For more than a century, violinists have played jazz, swing, blues and similar improvisational styles. With its rich tone, considerable range, and bowed rhythms and phrasing, the violin offers a unique opportunity for a creative and personal statement as a musician. This book presents a broad sampling of the styles of major jazz violinists, from blues to bebop, from jug band to jazzgrass, from big-band swing to Texas swing. Tunes represent the styles of Stéphane Grappelli, Joe Venuti, Stuff Smith, Eddie South, Mark O'Connor, Benny Thomasson, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Darol Anger. Helpful jazz theory sections with exercises alternate with tunes that show how the theory works in practice.

This book has two objectives; first, to present a broad, roughly chronological sampling of major jazz violinists and the styles associated with them, and secondly, to introduce the basics of jazz theory as applied to the violin. Whether consciously or intuitively, through critical listening or by practicing jazz patterns and exercises, the more knowledge of jazz you acquire, the better you will be able to think about the content of your playing without being bound by technical and theoretical aspects. This anthology was written to help provide that foundation.

Interspersed with pragmatic jazz theory lessons, you’ll find 28 original tunes in the style of various jazz violin luminaries. The book ends with an extensive discography of recommended jazz recordings with a violin focus. Mandolinists as well as other instrumentalists will find a wealth of useful information in this outstanding collection. Delightful broadcast-quality recordings of the repertoire are available online. Includes access to online audio. Written for intermediate to advanced violinists.

Scales, Chords, and Chord Progressions

Twelve Bar Blues

 - L’Histoire

 - Hotel Pitz Blues

 - C-Riff

 - Space Cadet

Stuff Smith (Swinging Fiercely)

 - Bad News Blues

The ii-V7-I Progression

 - Skeleton Blues

 - Cartilage Blues

Joe Venuti (American Swing Style)

 - Rarin’ To Go

 - Humorous Humoresque

Altered Notes in ii-V7-I Progressions

Eddie South (Romanticist)

 - Laurie

ii-bII7-I Progressions

 - Chroma Zone

Stephanie Grappelli (A Sense of Elegance)

 - Swanee River

 - Tribute to Stephanie Grappelli

Turnarounds

The Big Band Sound

 - A Fine Clambake

Chord Superimpositions

The Be-Bop Era

 - Bopology

 - Be-Ba

Improvising

Svend Asmussen (A Spectrum of Styles)

 - Straight Ahead

Jazz Scales

Jean-Luc Ponty (King of Fusion)

 - Acid Rain

 - Timescape

Bow Techniques and Rhythm Patterns

Vassar Clements (Jazzy Bluegrass)

 - Wabash Cannonball

 - Dark Sky at Dawn

Jazz Chording

Jug Band and Related Styles

 - Nothin’ to Hide

 - Mango Swing

Darol Anger (Dawg Music)

 - Lunar Dawg

Amplifying Your Violin

Benny Thomasson (Texas Fiddle Tunes)

 - Lady’s Fancy

Mark O’Connor (Texas Swing)

 - Mustard Greens

Gypsy Jazz

 - Spring Czardas