• New Solos for Classical Mandolin: Concert Repertoire for Practice & Performance

    New Solos for Classical Mandolin Songbook - Concert Repertoire for Practice & Performance by August Watters

    MILWAUKEE, WISC. — Hal Leonard Publishing has announced a March 5 publication of New Solos for Classical Mandolin: Concert Repertoire for Practice & Performance, by August Watters, with illustrations by Alex Timmerman, available for pre-ordering from amazon.com.

    New Solos is a unique collection of original solo compositions for mandolin designed for both practice and performance. Composed in a richly-textured style, this collection provides a systematic study of several right-hand techniques drawn from the literature of classical mandolin, as well as a framework for developing your own approach to interpretation and improvisation within classical music traditions. The book includes 24 original compositions, plus 10 arrangements of familiar melodies.

    New Solos is designed to help you to: extend the tone color and expressive range of your instrument; practice your technique by playing musical solos, instead of exercises; dig deeper into classical techniques, with a guided method for study; consider strategies to improve your music reading skills and chord/melody concept; build your repertoire of modern solo works; and cultivate your own way of interpretation and improvising with classical mandolin.

    Included as an appendix is Timmerman's newly revised informational chart "The Italian Mandolin: Its evolution, nomenclature and types," released a few years ago. 80 pages, saddle stitched.

    Table of Contents

    • Acknowledgments
    • Foreword: State of the Craft
    • Introduction

    I: Downstrokes, Rest Strokes, and Alternate Picking

    • Scottish Bells
    • The Story of the Rest - "The Bortolazzi Bounce"
    • Road to Inverness
    • Johann and Jethro
    • Development 1
    • Arpeggio Study 1
    • Chord Study 1 - "Ode to Joy"

    II: Reverse Alternate Picking

    • The Backward Thing, Part 1
    • The Backward Thing, Part 2
    • The Backward Thing, Part 3
    • The Backward Thing, Part 4
    • Development 2
    • Arpeggio Study 2
    • Chord Study 2 - "Go Down Moses"

    III: Glide Strokes

    • Downglide
    • Upglide - "Meditation on a Small Star"
    • Forward and Reverse
    • Gliding Home
    • Development 3 - "Il est né"
    • Arpeggio Study 3
    • Chord Study 3 - "We Shall Overcome"

    IV: Mixed Techniques

    • Old Joe Carr - "Two Old Joes"
    • Stalking of the Muse
    • For Kabalevsky
    • Morning in Our Town
    • Carolan’s Remorse - "Scarborough Fair"
    • Development 4 - "Ode to Joy"
    • Arpeggio Study 4 - "Skater's Waltz" (Waldteufel)
    • Chord Study 4 - "Carolan's Draught"

    V: Summary Etudes

    • Arpeggio Duo 2 plus 1
    • Arpeggio Duo 3
    • The Big Glide
    • Summer's End
    • Tito's Lament
    • Waiting for Renzo

    • Appendix I: The Reading Game
    • Appendix II: An 18th-Century Mandolin Lesson
    • Appendix III: The Italian Mandolin
    • About the Illustrator
    • About the Author

    Additional Information

    Comments 2 Comments
    1. Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
      Mandolin Cafe -
      Noting the anniversary of this publication of this one.
    1. August Watters's Avatar
      August Watters -
      Thanks, Scott. News: I have posted new recordings of some pieces, with more to come. The permanent recordings are well on their way now, and should be finished within the next few weeks. I'll post links here when available.

      My apologies to all who have been waiting for the recordings. Unfortunately the book was released just as pandemic lockdowns arrived, and as a result the professional video recordings I made could not be edited and released (logistical reasons). Since it's all original music, the recordings are helpful (although you might prefer to learn only from the notation, without being influenced by the recordings). It's a book of concert solos using classical right-hand techniques (but not in a "classical" style). It also functions as a book of etudes, with practice materials to help gradually build right-hand techniques that can be applied to any style of mandolin playing.

      Everyone hang in there -- we'll get through this!