A well graded course of study including 30 progressive etudues plus settings of Bach and Paganini violin concertos for 'fixed pitched' percussion. A supplement of excerpts culled from the modern repertoire makes this volume unique. Included are ' Ma Mere l'Oye' of Ravel 'Petrouchka' of Stravinsky 'Colas Breugnon' of Kabalevsky 'Polka' by Shostakovich 'Sabre Dance' of Khachatrin 'Porgy and Bess' of Gershwin the Bell Song from 'Lakme' of Delibes and many others.

Percussionist François Dupin (1931-1994) studied at the Paris Conservatoire where he won many prizes including first prize for composition. His professional work as a performer composer and teacher combined produced many well-informed study books for Percussion including Seventeen Studies for Xylophone. Following his graduation from the Paris Conservatoire Dupin worked with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France and the Orchestre de Paris when it was first founded. He then went on to establish the first Percussion class at the Lyon Conservatoire where he taught until his death. It was during this time thatDupin produced Seventeen Studies for Xylophone. These studies address the difficulties which students are likely to have to overcome in their future professional lives. Fingerings are helpfully suggested and clear instruction in French English German and Spanish creates a highly versatile study book. François Dupin's Seventeen Studies for Xylophone is imperative to the technical progression of all advanced Xylophone players.

With few study books existing for the Xylophone Jacques Delécluse ensures that this gap is filled with his excellent Twenty Studies for Xylophone. French percussionist and composer Delécluse studied at the Paris Conservatoire in the mid-1900s winning many prizes. The exercises in Twenty Studies for Xylophone are technically challenging intended for advanced students of the instrument. Aspects addressed include complex rhythms accidentals scales tempo dynamics ornamentation key signatures among other features. For all aspiring Xylophone players Delécluse'sTwenty Studies is essential having been compiled by a master of percussion himself.