The Viol Rules
Alison CRUM

It is now twenty five years since Alison Crum wrote her first seminal book Play the Viol. The Viol Rules is a detailed analysis drawn from many years of teaching the viol in colleges seminars, courses and festivals around the world, updating and expanding on many of the topics first discussed in Play the Viol. The Viol Rules is not intended as a complete tutor for the viol, but rather a reflection and enlargement based on many years of teaching experience. There are multiple music examples, with explanatory text on a facing page so that technique and interpretation can be instantly cross referenced to the music. There are a number of full colour illustrations, including details taken from historical works of art, as well as humorous sketches to enliven the matters dealt with in the text. The principal chapters are: Basics – Holding the viol, Left hand position, Holding the bow, Moving the bow. Bowing – Bow speed, Pressure and weight, Distance from the bridge, Starting a note, Bow changes, Bow direction, Bow distribution, Dotted notes, String crossing, Articulation, Phrasing. Fingering – Resonance, Fingering choices, Playing in higher positions. Music Examples – from works by Byrd, Tye, Purcell, Lawes, Jenkins, Ward, Gibbons, Holborne, Mundy, Locke, Ferabosco, Ravenscroft, Buxtehude, Marais,Telemann. Preparing to Play - Equipment, Practising, The well-tempered consort, Solo playing There is a list of treatises and sources, a selection of web pages to visit, a glossary of terms used and an index.