This concise volume by an expert is not only a practical manual for the performer but also an authoritative history of the instrument. In covering the essentials of performance practice and musical style for the classical repertoire, the text provides important suggestions for mastering basic touch, fingering, articulation and phrasing, rhythm and tempo, ornaments such as the trill, slide, turn, and arpeggio; ensemble playing; and other fundamentals. "Very well produced and much to be recommended." — Music and Letters.