2 comments about Solos for Young Violinists (Violin & Piano Parts).

1. These solos start with a few quite easy songs, but very quickly the solos become much more difficult. There doesn't seem to be much for the "just a little better than rank beginner" player. That said, the music is much more satisfying than most available in books for beginning players.



2. Amazon shipped this order twice without including the violin part. Finally I gave up and ordered it from another source. Return was a minor hassle as Amazon told me to preprint a return label which they they wanted to charge me for via deduction from refund. After a protest they came around and refunded entire price.

No comments about Suzuki Violin School -Volume 3 (Revisied Edition) (The Suzuki Method Core Materials).

5 comments about Beyond the Reflection's Edge (Echoes from the Edge).

1. Excellent start to new series by Bryan Davis. The characters and plot are complex and compelling. Great read.



2. Wow! Beyond the Reflection's Edge is just as powerful, action-packed, and deep as Dragons In Our Midst and Oracles of Fire. Each word continued to drag me into the story and share Nathan's and Kelly's adventures. Sometimes I felt as though I could hear the music, even if I didn't necessarily know one of the pieces Nathan was playing. From beginning to end I felt as though I were truly there, feeling the tension, the heartache, the fear, and even the laughter of all characters involved. I say "Bravo!" to Bryan Davis. Keep it up - I can't wait to read the next one!



3. This new series starts off with an amazing book! It is a great fantasy and I eagerly await the sequel.



4. If anything, Beyond the Reflection's Edge is more relevant to the culture today than the Dragons in Our Midst books. Although Bryan Davis certainly does a lot of what I like to call "rearranging the universe," he manages to keep the "lesson" very close to home, at least for this teen.
   
   I could not have been more encouraged and challenged by Nathan Shepherd's commitment to purity, and I became more aware of the consequences of my choices after reading this book. I will definitely be reading the next one as soon as I can.



5. When I say this is a crazy book I mean it! I do not mean that in a bad way, it is just that this book will take you on a wild journey. The journey is great and really exciting but still wild at the same time. Join a boy named Nathan who has to cope with the loss of his parents and the discovery that the world is not what it seems. A great adventure for teenagers and up. Sit back in your chair, set it to the relax stage and pick up this book. Buy this book and you will not be disappointed!

1 comments about David Cerone Performs Suzuki Violin School (Volume 4).

1. This is the fourth cd we've purchased and they've all been of high quality. Don't hesitate to purchase it for your violinist-in-training!

4 comments about Mel Bay Daily Scale Exercises for Violin.

1. Great book. You need to be beyond the beginner level, but the information is very usefull and there are lots of good exercises to do. If you want to be a violinist, I would highly recommend it. Still takes the time and effort to practice though.



2. This is a good book but definitely not for a beginner. Especially if you can't read music. Would work well along with lessons.
   
   It's a great book for more advanced pupils. Like other instruments, playing scales gives you more practice and skills to handle more difficult pieces.
   
   I would order this product again.



3. This is a wonderful resource for any violinist! Scales and arpeggios are logically presented as well as numerous bowings for the beginner as well as the more advanced player.



4. I highly recommend this for anyone wanting to keep there fingers in practice. For me, having sheet music in front of me helps to focus my exercises.

5 comments about Saks & Violins: A Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery (Bed-And-Breakfast Mysteries).

1. Bed-and-breakfast owner Judith Flynn and her husband Joe are tired of hearing their neighbor Rudi practice his violin in their cul-de-sac. When Rudi's mentor, Dolph, comes to town, he chooses to stay at the B & B. Things get hectic soon as dead bodies begin to appear and a priceless violin bow and cousin Renie's credit cards begin to disappear. The relationships between characters are complicated and confusing and by the time the book ends, it's hard to tell who did what to whom. I agree with some of the other reviewers who wrote that Judith's mother is too mean-spirited to be funny and cousin Renie is pretty far out with her nasty temper and devotion to a stuffed monkey whom she treats as a human being.
   Perhaps it is time to retire this series.



2. Really am angered about the way the author protrays people with artifical hips. I suppose there are some who may have post op problems, but the majority of us can do perfectly normal everyday things after hip surgery. I walk well, play golf, garden,do aqua aerobics and also can get down on the floor and back up again without help. Her references to her inability to perform everyday tasks in this book I find quite irritating. It gives the impression that if you have hip surgery, you are going to be crippled. Not a good image to give to someone who is contemplating such surgery. This book really isn't as good as some she has done before.



3. I really like this series of books and did enjoy the plot for this one , but by half way through, I was so sick of comments on her artificial hip! I have friends who have them and never hear "I have to be so careful because of the hip replacement", much less every other sentence.Mention it once or twice, but I bet it was at least 20 or 30 times through the book. If you can ignore that, the book was pretty good otherwise.



4. After 30 pages of unpleasant characters and murky explanations of how they were connected, I gave up and returned this one to the library. This was a classic case of judging the book by it's attractive cover and cutesy title. If the previous books in the series were better, then I am sorry that I started with this one. There is nothing really horrible here, just nothing that compels the reader to invest much time.



5. Money is tight for Judith McGonigle Flynn and her cousin Renie. Judith's Bed and Breakfast isn't attracting as many customers as it used to and Renie isn't getting any offers for her graphic design work and is seriously in debt. Judith is also dealing with Rudi, a neighbor who likes to practice his violin at all hours of the night. To top it all off, Judith's latest guests are an odd bunch and she's not too happy when one of them is murdered. Add in Renie's missing credit cards and Rudi's missing violin bow and Judith and Renie are knee deep in murder and mayhem - yet again.
   
