Review: ‘Dragonscales’ Makes Learning Strings an Adventure

By Mary Nemet | From the July/August 2025 issue of Strings

As Nick Revel says in his Foreword, why not go on an adventure while learning your instrument? When he is not touring as founding violist of the Grammy-nominated PUBLIQuartet, he composes, produces, and performs original solo pieces, audio engineers recordings, and creates powerful educational tools for strings.

Following his earlier Dragonscales: 3-Octave Scales and Arpeggios, Revel has produced three Hero Levels books: an extensive and adventurous exploration of left- and right-hand exercises in original études and concert pieces. These are supported and enhanced by audio play-alongs. Scan the QR codes within the books on your smartphone or tablet to access the accompanying recordings for demo playthroughs or various practice tempos.

The adventure begins in Chapter One with a story about the hero from Amberglade, followed by a beginning study with variations. Choose your level before graduating to Eldervale Wilds, another escapist tale that reflects the story in the music that follows. Weave your own magic with fingers and bow, and then move on to a monster: learning glissando and chromatics as you negotiate scary chills and eerie fog. Chapter Two introduces new lands and new people in spine-chilling stories before embarking on pizzicato, rubato, and accelerando, supported by the hero’s theme in the audio play-along. And so it progresses with heroic and adventurous spirit until the final battle in Book One: an étude in challenging meters.

Graduating to Book Two, a player will meet the same titles and stories, this time on the Noble Level, with more intricate techniques to keep both mind and body fully occupied. Fast string-crossings, new keys, and chord progressions will keep you on your toes and fire your imagination. Finally, Level 3 (Legend) ensures victory over all the challenges—you are on your way to becoming a versatile player in all areas of technique and musicianship. Lovely melodies vie with fast and furious études designed for 21st-century string players and educators.

Relax with a coffee and read the stories that accompany each étude, while marveling at the full-page illustrations. Then launch into the music with bravado, becoming an intrepid warrior and forging your path to greatness.

If you have become jaded from conventional studies, Revel’s series in separate books for violin, viola, and cello will transform how you teach and play. His mission, to make practice fun and enjoyable as well as educational, comes to fruition in these resourceful and very imaginative books.