers and students of all ages. Many of the works in this collection have long been recognized as stepping stones to the major violin repertoire, while others are newly published pieces for further choices of study.