Creative Improv Method for Violin, Mandolin & Flute

How did Bird come up with his incredible solos? Zappa? Grappelli? Goodman? This 9 page method book is designed for Violin, Mandolin, Flute and any C Instrument player who wishes to improvise with authority, confidence and creativity. This study method is designed to peel classical players off of the printed page and help soloists connect their brain to their fingers. Using Televison themes, Rock and Roll licks and well-known Classical melodies as a guide, the player it taught to practice musical "quotes" in any key to add to their solos.

Page one is an overview of the entire book and gives samples from each lesson. Page 2 digs into scales and rock / pentatonic / folk riffs. Page 3 highlights Mozart's "Horn Fifths" (in four keys) as well as the 11/4 traditional tune "Neda Voda" as performed by Boiled in Lead (both melody and harmony included, for duet play). First, second and third positions are used throughout.

Page four introduces left hand pizzicato excericises (as made famous by Paganini) in various keys and meters. Also pull-offs and hammer-ons in mixolydian and pentatonic licks. Incorporating left hand pizzicato into your solos can be very exciting, and is rare to hear.

Page 5 features rockabilly licks and passing tone riffs, useful for soloing in folk, rock, pop and blues music.

Page 6 outlines sliding studies in various keys plus mixolydian and pentatonic riffs that also feature sliding to and from notes. Also included is a very well known rock lick in D.

Page 7 & 8 are both devoted to Musical Quotes - cartoons, classical, rock, pop and TV themes are all featured as quotes (each with their own starting scale notes) to add to your solos. 19 themes in all including several from Peter and the Wolf. The Chicken Reel, Chicken Lick and Bird Sounds are also notated.

Page 9 is a transcription to Giuceveska Racienitsa, a traditional bulgarian barn-burner dance tune in 7/8 time as performed by the Reptile Palace Orchestra. This piece incorporates the entire method book into one very flashy song, with guitar chord accompaniment. The screaming, breathtaking solo section features left-hand pizzicato and pull-offs and will have people's jaws dropping when played.

This is the third printing of this method book, which has satisfied folk, bluegrass, rock, world and classical string students since 1997. The composer Biff Blumfumgagnge is the violinist/producer of the Reptile Palace Orchestra as well as many other musical groups. He won the Wisconsin Music Industry Award for "Best String Player" in 2001, and is a private violin teacher who uses this book in his lessons.