Book review: Dragonscales: The Hero Levels: 25 Fantasy Etudes to Slay Evil

Dragonscales: The Hero Levels: 25 Fantasy Etudes to Slay Evil

Nick Revel

Violin Noble 110PP ISBN 9798987512456

Violin Legend 112PP ISBN 9798987512449

Viola Noble 110PP ISBN 9798987512470

Viola Legend 112PP ISBN 9798987512463

Nick Revel $29.95 each 

Dragonscales: The Hero Levels is a new collection of etudes for violin, viola and cello by the Grammy-nominated chamber musician and composer Nick Revel. It is designed using the concept of a fantasy book or a videogame, with the studies acting as the soundtrack to the action. Clearly it has been created to chime with the imagination and lifestyle of the young musician of today, who will follow the story while tackling and conquering string techniques and skills, including elements of theory and improvisation.

The book comprises three elements: the written story, the music itself, and the accompanying materials including audio playalong tracks and accompaniments via QR code.

The written story is very engaging, written in the style of a fantasy role-playing book where the hero explores scenes such as glades, taverns and a coliseum, and has encounters with villains, wolves, dragons and monsters. The pictures that accompany the text are by turns charming and vivid. All are well executed, which adds to the experience.

The music is well written and combines the important elements of being artistically and technically engaging. It calls for plenty of technical elements including chords, pizzicato, harmonics, accents, tricky string-crossings, and changes of meter. Importantly these are all incorporated musically and with encouraging performing directions written in plain English. For example, Revel calls for an ‘explosive’ approach in a Tarantella, which follows a ‘tender’ request in the previous ‘intimate’ movement.

It is excellent that Revel includes requests for the player to be creative within this music game. He encourages players to improvise and to explore their own rhythms and harmonies within the structures presented, and there is space in the book to notate ideas of their own.

The audio accompaniments provided are generally really good. They are performed with a clear sense of character, which helps players further to understand some of the musical requirements of the techniques. The backing tracks for improvising are less consistently good, however, with not enough clarity for the player to be sure that they are at the right place or in the right time with their creativity.

There is useful flexibility with this collection of etudes. While the story remains the same, there are two levels for each instrument: ‘Noble’ and ‘Legend’. Noble is the less advanced level, whereas Legend extends the player further. Skilfully, Revel ensures that the different levels can work together, meaning that Dragonscales: The Hero Levels can be performed by a pupil and teacher, by friends on the same instrument, or in combination with others, making this book a truly multiplayer experience. It is well worth exploring.

ALEX LAING