The Viola, How It Works: A Practical Guide to Viola Ownership(National Association for Music Education)

The Viola, How it Works presents information on the technical and historical aspects of the viola in relation to its position in the non-fretted string instrument family. This book is designed to expand a student's music study experience by learning about the parts of the viola and how it works, how to Care for it, how it is made, its history, useful accessories, and how to plan practice sessions. With this knowledge, one will have greater insight into the viola's relationship to other instruments in its family, resulting in a well-rounded musician instead of one who can just play an instrument.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction Scientific Pitch Notation 1. What Are the Parts of My Viola and How Do They Work? 2. How Do I Care for My Viola Outfit? 3. How Should I Plan My Practice Sessions? 4. What Items (Accessories) Will I Need to Help Me Play My Viola? 5. How Are Violas Made? 6. What Is the History of the Viola? 7. How Are Viola Bows Made? 8. What Is the History of Bows? 9. A Dictionary for Viola Students 10. A Review of Viola Parts and Their Use Index

About the Author :
Michael J. Pagliaro is certified by the New York State Department of Education as a Teacher of Music (grades K-12), Supervisor of Secondary Education, Secondary School Principal, by the New York City Board of Education as Teacher of Orchestral Music and holds the degrees of B.S. in Music, M.A. in Music Education, M.S. in School Administration and Supervision, and Sc.D. in Musical Instrument Technology. Dr. Pagliaro shares a lifetime of experience as a systematic musicologist as the author of The Musical Instrument Desk Reference: A Guide to How Band and Orchestral Instruments Work (Scarecrow Press, 2012); The Instrumental Music Director’s Guide to Comprehensive Program Development (Rowman and Littlefield, 2014);The String Instrument Owner’s Handbook (Rowman and Littlefield,2015); Basic Elements of Music (Rowman and Littlefield, 2016); and The Brass Instrument Owner’s Handbook (Rowman and Littlefield, 2016).

Review :
The "How it Works" Series has proven to be a landmark advancement in instrument study literature by bringing to the forefront a significant assortment of relevant facts that are rarely covered. The books are synchronized to facilitate teaching the topics to a single or mixed instrument group. I have reviewed these books and intend to include them in my string instrument curriculum. I give this Series *****. Dr. Pagliaro's "How it Works" Series skillfully expands traditional instrument study literature to a new level of inclusion by providing information related to but seldom included in those curricula. I highly recommend this Series to any group of string instrument teachers and professional instrumentalists interested in a "quick start" review of tangential information about their instrument. Dr. Michael J. Pagliaro, Sr.'s string book series, is a must-have for all string educators and their students. These well-written books are captivating for even the most seasoned string player. Dr. Pagliaro systematically answers all the nuts and bolts questions that all string players need in one easy-to-read book series. The book series spans an in-depth look at the individual string instrument history, parts of the instrument, essential supplies, and how to care for each instrument. He gives clear ideas about how to organize practice and much more. These books are a must-read.