SKU: MB.30091

ISBN 9781513466378. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.

Appalachian fiddle music, based on the musical traditions of the people who settled in the mountainous regions of the southeastern United States, is widely-known and played throughout North America and parts of Europe because of its complex rhythms, its catchy melodies, and its often-ancient-sounding stylistic qualities. The authors explore the lives and music of 43 of the classic Appalachian fiddlers who were active during the first half of the 20th century. Some of them were recorded commercially in the 1920s, such as Gid Tanner, Fiddlin? John Carson, and Charlie Bowman. Some were recorded by folklorists from the Library of Congress, such as William Stepp, Emmett Lundy, and Marion Reece. Others were recorded informally by family members and visitors, such as John Salyer, Emma Lee Dickerson, and Manco Sneed. All of them played throughout most of their lives and influenced the growth and stylistic elements of fiddle music in their regions. Each fiddler has been given a chapter with a biography, several tune transcriptions, and tune histories. To show the richness of the music, the authors make a special effort to show the musical elements in detail, but also acknowledge that nothing can take the place of listening. Many of the classic recordings used in this book can be found on the web, allowing you to hear and read the music together.

SKU: CF.BF118

ISBN 9781491149812. UPC: 680160907311. 9 x 12 inches.

Continuing on the success of the popular Compatible series,Compatible Duets for Strings, Volume II contains 29 duets in avariety of styles (classical, folk music, new original pieces) thatcan be played with any combination of two string instruments.Students can develop their chamber ensemble skills whileplaying with their friends, no matter what string instrumentthey play. Ranging from grade levels 2–3, Compatible Duetsfor Strings, Volume II is perfect for orchestra directors to buyfor use in the classroom, and its flexibility makes it a musthavefor any string player.
Having students play in small chamber music groups is a very beneficial exercise to improvethe student’s overall musicianship. The simplest form of chamber music is the duet. It is anopportunity for the student to play with a teacher or to play with another student of similarabilities. Aspects of playing such as tone quality, intonation, technique and ensemble skillscan be developed during the process of studying duets.These duets are different in that they have many different performance options since all ofthe books in this series are compatible. As former long time music educators we alwayshad student that wanted to come to the music room during lunch or after school and theyjust wanted to play with their friends. That was not possible since there is very little duetmaterial available that is compatible with all of the string instruments. This book and thefirst volume in the series takes care of that. A student can now grab their friend no matterwhat instrument they play and have hours of fun playing duets together. Most importantthey will learn something in the process.The duets have been generally placed in the book in order of difficulty and cover a rangeof keys that are appropriate for this ability level. Special care was given to making surethat both of the duet parts were on a similar ability level and that each line was givenan opportunity to play a lead role at some point during the arrangement. Also, most ofthe musical markings are attached to both systems and the point size of the music wasconsidered for ease of reading.It is our hope that this collection will help to stimulate and enhance the musicianship of theperformers. It was a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to put together this collection.We hope it is a useful tool for you for years to come.