Squirre Tarantella

William Henry Squirre Tarantella

In July, 2009, I played this for my first lesson with B as an indication of something I would like to work on. The following bits of advice are from the first lessons to the lesson when I finished working on this piece. I think I could probably revisit this and play it well enough to play in public (with tons of practice); really like this--much more than his Bourree.

Use more bow, especially in the easy sections
Gliss into the double stop/double A with 0/1 fingers
Don't stop and look at fingers!!!!!
In measure 24 slide fingers up to the harmonic and let it ring
In treble measure/thumb position: Thumb-1-2-3 and gliss down to the D double stop

Nuggets or piece practice

Play slower

Use metronome and gradually increase speed only when playing perfectly at the lower speed.

Measures: 13 to 16

23 to 24

Make sure fingers are not jammed together in measures 13 and 14

Practice 13 and 14 separate bow and also practice 6 slurs instead of 12 slurs; smoothly moving from 1 to 4

Work on for one more week.

Very good

Use a paintbrush, instead of abruptly ending notes

Use more bow

Check double stops at end; playing the wrong note

Second page; second time did not do the triple stacatto's but instead did a repeat of first version?? Need to look sometimes at the music

Vivaldi Sonata in E minor

Started on the allegro movement (2nd) this week. Sight read the movement on November 20th and played again on the 27th. Didn't play very well. The main problems were with all the string crossings. Also I tend to play the 16th notes too staccato; need to be longer. We changed all the bowings; I am working off of both a Suzuki version and a Schirmer's version; and B has a different version from ages ago! So the bow changes threw me a bit, but am OK with them now. The Suzuki version actually has some different runs than the Schirmer version and the Schirmer version has a couple of spots where the notes don't come out. So, I am going back to Suzuki, mainly because there is a lot of white space between the lines of music and I can really mark up the page.

This past weekend I started playing the second part of the allegro movement and decided that I liked the Sonata better after all. I need to really work on getting the fingerings fixed in my mind before I can even think about upping the tempo. I also need to play with the metronome on and make sure I don't rush the 8th notes.

NOTES from Lesson of December 4, 2009

Vivaldi, Sonata in E Minor

Going measure by measure;hopefully I'll remember everything I did wrong. Everything was wrong so will be like starting from scratch.

1 Play first note in this measure (and others) solidly; also use vibrato

2 16th notes; make first note in each section slightly longer; vibrato the B 8th note

3 play the 8th notes deliberately; make sure I stay in tempo and don't rush them; don't look at the fingerboard; don't have to play the inner two notes in each phrase as loudly as the outer two notes?

7 B changed the bowing based on her copy of the sonata; will really need to work on this!

9 And opening to 9, watch the dynamics, this run is p; all other comments from 2 above apply

11 Watch dynanics; slightly longer bow stroke

14 Watch staccato; bowings--work on getting this consistent; make sure crescendo is there; there are two crescendos in this section.

Second section of the allegro

Overall vibrato 8th notes and longer; make sure pay attention to dynamics; B changed the bowings on various measures throughout this section

23 First note, E, is SF; 8th notes is downward run are slightly longer; watch the G# and F on the C string

24 8th notes have a carrot on them; play deliberately; use only 2 to 3 inches of bow with each stroke

25 Back to original theme; all same rules apply as mentioned above

29 + Only part of either section I played remoted OK was the "hard" part, but B changed the bowing on the intro to the section.

32 Changed the fingerings and bowings in this measure; can keep first finger down

34 and intro Same as previous in the previous movement; play deliberately; don't look at the fingerboard

37 and 38 Changed bowings; can ritard the last measure; would normally not repeat this section.

Would normally repeat the first section and play second section one time.

Not sure I like this piece anymore; hopefully I'll get better at it, but right now, I don't like it.

November 27, 2009 Cello Lesson

Today's lessons was OK; better than last week, but not one of my best. Didn't have as much time to practice during the week due to Dr. appts., tests, and two concerts on the weekend.

