Polka and Waltz music

hey all , recently i got as as a present a strauss CD(Strauss ,spectacular classics) , and im starting to love his work ,and all of whats inside the cd is waltz or polka.

Anyway my question is , is there a textbook or a manual that helps in composing waltz or Polka music , i've tried a few and it ended up horrible hehe . my first few experiments in this field .and if there isnt any textbook how can i improve myself in composing for waltz or polka music . thanks :)

I would suggest you to listen to waltzes and polkas and analyze them, both aurally and visually, and then to compose - I think that's the way to improve. Besides knowing the theoretical framework (rhythm and time signature, accompaniment style, figures, etc.), I don't think whole specific books on these matters are needed. IMO, books are there to help you in forming your basis, knowledge and understanding of the principles of stuff like harmony, counterpoint, form, techniques, etc., but I don't think it's 'healthy' to spend much time with large and pompous, often stiff-styled books with hundreds of details, stating of which is not that essential, considering most of them actually follow from the principles (Aldwell & Schachter's Harmony and Voice Leading comes to mind - some people like this book, but I prefer other texts).