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"ACCIDENTALS HAPPEN!"
Reviewed by STRINGS Magazine (April, 2009 - P. 66)

Accidentals Happen! A Compilation of Scales for Violin by William H. Somach. (Also available for viola, cello, and bass.) somaxmusic.com, $25.00.

This scale book is a well-informed guide for teachers and players who are looking to learn about scales, modes, key signatures, and accidentals. As Somach states in the preface, his book is for “accomplished musicians and those who may not be well versed in classroom music theory.” The language is clear and concise—certainly approachable for beginners—but the content covered is vast. From western scales and modes to Hungarian, Arabic, and Hindu scales, this book offers plenty for the experienced musician. The scales are easy to read (half steps and augmented second intervals are clearly labeled), and terms and definitions are provided throughout. Recommended for anyone who needs to develop his or her scales.
—Graham Pellettieri

"ACCIDENTALS HAPPEN!"
A Summary


"
ACCIDENTALS HAPPEN! A Compilation of Scales", available for violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, french horn, bassoon, oboe, saxophone, trumpet, trombone & keyboard is a music scale book with twenty-six different scales which are building blocks for many types of music including western classical music, some ethnic and eastern music as well as jazz. Each different scale is notated in all fifteen key signatures for a total of 390 scales notated in the book. The half steps are indicated where applicable as is the augmented second interval in a few scales where this larger interval is important to the tonal identity of the scale. For each scale type in this book, there is accompanying reference material that explains the interval relationships, which types of music utilize these scales and which composers and artists utilized certain scales in their music. The twenty-six scales included in this book are the following:

•Major •Harmonic Minor •Melodic Minor
•Dorian Mode •Phrygian Mode •Lydian Mode
•Mixolydian Mode •Aeolian Mode •Locrian Mode
•Major Pentatonic •Minor Pentatonic •Spanish/Jewish
•Hungarian Minor •Arabic •Hindu
•Augmented •Lydian Augmented •Major Diminished
•Minor Diminished •Whole Tone •Diminished Whole Tone
•Harmonic Major •Blues •Bebop
•Lydian Dominant •Chromatic

This book is designed to be used in routine daily practicing to improve one's ability to sight-read unexpected accidentals and become more familiar with the diverse musical harmonies existent in a wide variety of western and world music.

For those who purchase the book and start to work with it, I would be very interested to get
feedback on your experience with the book. Tell me what you think is good about it, or not good about it, or feel free to suggest things in it that might be improved or modified. I have labeled this the FIRST EDITION because I anticipate that it will evolve with the help of the expertise of those who are using it to make it even better and more useful in the future.

William H. Somach