Played Schroeder #34

Actually played this better at home. Main problems:

Intonation; need to work with a drone and practice getting my fingers straight across the strings when playing 5th chords.

Need to move thumb into position when playing an extension; example, in half notes from E to G#, get the thumb under the third normal finger position. Sort of anticipate the extension.

Will move on to Schroeder #35 for next week. Is longest yet and is at the point; aim for upper 1/3 of bow. Will be playing out of position at various points.

Retired the Breval Sonata in C; was playing that fairly well these past couple of days.

Vivaldi wasn't very good. B usually has something good to say about anything I play, but couldn't come up with anything other than it was better than last week (sight read) but wasn't good.

Pay attention to lines over some of the 8th notes; make longer

Changed the bowing to reflect B's copy and the Suzuki copy

In difficult 8th note passage (one with all the string crossings) pay attention to extensions; was not playing those correctly.

Can use more bow in last 16th note section.

Do a quick vibrato on quarter notes (not too many of those) and appropriate 8th notes; the ones introducing a run of 16th notes. Just a quicky.

Don't rush; don't play 16th notes staccato

Will work on this for next week and will at least attempt to play some of the next part of the allegro movement.

November 20, 2009 Cello Lesson

Cello Lesson, November 20, 2009

Lesson didn't go too well today, mainly because of recent bad medical news. Was very difficult to concentrate on playing.

Schroeder, #34

Will work on this one more week. Considering I hadn't played in a couple of days, due to work, etc., I didn't do as badly as I had predicted. B changed the bowing a bit so that the slurred chords are downbow. Other than that I need to:

Use more bow

Use less pressure, while using more bow. This should help with the screechy sound.

The slurs B added need to be smooth

Will often need to be playing on the tips of the fingers.

May try to pick up the speed; need to be consistent with the tempo.

Also, watch the dynamics.

In4th and 5th measures from the end, make sure fingerings are correct. Was playing the chord wrong. First finger needs to stay on E while playing the C on A string.

Breval Sonata

Again, did not play well at all. B said as long as I played the first chords fully, could do away with the vibrato.

Throughout I was killing the sound. Take the bow off the string to get the note to ring. Throughout I marked notes that need to be held slightly longer.

In measure 58 + make sure the bow continues in the air and taper off the notes.

In measure 95 + play with more bow as get to the top of the run. Make sure thumb is in place for hitting high G correctly.

Will work some this week on the Breval and hopefully pull all this together. Will also begin working on the Vivaldi Sonata in E minor, just the first part of the Allegro movement. B wrote in some of the fingering from her copy as the Suzuki version doesn't have much in the way of fingerings.

Piano Duets

Practiced with L today. Went through our Christmas program and rearranged the playlist. Will play all the religious music first and end with the secular. This was our second rehearsal and it went well. Playlist is:

Away in a Manger (Three version medley)

Angels We Have Heard on High

I Wonder As I Wander

Still, Still, Still and Silent Night

O Come All Ye Faithful

Greensleeves/What Child Is This?

Wexford Carol

Now Let Every Thing Adore Thee/Wachet Auf

Deck the Halls

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

We may try to fit Joy to the World in the program.

November 13, 2009 Cello Lesson

Lesson went well today. Played Schroeder #33 and managed to hit most of the down bows correctly. One problem was that bow was not parallel. Will go onto #34 for next week. Should be fun as I'll need to make sure I use the entire bow and leave enough for the whole notes.

The end of a phrase should always be a down bow (except in Schroeder #34) so you can taper the end of the phrase. #34 looks like it might be easier to play the faster I can play it.

Went onto the Breval Sonata. Played basically OK; about what I've been playing at home.

Didn't vibrato as many notes as I should have.

Looked too much at the fingerboard.

Play with more bow throughout.

On measure 7, etc. need to play more staccato and keep bow on strings. Play as if am playing on the wood.

Watch the phrase endings and the dynamics throughout.

In measures 29 and 30, need to play 29 louder to make sure the P of 30 isn't too quiet, but is different from 29.

Vibrato more notes.

