Read more
More Technique Takes Off! is a collection of unaccompanied duets and studies offering intermediate violinists an imaginative and exciting way to improve their technique. Each piece focusses on a particular skill and together the studies provide a concentrated course in developing vibrato, double-stopping and shifting. Double-stopping pieces can be played both as a duet (for tuning purposes) and as a solo version with double stopping. In addition, practice and performance tips help to outline the musical goals and guide students on to the next stage.
"I have been meaning to write to say how much pleasure Technique Takes Off has given me and my students. Beautifully conceived, imaginative and great fun to teach. I have been using it at higher levels with more detail too. All power to your elbow!"
William Bruce (Head of Strings and ABRSM examiner)
List of contents
Intrada (Duet); Intrada (Solo); Asleep In The Hammock (Duet); Weaving Song (Duet); On The Spot (Duet); A Passing Passacaglia (Duet); Quite A Character (Duet); Quite A Character (Solo); Sarabande And Double (Duet); Clouds Of Blossom Are Mirrored In The Lake (Solo); Forget-Me-Not Rag (Duet); Far Distant.. (Duet); Far Distant..(Solo); Catch (Duet)
Summary
A collection of duets and studies that offers intermediate violinists a way to improve their technique.
Report
This is great stuff! I really like Mary Cohen's teaching material, and what's more, so do my students. As usual her use of exciting violin techniques, combined with thought provoking titles, gets the student thinking and using their imaginations in these intermediate violin duets and studies to develop vibrato, shifting and double stopping. She explores vibrato, glissandi and long flowing bows in Asleep in the Hammock, pizzicato bowing and left hand pizzicato in On the Spot and the clever use of a pizzicato ostinato line A Passing Passacaglia duet. Lots of dynamics and bowing indications are given to keep the student on their toes and in the latter half of Clouds of Blossom she suggests you work out your own possibilities for fingering and dynamics. I especially like her suggestions at the beginning of each piece, which remind the student (or parent) what it was all about when they get home.
European String Teachers Association, Winter 2006
