ISBN 9781513470917. 8.75x11.75 inches.

This book presents the most widely played fiddle tunes in easy-to-read arrangements for viola. The viola edition features the same tunes in the same keys as the author’s original The Fiddlin’ Workshop and The Fiddlin\' Workshop for Cello, so all three instruments could conceivably jam together. Designed for beginning through intermediate players, the arrangements progress in difficulty with each tune. A few tunes are presented in both easier and more challenging versions.In addition to helpful hints on fingerings and bowing, this collection contains suggested guitar accompaniment chords and a bit of fiddlin’ history and related folklore. Includes access to an excellent online audio recording of the book’s tunes and variations.

Charles Dancla (1817-1907) is considered to be the last great representative of the French Violin School. He was a composer, solo violinist at the Paris Opera and professor at the Paris Conservatoire and wrote numerous educational works for violin, including his well-known three-volume work Little School of Melody'. He knew, in a unique way, how to implement the principle 'no music without technique, no technique without music' in his teaching material. This is the case in his easy melodic studies Op. 84 which are available here in an arrangement for viola for the first time. These studies are perfectly suited for young beginners after the second year, but also for adult players, false beginners or those switching instruments. Most of them can be effectively used as little performance pieces, providing an excellent foundation for every advanced etude or concert piece.
Each study is preceded by new or revised exercises which either deal with specific problems relating to the playing technique, like change of string, spiccato, martele, chromaticism, change of position, octaves, or double stops, or present the tonal material of the respective study in a condensed, playful form.
Those who prefer Dancla's somewhat easier original preliminary exercises will find them in the appendix.
A little dictionary of the musical and technical terms in this volume shall make their meaning accessible to young players in particular.