In measure 59 watch the E to C (bigger stretch than previous notes)

Triplets on second page are stressed, tight and not fast enough. Try to loosen up and relax when playing the triplets.

Overall, played as if stressed. Need to try to relax, especially in the throat, neck, chest areas.

Try to tighten these areas and then relax them to tell the difference. Possibly some yoga?

Overall, make sure bow is parallel.

Play more toward the middle and not on top of the fingerboard.

Bow strings should be flatter.

Keep cello closer to the body and don't look at the fingerboard.

In spite of all this, will play for 1 more week and then start on Vivaldi #5 Sonata.

Bowing Distribution Exercise:

Play on an open string; metronome set at 60. Bow a 3 and then a 4 beat. Goal is no change in sound as the bow changes. Go from frog to tip and back. Aim for consistent sound. Taper at the end of the bowing.

Breval Sonata in C Major Notes

This was the first play through for BH. Did OK. Some sections weren't as good as at home, but overall, was fine.

Tempo was OK, though somewhat unsteady on the second page of the first movement.

Throughout, USE MORE BOW!!!!!

Three chords at the beginning: Take thumb off the back of cello to get a better vibrato, especially in the first and third chord. More bow is needed in the chords. Make sure the bottom notes can be heard in the third chord.

In many of the moving passages throughout the piece, PLAY INTO THE STRING, I.E., KEEP THE BOW ON THE STRING.

Overall, when leading into a chord, don't take the bow off the string. (This works!)

Overall, be generous with the bow; when changing bow direction, release and relax the sound.

Overall, when playing on the C string, make sure playing on tips of fingers.

Overall, don't saw the triplets.

Measure #7: Vibrate half notes and greater

Measure #13: Bow can travel through the air

Measure #29: No flat fingers!

Measure # 39: Don't lift fingers.

Measures # 58 and 59: Keep the bow in the air.

Measure # 73: Don't rush.

Measure #102: The trill. The beg. C is part of the trill. Must play the C with 1st finger; extension (x4) up to the E to begin the trill (baroque trill starts with the note above target note).

Measure #last: There is no space between last two chords.

Exercise to help with playing on the C String:

Play in the middle of the bow.

Play a C scale but alternate with open G.

Start upbow.

Breval Sonata Notes from Lesson, November 13, 2009

Went onto the Breval Sonata. Played basically OK; about what I've been playing at home.

Didn't vibrato as many notes as I should have.

Looked too much at the fingerboard.

Play with more bow throughout.

On measure 7, etc. need to play more staccato and keep bow on strings. Play as if am playing on the wood.

Watch the phrase endings and the dynamics throughout.

In measures 29 and 30, need to play 29 louder to make sure the P of 30 isn't too quiet, but is different from 29.

Vibrato more notes.

In measure 59 watch the E to C (bigger stretch than previous notes)

Triplets on second page are stressed, tight and not fast enough. Try to loosen up and relax when playing the triplets.

Overall, played as if stressed. Need to try to relax, especially in the throat, neck, chest areas.

Try to tighten these areas and then relax them to tell the difference. Possibly some yoga?

Overall, make sure bow is parallel.

Play more toward the middle and not on top of the fingerboard.

Bow strings should be flatter.

Keep cello closer to the body and don't look at the fingerboard.

In spite of all this, will play for 1 more week and then start on Vivaldi #5 Sonata.

Breval Sonata

Again, did not play well at all. B said as long as I played the first chords fully, could do away with the vibrato.

Throughout I was killing the sound. Take the bow off the string to get the note to ring. Throughout I marked notes that need to be held slightly longer.

In measure 58 + make sure the bow continues in the air and taper off the notes.

In measure 95 + play with more bow as get to the top of the run. Make sure thumb is in place for hitting high G correctly.

Will work some this week on the Breval and hopefully pull all this together. Will also begin working on the Vivaldi Sonata in E minor, just the first part of the Allegro movement. B wrote in some of the fingering from her copy as the Suzuki version doesn't have much in the way of fingerings.

VIBRATO

RIGHT HAND STUFF/BOWING

LEFT HAND STUFF