Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 194
Trim: 7 x 10
978-0-8108-8624-7 • Paperback • October 2015 • $56.00 • (£43.00)
978-0-8108-8625-4 • eBook • October 2015 • $53.00 • (£41.00)
Jo Nardolillo has performed throughout the United States and in Europe, has commissioned, recorded, and given the world premieres of many new works, and is a founding member of the innovative new-music ensemble TangleTown Trio and the eclectic jazz ensemble Touché. She is the author of The Canon of Violin Literature (Scarecrow Press, 2011) and All Things Strings: An Illustrated Dictionary (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014).
T. M. Larsen has created illustrations for Scarecrow Press and Rowman & Littlefield, Orchestra2001 (Philadelphia), InternationalOpus, Labyrinth Books, the Northwest Sinfonietta, Liberty Winds, the Spoleto Music Festival, the American Composer’s Forum, and the Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra.
1. Intonation
2. The Left Hand
3. Shifting and Playing High
4. Vibrato Strategies
5. Tone and the Bow
6. Practice Strategies
7. Artistry
8. Performance Strategies
9. Chamber Music Strategies
10. Orchestra Strategies
Further Readings
This is a clever and thorough collection of the aspects of teaching the advanced violin student, it is well written and illustrated, and is an easy-to-read reference for the teacher looking for that extra spark of knowledge or a simple reminder in a moment of uncertainty.
— American Music Teacher
Jo Nardolilo adds another valuable resource, surveying violin technique, combining tradition and innovation in one volume. Part of a series designed for the advanced player, it fills a niche for those who are now at professional levels. The first chapter addresses that most vexed question; how to achieve fine intonation. Extensive sections on practice strategies (another weighty conundrum), mastering various bowings, controlling vibrato, and interesting for me personally, small-hand technique and navigating high positions, all provide valuable insights. Further topics include tips on orchestral playing (both leading and as a team player), artistry, performance anxiety, auditioning and chamber music rehearsing. Zen philosophy, shifting techniques and improving basic skills in just 15 minutes a day will interest time-poor readers. Nardolilo’s book is an indispensable resource for all serious players.
— Stringendo