Terry Shade/Jeremy Woolstenhulme: String Basics – Steps To Success For String Orchestra – Book 3 (Viola)

String Basics – Steps to Success for String Orchestra is a comprehensive and impressive resource for those learning the Viola at grade 3 level and beyond. Written by award-winning authors, this book covers the essentials for this level, as well as including a wealth of digital and interactive resources. Book 3 for Viola introduces independent instrument tuning, then the critical review section prepares students for unfamiliar major and minor keys, the chromatic scale and advanced note and rhythm combinations. Students will experience all this before practising a number of vibrato development exercises specifically designed for ensembles. Shade and Woolstenhulme have managed all this while keeping the content interesting and engaging, using technical exercises together with a diverse range of classical and cultural music. The String Basics series is widely-acclaimed for its use of practical activities, world music, classical themes as well as original compositions. All of these features combine to help students learn the fundamental and advanced tenets of playing a stringed instrument in an orchestra. This book, for the Viola, contains step-by-step instructions where necessary to make everything as clear as possible, as well as full-colour photographs enabling the student to see exactly how it should be done. Not only this, but the duets, rounds, trios and orchestra arrangements enhance the student’s ability to play in a wide variety of settings with different numbers of fellow musicians. As with all books in the String Basics series, the Interactive Practice Studio is included, which is accessible on any Windows or Mac computer and contains a fun and inspiring mix of biography, history, photography, audio and video to enhance learning. A DVD is also included featuring lessons taught by the authors in a classroom setting making this book perfect for students and teachers alike.