   "Saks and Violins" is an okay entry in Mary Daheim's Bed and Breakfast cozy mystery series. All of the characters that make the series so enjoyable - Judith, Renie, Judith's husband Joe, and her mother Gertrude - are in this book. The gentle sense of humor in the series is also in this book. But this book seems over the top, even for this series. Judith's neighbor Arlene is a perfect example. She's always been nosy, but she takes it to a new level in this book with her probing. Renie's worrying about her debts never quite worked for me as she was still wearing $2,000 outfits. The reaction of the 911 operator was no doubt meant to be funny but struck me as unprofessional instead. Judith's worrying over her artificial hip wore thin quickly - isn't the point of getting a new hip that one walks better with it? As for the mystery elements, for me the biggest problem was that there were too many characters and I got confused as to who was who and how they were related to each other. However, the mystery itself is well plotted, with plenty of suspects and red herrings and readers will have a hard time figuring out whodunit.
   
   "Saks and Violins" is an okay cozy mystery.

5 comments about The Bat Boy And His Violin (Aladdin Picture Books).

1. My son and I absolutely loved the story and illustrations. We can't wait for Gavin Curtis to write his next book, and for E.B. Lewis to illustrate his next book. Continue to keep up the high standards for children's books. We love to read! Reading is one of my most favorite things to share with my son who will be 5 in July. Thank you again to the both of you for a book well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



2. Reginald's father is the manager of a baseball team in the Negro league. Reginald would rather play his violin than a else. His dad signs him up to be a bat boy. Reginals plays his violin for the team which starts them on a winning streak. Shows insight into world of music impact and Negro ball players.



3. Reginald's father is the manager of a baseball team in the Negro league. Reginald would rather play his violin than anything else. His dad signs him up to be a bat boy. Reginald plays his violin for the team which starts them on a winning streak. Shows insight into world of music impact and Negro ball players.



4. This book has so many themes superimposed on one another, but they are all presented within the context of a wonderful story about a boy who just wanted to play his violin.

   Set among the context of the Negro League era, Reginald's father decides one summer to make him bat boy for his team. The team is down on its luck, and Reginald's heart isn't in this assignment, but everything comes together for him and the team one day.

   The history of the era as gently portrayed in the travels of the players is presented for young readers. The story of being true to yourself, and of parents learning to accept that in their children, is here as well. Above all else, the story of Reginald and his journeys with the ball players is a story of hope and triumph among the community in a time that was not always seen as one of hope. Along with all of this, the illustrations of E. B. Lewis capture these themes beautifully.




5. The reason I could call my review Tight boy and his violin because He was the bomb. I meen like he was the bat boy and he had it good because if you wer at my school C.L.A.S you couldent be no bat boy or a water boy . My school cause it self C.L.A.S because it stands for CULTURE AND LANGUGE ACADEMY OF SUCESES se THE C IS CULTURE AND THE L IS LANGUAGE AND THE A IS ACADEMY AND S IS FOR SUCCES. But yeah some of the other books chek me out like darnell rock reporting or this one oh yeah thats it.

1 comments about Step by Step 1A: An Intorduction to Successful Practice for Violin (Book & CD) (Step by Step (Suzuki)).

1. This fascinating series of tutor books is closely based on the Suzuki Violin Method. The teaching material in volumes 1 a and 1 b roughly mirrors the content of the first Suzuki book, with preparatory exercises for learning the tunes.
   I liked the useful advice for teachers and parents, such as the ten most important steps when learning a new piece, the tips on practising with a sample practice plan and the descriptions of some effective technical exercises, which all looked great fun. Parents are involved right from the start, with clear instructions on how they should take part in the learning process.
   The quality of the CD performances is good, with some interesting sound effects and drum rhythms that are sure to engage younger players.
   Children aged five and upwards will enjoy playing this material and many teachers will be interested in this exposition of the Suzuki principles.
   
   
   JAN DOBBINS

5 comments about Art of Violin Playing: Book One.

1. Many teachers say that the art of violin playing is the Bible on how to play violin. I have played violin for many years, and I find this book an invaluable tool. It contains so much detail that often it must be studied to understand all the minute details that Carl Flesch wishes to convey to the reader. If you are just a beginner, I would recommend a different book. The Art of Violin Playing uses somewhat technical descriptions on how to play, which are slightly confusing at times, but never impossible to grasp. I have found myself quoting this book when I teach my students. They will ask why I tell them to play a certain way, and I can show them what a master teacher says to do. I recommend this book very strongly.



2. ...for violin playing anyway. This book has rewarded all of my efforts to study it, however painstakingly. It is a violinist's textbook, the most scholarly violin book that I know of. Some of the technical descriptions are very subtle; that has been carefully protected by the translation. Flesch's integrity demands attention, preceding trust and patience. I might mention that his students include Ida Haendel, living proof of his principles, and the late Ginette Neveu.



3. I have found that this is a good book, but it is difficult to have to view the images or drawings in the last pages every time the text mentioned it. My suggestion for the autor is to put the images where they are needed; i.e. in the same page as the text refering to them, or in the next page if not enought space are left to do so.
   
   My rating is 3 and half stars.



4. The style of writing and the photos are antiquated but the information is timeless and comprehensive. It's not for the meek, rather, it's for the serious student and those wishing to advance to a higher level. The book illustrates and describes the basic mechanics and essential skills needed for violin playing, the rational behind the technique, and how it all fits together. The book is an amazing resource. Expensive, but worth it.



5. I was happy with purchase. I knew what the book was about before I purchased it. It arrived quicker than I expected too. I have not read it all yet as it is a music book.
   
   Regards
   
   David

No comments about The Violin Maker: A Search for the Secrets of Craftsmanship, Sound, and Stradivari (P.S.).