The Cello Fiddling Tune Book and CD,
The Viola Fiddling Tune Book and CD,
The Piano Fiddling Tune Book

This book features a collection of fiendishly fun fiddling tunes for cellists of all finger fitness levels! Cellists can really cut loose with these tunes ranging from rags, polkas, waltzes to jigs, and even hoedowns. Most of the tunes are in first position, although some require playing up to fourth position. There are some double-stops and tricky rhythms, but the true challenges in these tunes lie in successfully interpreting the style of the bowing and playing with the ease that real country fiddlers show. Greenblatt has written a little bit about each tune at the end of the book, from notes on how to properly perform each tune so that it swings, to just intereting anecdotes about the tune’s history. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to venture off the beaten path..”

...an enjoyable and useful album of cello duets. Some of the melodies have their origin in America, but also a pair of Swedish (Boda Valsen and Jenny Lind Polka). Several come from Scotland and Ireland. My favorite is hot Karapieet from Armenia ( a little technical, but not exactly hard), and Duj, Duj a Gypsey Dance with fascinating rhythm. At the back of the book are excellent comments for each melody. There, for example, you can discover that the well known Clarinette Polka ( here in a superb and artful arrangement) originally came from Poland. Titles on some are humorous! “I Don’t Want No Babies in My Bed,” “Smash the Windows”, “Up Jumped the Devil” and “Whiskey before Breakfast.” But I have to observe that the pamphlet puts great demands on the cellists, as well when it pertains to technical capacity, as familiarity with ensemble playing, often in both first and second chair. But gifted and musical students can find it extremely fun!”

The book has a wide variety of selections from many countries including the United States, Poland, Armenia, Sweden, Ireland and Scotland, plus a Gypsy dance and several original tunes. The pieces appear in alphabetical order, so the performers don’t feel that they have to start at the beginning and play through the book. At the end of the book, there are descriptions of the pieces and some clues about how to play them. She gave the best definition of the bowing called bariolage that I have ever encountered: “it’s sort of like roller skating across a smooth, hilly surface.” She also tells the performer when to “swing” the notes.... there is a great deal of fun and useful material in this volume. If you use it for teaching purposes, you would have to work out what would work for the student at that time. My favorites for cello are: Rights of Man, a wonderful-sounding cello piece; Jenny Lind Polka, a piece I grew up with; Duj, Duj, for its fun rhythmic challenges; Pig Ankle Rag, great tune and chord outlines.”

“These fiddle tunes for viola are pedagogically excellent in every way... The performance notes could well serve as a style manual for playing fiddle music... ...the overall enthusiasm for the viola is infectious. The music editing is very clean... This present volume displays a wonderful sense of humor and inventiveness as well as dedication to our musical heritage.”

“...wonderful...the second viola part is a true harmony part in keeping with the duet fiddling styles of the pieces. Both viola parts are equal in difficulty--about grade three or four ...excellent keys for the viola, which are easy to play in, sound well on the viola and take in the full range of the instrument. I highly recommend this book for all viola students, who, as violists, rarely get the chance to play music outside the ‘classical’ repertoire ...adult amateurs and professional violists looking for a little ‘fun’ should buy a copy of this excellent publication.”

“...excellent CD...All the pieces are played with ‘spirit’ and in a clean classical folk style. I highly recommend the music for all violists and viola students and recommend the CD. I find playing the CD to my students enhances their enjoyment of the tunes.”

“...delightful...occasional double-stopping and syncopated rhythms---they are tunes which would appeal to intermediate level and up...The second viola parts are well written and interesting as well, though students might like to switch parts when repeating sections.”

“This new viola CD is perhaps even more helpful than the recordings that accompany other music books because certain rhythms in these tunes are “bent” in performance when compared to the way they are written. Also worth mentioning, the CD is produced so that the two stereo channels each carry a separate part. The student can then perform either part with the CD adjusted to play the other part simultaneously. These books and CDs are certainly worth a trial as they could prove to be a nice companion to the study of the more traditional literature for strings.”

“...solid and reliable versions of tunes...Advanced beginners would find something here at a slow tempo, but the arrangements speak best to intermediate players and beyond. The quality is consistently high in every detail, and I recommend it.”