Tunes Worth Practicing
Did you ever play some of the old dance tunes of several generations and more ago, hornpipes, reels, jigs, country dances, etc.? If you haven't you have missed a lot of fun.
They have rhythmic life and vigor and require more bowing and left-hand finger technic than the average player is aware until he tries them at a rapid tempo. This applies in particular to tunes of the hornpipe and Scotish style, in which one finds many passages calling for a supple and firm wrist to make the passage which harass the student are common from one string to another properly.
Many of these tunes are effective if played in a semi-staccato, and even a staccato execution, one bow motion to a note, with occasional slurring to produce the desired effect. And some of them have that melodic charm which is a characteristic of folk melodies. Altogether they are worth practising. A collection can be purchased from any music dealer for a small amount of money.